Protection des cultures - De l'agrochimie à l'agroécologie

22/01/2009 - Article

Changes in crop protection concepts and practices, from the first innovations to the current phytosanitary situation.

At a time when farming systems in the North find themselves in a socioeconomic, environmental or sanitary dead end, and when the food crisis in the South is a major challenge for the world as a whole, how can we reconcile crop protection against pests and diseases with the social, economic and environmental sustainability of agro-ecosystems?
This book, with a preface by Bernard Chevassus-au-Louis, traces the changes in concepts and in crop protection practices, based on the example of cotton cultivation, which often pioneers technical innovations. It includes a detailed analysis of the current phytosanitary situation, illustrates the limitations of agrochemical protection, and stresses the necessity of managing plant stands on an agro-ecosystem scale, introducing the concept of agro-ecology.
The authors' experience and complementarity, their knowledge of agronomy, ecology and crop protection, and the thoroughness of their scientific reasoning gives the book a depth that fills a gap in the literature available on the subject. It is a valuable tool, supplemented with a specific glossary, for anyone keen to reflect on how we might grow and protect crops differently: students, practicians, crop protection specialists, researchers, and, perhaps most importantly, the citizens of our 21st-century societies.
Authors
Jean-Philippe Deguine is an entomologist and agro-ecologist at CIRAD. For 20 years now, he has been in charge of multidisciplinary research programmes on crop protection in various types of agro-ecosystems (cotton and others), particularly in developing countries. He has also been Chair of the European network IPM-Europe.
Pierre Ferron , an agronomist, has spent his career working on biological control of crop insect pests. He has been Secretary of the western Europe section of the International Organization for Biological and Integrated Control and Head of INRA's agricultural zoology department, and in particular initiated the setting up of a population biology and management research centre, in Montpellier.
Derek Russell is a British entomologist working for NRI, as a teacher-researcher at the University of Melbourne in Australia; he has 30 years' experience, and is a recognized expert in crop protection (particularly cotton), notably in Asia and East Africa.

Protection des cultures
De l'agrochimie à l'agroécologie
Jean-Philippe Deguine, Pierre Ferron, Derek Russell
Publ. Quæ, 2008