CrosyeN

Coordinating institution : CIRAD

Project leader : Yann Nouvellon
Project duration : 60 months | April 1st 2023 → March 31th 2028

Grant : 1 500 000 €

 

Insitutional partnerships : INRAE - IRD 

Associated institution: CNRS

 

 

The CrosyeN project (“Cropping System Experiment Network”) of the FairCarboN PEPR is an infrastructure project dedicated to supporting long‑term cropping‑system experiments. These experiments are designed to develop and assess agroecological cropping systems adapted to new climatic conditions and contributing to carbon‑neutrality and agroecological transition objectives in the agricultural sector. CrosyeN aims to network, strengthen, and enhance established system experiments conducted under diverse pedoclimatic conditions (four sites in France and four tropical sites). The goal is to test and compare the multi‑criteria performance of combinations of agronomic levers—such as spatial and temporal diversification of cultivated species, maximisation of soil cover, reduction or elimination of mechanical operations, and significant introduction of legumes—and of cropping systems, in order to inform policymakers in shaping public policies.

The project will particularly reinforce instrumentation levels and human capacities at experimental sites to ensure a harmonised core set of measurements based on shared protocols across the network. It will also develop methods for assessing the multidimensional performance of the tested cropping systems (compared with reference systems), thereby shedding light on the various dimensions of sustainability. This analytical framework will enable transversal, multi‑site evaluation of cropping systems that include different levels of biodiversity enhancement and agroecological practices. The data and knowledge generated will support other components of the FairCarboN PEPR and will be shared more broadly through an open‑science approach.

CrosyeN will be carried out by a multidisciplinary team of researchers (systems agronomy, ecophysiology, biogeochemistry, soil science, bioclimatology, sustainability assessment, etc.) from six research units under the primary supervision of CIRAD, INRAE, and IRD. Participants have extensive experience in designing and monitoring cropping‑system experiments in collaboration with research institutions and non‑academic actors in both the Global North and South. The project is organised into three task groups (GTs):

• GT0: coordination, network facilitation, and internal/external communication;
• GT1: design and implementation of shared protocols for data collection and management on the tested cropping systems;
• GT2: multi‑criteria and multi‑site analyses of cropping‑system performance.

As an “infrastructure support” project, CrosyeN will strengthen the network of agroecological cropping‑system trials with the ambition of achieving international visibility, aiming for:

• long‑term sustainability of experimental platforms, and
• acquisition and preservation of scientific data and technical references on the performance of the tested cropping systems.

Finally, CrosyeN aims to produce open‑access scientific publications and will develop training and communication activities tailored to different communities: i) farmers and agricultural advisors, ii) public administrations and policymakers, iii) the general public, in line with an open‑science approach.

Coordinators : Yann Nouvellon (CIRAD, Eco&Sols), Lionel Alletto (INRAE, AGIR), Pascal Jouquet (IRD, iEES), Mathilde Sester (CIRAD, AIDA)