Theme 4: Marine biological resources/Biotechnology

Orobanchaceae are parasitic plants which attack numerous cultivated plants. They divert and exploit the sap produced by the host plant (a phenomenon known as chemotaxis), and affect crops of oilseed rape, maize, sunflowers, vegetables, etc. The resultant damage can even destroy a crop completely. This parasitic plant species has considerable potential to spread and is highly adaptable, factors that are of concern to countries around the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Similarly worrying is its move towards northern Europe and France. 

The aim of the LUTOR project is to develop new, marine-sourced bioactive compounds inhibiting the growth of Orobanchaceae and to offer farmers effective, environmentally-friendly solutions ensuring optimisation of crop yields.

The companies working together at the centre of the LUTOR project – Timac Agro International, Maïsadour Semences and the LBPV laboratory – will test the inhibiting effect of different extracts of marine algae and Halophytes on the interaction between the parasitic and the host plants. Changes to the chemotactic mechanism between the two organisms will be studied. Subsequent experiments under controlled conditions and out in the field will make it possible to assess the effectiveness of these new marine bioactive compounds. 

LUTOR PROJECT PARTNERS :

Companies

• Timac Agro International,  Groupe Roullier, Saint-Malo/Dinard, producer and international supplier of fertilisers based on mineral or vegetable, natural raw materials: project director

• MAISADOUR Semences, Mont de Marsan, producteur de semences de maïs, de tournesol, de colza et de céréales aux agriculteurs dans plus de 35 pays

Research centre

• LBPV, University of Nantes, Plant Biology and Pathology Lab (Laboratoire de Biologie et Pathologie Végétales)

Contacts

• Cette adresse email est protégée contre les robots des spammeurs, vous devez activer Javascript pour la voir. '; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text76064 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //--> Cette adresse email est protégée contre les robots des spammeurs, vous devez activer Javascript pour la voir.