Research Unit

PIAF is almost 35 years old! It was one of the first joint research units to be created between a university (Blaise Pascal University) and INRA, even before it had "Dual Research Unit" status. The idea was to bring together researchers from different but complementary disciplines around the same subject: the tree. Thus, agronomists and bioclimatologists from INRA working at the whole-plant level joined forces with physiologists and biochemists addressing the same questions but at cellular levels, pioneering what would become integrative biology. PIAF then further broadened its range, going from mechanics and thermal science to functional genomics and molecular physiology, and opening up to the diversity of trees and their different uses (forestry, fruit trees, but also urban or agroforestry).

What are strengths of this unit ?

The PIAF's first strength is its genuine interdisciplinary approach to physics and biology, which allows it to play a unifying role in this new frontier of plant sciences. The second is the effective involvement of UCA and INRA staff within the same teams, which allows for interdisciplinarity and a connection between research, teaching, and the dissemination of scientific culture. Finally, it is a balanced collective in terms of human resources, both genders and professions (technicians, engineers, researchers, teachers and researchers). This allows for a great deal of experimental innovation, but also a good balance between fundamental and finalized aspects; and a friendly atmosphere!

What are the fundamental and final scientific objectives of PIAF today?

Our research focuses primarily on the responses of trees to physical environmental factors affected by climate change (hydric, thermal, mechanical -wind-) and determining their acclimatization or survival. To this end, we study the architectural development and functioning of trees throughout their annual cycle, with particular attention to the effects of environmental fluctuations (drought, heat or cold snaps, wind surges). The goal is to identify more resistant/resilient tree genotypes or ecotypes, to propose management methods that improve sustainability, and to predict changes in species distribution areas as a function of climate change. For example, we propose orchard management methods to limit the development of pests and thus the number of phytosanitary treatments, and we even try to transpose what we have learned with trees, champions of resilience, to annual crops!