Research theme

To date, crop protection relies almost exclusively on chemical treatments responsible for significant environmental damages and the emergence of resistance in certain insect pests. In addition, the synthetic molecules used to protect stored products are the source of most of the chemical residues present in cereals. These residues are then found in processed products such as bread, pasta, pastries, etc., and can potentially be dangerous for consumers. The discovery of new solutions for agriculture is therefore essential to respond to societal, health and environmental concerns. Thus, the French government in the "Ecophyto 2" plan published in October 2015 plans to reduce chemical pesticides by half by 2025. In September 2018, it totally banned the use of the most widely used and decried chemical insecticides in the world, neonicotinoids described as "bee killers". The European Union followed suit by partially banning them at the end of 2018.

In this context, InEn is developing new entomotoxic molecules and innovative strategies that are more eco-friendly to control crop bio-aggressors.