Three experimental designs
ALTO (Systèmes en ArboricuLture et Transition agrOécologique) is one of the DEPHY EXPÉ research projects of the Ecophyto II plan (2018-2023). It is led by INRAe on the Gotheron site (Sylvaine SIMON) and includes 14 partners involved in research, experimentation, development and education1.
The objective of the project is to develop new fruit production systems with very little pesticide use, and if possible, none at all. Using an interdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach, this project is based on three experimental designs aiming at rethinking the orchard as a whole as well as how it is managed. ALTO, therefore, proposes the systemic study of the so-called «centered on apple» orchard, which means that this species is in the majority among the other species and is therefore the focus of attention. Moreover, it is common to all three experimental designs: