In the current context of climate change, tree–crop combinations in agroforestry systems are suggested to mitigate water and heat stresses, particularly in semi-arid environments of the Mediterranean area. In this framework, a 3-year trial was conducted at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE) in Mauguio (Southern France) in order to investigate the response of twenty-five durum wheat genotypes under a yearly pruned (AF) and a never-pruned alley olive orchard (AF+), in comparison with an open field without trees (control, C). The grain yield of wheat was markedly reduced in both the agroforestry systems AF (average −43%) and AF+ (−83%), according to the shading level. Among the yield components, the plant density at harvest was enhanced in AF (+22%) and AF+ (+3%), although with a significant reduction in the number of grains per spike (−37% in AF and −62% in AF+), and the number of spikes per plant (−32% in AF and −52% in AF+). The thousand-grain weight (TGW) and harvest index (HI) were slightly higher under moderate shade (AF; +12% vs. C) and severe shading (AF+; +6%). Plant biomass and spike size were significantly reduced in both agroforestry systems, while the flag leaf–spike distance (last internode) increased in AF. It was concluded that the moderate shading conditions of AF may create a sustainable agricultural system, and the wide intraspecific variability suggested a large scope for screening suitable genotypes, helping to produce ideotypes to implement agroforestry-oriented breeding programs.

Leavened bread can be made with different wheat varieties and leavening agents. Several studies have now demonstrated that each of these factors can play a role in bread quality. However, their relative impact in artisanal bread making remains to be elucidated. Here, we assessed the impact of two wheat varieties as well as the impact of sourdoughs and yeasts on multiple components of bread organoleptic and nutritional quality. Using a participatory research approach including scientists and bakers, we compared breads leavened with three different sourdoughs and three different commercial yeasts as well as a mix of sourdough and yeast. Breads were made from two wheat varieties commonly used in organic farming: the variety “Renan” and the landrace “Barbu”. Except for bread minerals contents that mostly depended on wheat variety, bread quality was mostly driven by the fermenting agent. Sourdough breads had lower sugar and organic acids contents. These differences were mostly attributable to lower amounts of maltose and malate. They also had a higher proportion of soluble proteins than yeast breads, with specific aroma profiles. Finally, their aroma profiles were specific and more diverse compared to yeast breads. Interestingly, we also found significant nutritional and organoleptic quality differences between sourdough breads. These results highlight the value of sourdough bread and the role of sourdough microbial diversity in bread nutritional and organoleptic quality.

Le verrouillage technologique des filières blés a suscité, dans la période récente, l’émergence d’alternatives qui prennent aujourd’hui une nouvelle dimension au regard des préoccupations des consommateurs vis-à-vis du gluten. Basé sur une recherche-intervention en Occitanie et une étude menée à l’échelle nationale, cet article propose une approche interdisciplinaire et systémique du développement des chaînes locales autour des blés. Il montre comment des agriculteurs et des artisans portent des innovations sociales qui réorientent l’innovation technologique vers un nouveau système agroalimentaire prenant en compte de nouveaux indicateurs de richesse. Tout en prenant place dans les travaux sur le changement d’échelle des circuits courts alimentaires, il appelle ainsi à approfondir le couplage entre innovation sociale et innovation technologique dans l’histoire et la transition des systèmes agroalimentaires. Code JEL : Q13

In the current context of climate change, the impact of trees in agroforestry systems is expected to mitigate water and heat stresses, particularly in semi-arid environments. Within this framework, in a two-year trial conducted at INRAE in Southern France, the dynamics of microclimatic parameters and the edaphic environment of durum wheat were investigated under a yearly-pruned (AF) and a never-pruned (AF+) 6-m apart alley olive orchard, in comparison with controls under full sun. Here it was recorded a reduction of photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) by 30% and 51% in AF and AF+, respectively, during the wheat cycle, together with a marked reduction of wind speed compared to controls (–85% in AF and −99% in AF+). A significant buffer effect was also highlighted for air temperature, averagely +1.7 °C during the night and −3.2 °C during the daytime under the moderate shading of AF. The positive effect of trees on soil water conservation increased with the intensity of shading, particularly during the critical wheat stage of grain filling, with benefits on wheat root mycorrhization, and NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ abundance in the arable layer. Despite some of the environmental modifications being favorable for the understorey wheat, these were not translated into yield improvements, suggesting that the severe shading associated with the small inter-row and evergreen trees has a prevailing effect, that requires to be managed through appropriate tree pruning.

Food systems have enormous impacts on people and the planet, with agriculture and food research becoming strategic for many countries. However, the way this research is conducted and the rise of new agri-food technologies have ethical and socio-economic implications. To address these, many scholars are gaining interest in participatory methods, such as citizen science, but are unfamiliar with the latest debates on ethical and methodological issues surrounding non-academic stakeholder engagement. In this perspective paper, we revisit the European Citizen Science Association’s (ECSA) Ten Principles of Citizen Science under the specific lens of agri-food research. The discussion presented is based on a review of the state of the art from academic literature, secondary data from agri-food citizen science projects, and the reflections of 11 scientist and practitioners, members of ECSA’s Agri-Food Working Group. The findings reflect theoretical, methodological, and practical implications for navigating the participatory turn in agriculture and food research.

To characterize and compare the protein quality of ten durum wheat genotypes grown under three cropping modalities in Algeria (subhumid in Algiers, subhumid-semiarid in Constantine, and semiarid in Sétif), the protein profile of their kernels was performed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (SE-HPLC and RP-HPLC). The “variety” factor has a major impact, mainly on the insoluble fraction (Fi), on the gliadin/glutenin ratio, on the large and small glutenin aggregates (F1 and F2, respectively), and on ω-gliadins and high molecular weight albumins (F3). Conversely, the total protein content and the albumin-globulin fraction (F5) depend mainly on the environment. The α- β- and γ-gliadins (F4) are equally dependent on variety and environment. The subhumid-semiarid agroecological conditions of Constantine (SH-SA) favored an important accumulation of proteins (14.1%), particularly by an increased synthesis of omega gliadins and high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS), compared to those of Algiers (SH) and Sétif (SA). For these latter environments, metabolic-type proteins are predominant, reflected in a higher F5 fraction (p < 0.05) (albumin and globulin), and significantly more alpha-beta and gamma gliadins. The use of chromatographic analyses to characterize wheat genotypes remains a reliable tool for breeding and variety promotion programs and can provide a better understanding of the ecophysiology of cereal crops.