Birthday of Walloon Agricultural Research Centre

Why analyse agricultural and agri-food products?

In a context of global quality, the analysis of agricultural and agri-food products is becoming increasingly important, whether at the level of their production, processing or consumption.

Already upstream of the chain, it is essential for the farmer to know the physicochemical characteristics of his soils in order to better adapt their sustainable management. Faced with the laws of today's markets, generally of international dimensions, farmers must have at their disposal tools allowing them to easily assess the quality of their productions in order to make the most of them, either for sale or for their own use.

Processing industries have an obvious need to fully characterise inputs and finished products in order to monitor and optimise their manufacturing processes. Finally, the consumer demands more and more information about the products he buys. It has also become a legal obligation to correctly label the products sold on the market.

Provision of Advice, Decision Support Tools, Warnings, varietal material, etc., based on 150 years of research

The advice provided to farmers is the result of the various services and themes of CRA-W, which since its creation has been interested in the development of sustainable agriculture that is more respectful of the environment. Many decision support tools (DST) have been created to allow farmers to position themselves in relation to standards or other farms (REQUACONSULT, DECIDE) or to manage their own farm (TRESOFERM).

CRA-W is also working with pilot centres to provide useful warnings to "correct" certain crops in the face of disease.

We should also mention that CRA-W works on many varieties, whether cereal or arboreal, in order to select species adapted to our climate or requiring few inputs.

The CRA-W has been and remains a driving force in the field of analysis.

Indeed, the research activities carried out at the CRA-W require the daily use of high-performance analytical tools but also the development and validation of new analysis techniques.

Development and validation of new analysis techniques.

This is how CRA-W is at the forefront of the implementation of analytical chemistry methods. Since the acquisition of a first infrared spectrometer in 1979, the CRA-W has been recognised regionally and internationally as a pioneer in the use of infrared radiation (near-infrared, mid-infrared and Raman spectroscopy) to characterise inputs, agricultural production (animal and plant), the health of the animals and plants themselves, as well as the monitoring of agri-food production and processing.

The CRA-W, reference laboratory

The CRA-W has a unique expertise in the networking of spectrometers, in the construction and operation of large spectral databases as well as in the exploitation of these data via adapted statistical tools (chemometrics). These innovative and environmentally friendly analysis tools are particularly dedicated to the rapid analysis of cereals, animal feed, fodder, fruit and milk.

The correlations established can be particularly powerful since they make it possible, for example, to predict the production of greenhouse gases generated by a given ration intended for dairy cows and therefore to manage it in such a way as to minimise this type of emission.

20 years of Belac accreditation in 2022

Note also that 2022 is the anniversary of our first BELAC-accredited lab.

Authentication present from the first steps of CRA-W

From the creation of what was the core of the future CRA-W, the research of the first director, Arthur Petermann, focused on authentication. In this last quarter of the 19th century, concerns in this area focused in particular on the falsifications that took place in fertilisers, for example by adding sand. The microscope was then an effective analysis tool to detect this type of fraud.

Analytical methods to fight fraud and health crises

Over the years, the investigation methods were then extended to analytical chemistry but also to molecular biology.

Thus in 1967, the CRA-W organised a scientific symposium dedicated to the detection of falsifications of butterfat and this involved the state-of-the-art chemical techniques of the time, which was gas chromatography.

More recently in 2013, a PCR method developed at CRA-W within EURL-AP, initially to authenticate processed animal proteins, also contributed to monitoring the crisis of lasagna prepared with horsemeat.

Within this same analytical framework at the service of farmers and citizens, CRA-W strives to detect fraud in the active ingredients of plant protection products and other pesticides. To do this, CRA-W researchers are using mass spectrometry while the possibilities of transposition to infrared spectrometry to accelerate the detection process are being investigated in this 150th year of existence of CRA-W.

What is the genesis of creating a variety?

The Breeding process invariably begins with the collection of the most diverse plant material. The CRA-W collections include thousands of varieties called "genetic resources". Orchards, seeds and plants are both our heritage and our best tools for creating the crops of tomorrow.

This diversity is then mixed by judicious crossing between varieties with complementary characteristics. Some of these properties are easily identifiable but most are complex or only express themselves in certain circumstances. This is why the plants resulting from the crossings must be observed and evaluated in a lot of situations and during long periods.

More than 120 different varieties

This is how CRA-W has bred, over 100 years, more than 120 different varieties in crops as diverse as cereals, potatoes, flax, fava beans, strawberries, cherry rootstocks and apples.

From the origin to the present day

The Plant Breeding Station - as it was once called - was created in 1913 by Prof. Constant Journée and has remained at the heart of the CRA-W's activities ever since. The crops and concerns have varied over time.

Nowadays, the cultivation of durum wheat has a better future than that of tobacco, and apples must be more resistant to scab as well as potatoes to mildew. CRA-W's breeding programs are adapting and will continue to evolve: in the context of more sustainable agriculture (Organic & Integrated), choosing varieties that are more robust, more tolerant to diseases and pests and of differentiated qualities, more than ever constitute the main leverage for farmers.

One of the crucial role  of CRA-W is to explore how modern biotechnology can contribute to the development of sustainable agriculture in respecting  the environment.

Where does this research originate from?

It was in 1967 when this research began with in vitro  cultivation of meristems  with the view of eliminating viruses  infecting fruit species.  This approach quickly highlighted, with  the strawberry plants as examples, the potential of  exponential multiplication of healthy plants that are genetically identical to the original individual. The followed year were marked as  "The Golden age “" of  clonal micropropagation at CRA-W with its extension to various fruits, vegetables, forest and  ornamental plant species from all around the world and for which original techniques, efficient and respecting genetic conformity, were required.  

What are the current applications?

Today, the technique is involved in producing new clones of potatoes and various plants intended for emerging sectors (biomass and rehabilitation of industrial sites, evaluation of biopesticides, multiplication of plants with seeds with so-called recalcitrant germination characteristics in order to promote their availability and therefore biodiversity) or at the service of molecular characterisation activities and the extension of natural genetic diversity.

From the beginning of the 1990s, CRA-W has also been interested in the emergence and development of genome modification techniques as a tool to study  gene functionalities, their potential for crop improvement but also to evaluate their overall effect.

CRA-W has closely followed the evolution of molecular biology techniques which now constitute a multitude of so-called « omics » approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics. These techniques allow the possibility to characterize individuals, assess genetic diversity, identify genes and understand responses to various abiotic and biotic stresses.  The biotechnological tools proposed by CRA-W are destinated to provide innovative solutions for the development of sustainable agriculture meeting the expectations of citizens.

In 1967, at the instigation of Professor René Laloux (faculty of Gembloux) and Louis Detroux (CRAW), scientists from the two institutions joined forces to produce “The Cereals White Book”.

For a moderate and reasoned use of inputs...

From the beginning, the CWB team advocated a moderate and reasoned use of inputs while taking into account the diversity of cropping situations. Respect for the environment has always been one of the concerns of the researchers. Cultivation techniques and methods of using inputs have improved according to advances in varietal selection, plant nutrition, crop protection products and mechanisation, but also according to changes in legal, socio-economic and environmental constraints.

The basic collective (ULg-GxABT and CRAW) was joined by experimenters from other institutions (UCLouvain and the agricultural services of the provinces). This collective shares its work during the February and September editions and through a website.

Towards taking climate change into account

Over time, the scope of the CWB has widened considerably, starting from classic themes (varietal choice, nitrogen fertilisation, weed and lodging control, resistance to diseases and pests), integrating climate change and reducing inputs and considering other crops (durum wheat, wheat-pea association) or different production methods (conventional-organic).

Mobilise knowledge in new fields, develop and successfully put into practice novelties in the field of agricultural animal husbandry, stimulate reflection, lead initiatives, produce knowledge and provide tools for good action in production animals, these are the words that guide the CRA-W in its research activities dedicated to in animal production.

CRA-W experimental farm, a powerful tool

Since the construction of the experimental farm in the 1950s, CRA-W has nurtured the scientific research while integrating essential compromises between food production of animal origins (quantity, quality and added value), protection of the environment (impacts of livestock on the environment, adaptation of animals to climate change) and well-being of animals and breeders (protection of animals, interactions between animals, human-animal relations, organisation and perception of work).

Participatory research

CRA-W conducts these approaches through its functional supports, ruminant and monogastric herds, but also from approaches calling on breeders and operators within the sectors to articulate developments in the economic and social world. This participatory construction which associates research, development and training, but also inventors and users, aims for success.

The basis of agronomic research: observation?

In agricultural research, many observations are made. In field crops, these observations concern plant diseases, the effect of pests, the appearance of weeds, the growth of biomass during the season or the impact and damage following extreme events (drought or floods).

How do these observations take place?

Originally, observations were made in the field by the observer with a notebook and a pencil. With technological advances and the development of statistical models, observations can now be obtained directly from sensors in the field or on board agricultural machinery. Some sensors are on drones or satellites, which makes it possible to increase the footprint and observe large areas with a few images.

Increasingly precise observations

At CRA-W, the first studies on the use of satellite images date back to 1985. They were done within the framework of the TELSAT programmes, financed by the Federal Science Policy. The objective was to identify the crops and to check if disease symptoms could be detected on the crops using SPOT images. Currently, images from Sentinel satellites are used, which have a spatial resolution of about ten meters. Drones have been used since 2014, which can provide much more precise images on the order of 2 to 5 cm. In 2020, weeding robots made their appearance at CRA-W; some models are equipped with cameras in order to adjust the weeding tool in relation to the crop being studied.

Weather observations

To carry out the research, it is necessary to have meteorological observations because the weather is a decisive daily parameter for the farmer. Since the beginning of its creation, CRA-W has collaborated with the IRM through the monitoring of observations from the Gembloux-Ernage station and, since 2015, CRA-W has had an agrometeorological network made up of around thirty stations from which the data is spatialised and made available to researchers and farmers (agromet.be).

A long-term vision?

CRA-W aims to develop long-term experimentations (LTE). They make it possible to study the long-term technical, economic and environmental impacts of new agricultural practices. Or also to answer more global societal questions such as the role of agriculture in the mitigation or adaptation to climate change.

And concretely?

Long-term experiment translates concretely into the implementation of experimental platforms, whose size and lifespan can sometimes take on significant proportions. An example is the study of the management of organic matter in a field crop system, developed since 1959. At the time, in a context of maximisation of production and already a disconnection between animal and plant production, researchers wondered about the impact on yields and the soil of complete export of all organic matter (crop production and crop residues such as straw) without any compensatory input (manure, slurry, etc.).

The trial still exists and has been followed so far by successive generations of researchers who have made it possible to perpetuate and give several new lives to this experiment over time. Today, this experimental platform is a national and international reference for carbon sequestration in agricultural soils.

Other eras, other challenges...

Many long-term experiments are still implemented by CRA-W research teams. But the interest has changed and is now focused on other questions, such as: the impact of tillage, reduction in the use of phytosanitary products, organic farming and market gardening, greenhouse gas emissions, or even agroforestry.

Each time, the CRA-W makes a long-term commitment in order to be able to study processes and new balances that require a lot of time to set up. Teams of researchers follow one another on these experiments while perpetuating and consolidating the results and knowledge.

Field crop production: the core research of CRA-W

Field crop production has been at the heart of CRA-W's research since its foundation in 1872. Originating from the University of Giessen in Germany, where Justus Von Liebig had demonstrated that plant nutrition was in the form of mineral elements, Arthur Petermann was called upon in 1872 by the Belgian Government to found and direct the first agricultural station of the State, at the origin of CRA-W.  

Its work would focus on the analysis of soils, plants and fertilising materials; in particular for phosphates, he was the initiator of legislation on their marketing.

Result ?

For 100 years, research continues to improve the productivity of field crops (cereals, beets, potatoes, etc.), focusing on mineral fertilisation, crop protection, selection and varietal evaluation as well as mechanisation. For example, the yield of cereals has increased from 2.5 t/ha to 10 t/ha.

Oil shock and questioning

The first oil shock of 1973 shook the planet and agriculture.

Had we gone too far in terms of the use of agricultural inputs? The Centre for Agricultural Research reacted! And very quickly integrated the environmental dimension into its research with:

• reducing the use of synthetic fertilisers with the return of organic matter to the soil, agricultural by-products and the integration of cover crops .
• support for the development of more efficient varieties
• development of an original method of controlling sprayers
• more recently: the study of non-chemical weeding and the integration of digital agriculture into farms to reduce the use of PPPs.

Knowledge transfer to farmers

The centre also plays an essential role in supporting farmers, as evidenced by its many popular articles and its collaborations with extension organisations. The White Paper, dedicated to cereal production, is also an unmissable annual event where researchers exchange directly with farmers.

Crop protection at the origin of phytopharmacy

Historically, growers have sought to protect their crops against pests, diseases and weeds. Until the interwar period, crop protection remained essentially mechanical and manual. We saw the common use of products based on copper, sulphur and much worse, based on lead arsenate!  After the Second World War, a new discipline emerged: phytopharmacy.  It was in 1946 that a Station dedicated to this discipline, based on the use of pesticides, was created at CRA-W. Crop protection then experienced a revolution, to such an extent that it was abused. While as early as 1962, Rachel Carson, an early whistleblower, was worried about the consequences of the use of these products, it was not until the 1990s that measures were taken to better supervise their placing on the market.

Towards more sustainable crop protection methods

Currently, thanks to research, crop protection is no longer so dependent on the use of phytopharmaceutical products. The gradual emergence of integrated pest management (IPM) and biological control has made it possible to reduce their use. In organic farming, the approach is much more systemic and uses products of natural origin.  These management methods that are more respectful of the environment are based both on the common sense of farmers and on the progress of research.

Make pest management strategies available

The approach is divided into several stages: detection, identification, understanding, strategy definition, and finally, transmission.  For years, CRA-W researchers have been monitoring agricultural and forest land using field observations, traps, sensors, and nowadays, drones and aerial data to detect the presence or emergence of bio-aggressors.  In addition to the experience of researchers and technicians, new techniques such as PCR tests, barcoding, etc., are continually being developed to precisely identify pests, diseases or weeds.  Then, CRA-W teams seek to understand the functioning of these organisms by studying their biology in order to define the most appropriate overall control strategies.  Once acquired, all this knowledge from laboratories and trial fields is transferred to producers and managers in the form of advice, warnings or decision 

Agriculture, in perpetual evolution

Throughout the ages, the mass selections operated in the past by growers and the incessant work of breeders have generated new varieties and developed new crops, while some of them disappeared and were eclipsed.

A logical process, because agriculture is always trying to adapt to changes in the economic, societal and climatic context.

On the other hand, for nearly a century, a sudden disappearance of hundreds of heritage varieties has taken place in our countryside and throughout the world. An enormous treasure trove of biodiversity, created and cultivated by generations of men and women, has practically disappeared.  

Indeed, the rapid industrialisation of agriculture  has caused a drastic reduction in local varieties and breeds, once well suited to our regions.

While in CRA-W collections, we can identify a diversity of nearly 1000 old varieties of apple trees – how many are left on the shelves of your stores?

How?

In fact, the few rare commercial varieties of fruits, vegetables and other cultivated plants available on the markets are those selected according to the current criteria of the production and marketing chains.

In the future, the sectors, tastes, shapes, demands in terms of taste and nutritional qualities will always evolve. There will also be a growing demand for varieties that are more robust, more tolerant/resistant to diseases and pests and above all, better adapted to climatic stresses.

The importance of safeguarding

It is therefore essential to preserve a sufficient diversity of old varieties and their natural ancestors which present a great diversity of interesting and often forgotten characters and properties. Why?  

To ensure a future for the agriculture that produces our daily food, the ability to adapt to the many changes depends precisely on the reserves of biodiversity that these old varieties constitute.

For more than fifty years, thanks to the public and enthusiasts, CRA-W has been able to save a very large number of old local and historical varieties to form large collections, among the largest in Europe.

These are annually assessed and valued for current and future generations.