Crop growth and productivity depend on optimizing water uptake and use, especially in dry tropical regions where water stress is a major limiting factor.
The CERES team investigates the role of cereal root systems in order to identify physiological and morphological traits that enhance plant adaptation and crop resilience. We combine experimental biology, data analysis, and modeling approaches, from the gene to the field.
Our research focuses on rice, sorghum, and millet—key cereals in tropical regions—as well as Arabidopsis thaliana as a genetic model.
Our work is supported by two International Joint Laboratories (LMI LAPSE in Senegal and LMI RICE in Vietnam) and by collaborations with ICRISAT, IRRI, and AfricaRice.
Some members of the team are based at these partner institutions.
We also collaborate with public and private plant breeders in France and in the Global South to translate our findings into new crop varieties. Finally, we are actively involved in training and capacity building, both in Montpellier and in the Global South.
