Grant: Canada Research Chairs

The Chair in plant protection has for general objective the integration of scientific knowledge and achievements toward the development and implementation of biological and environment-friendly alternatives to pesticides. In order to fulfill this objective, four main areas of research are targeted: 1) to develop and study biocontrol agents as biological substitutes to fungicides 2) to decipher and exploit the prophylactic properties of silicon as a natural approach to alleviate biotic stresses in plants; 3) to develop new genomic tools to increase soybean resistance to Phytophthora sojae and 4) to foster and implement the technological transfer of the research carried out in our laboratory. Over the last seven years, we have adhered quite closely to our initial objectives, and our research, while being recognized for its innovative and sound scientific approach, has led directly to new biological approaches to control plant diseases that are being exploited commercially.