The SUPRASEED project of the Major Challenge on Biocontrol and Biostimulation for Agroecology

Launched on 1 March 2024, the Grand Challenge on Biocontrol and Biostimulation for Agroecology (GDBB) is led by the Association for Biocontrol and Biostimulation for Agroecology (ABBA). It reached a major milestone with the approval of its first four flagship projects by the Prime Minister and the Secretary General for Investment under the France 2030 programme on 2 September 2025. These projects will lay the foundations for a national Distributed Infrastructure, whose purpose is to advance the development of biocontrol and biostimulation solutions, with a particular focus on experimentation. Among these four flagship projects is SUPRASEED (Network for the Evaluation of Biostimulation and Biocontrol Approaches for the Protection and Stimulation of Seeds and Seedlings) led by Loïc Rajjou ("Germination Physiology" PHYGERM team).

SUPRASEED will be a collaborative consortium dedicated to supporting the seed and seedling sector, as well as stakeholders in fertilisation and crop protection. This initiative aims to optimise the assessment, validation, and deployment of biocontrol and biostimulation solutions applied to seeds and seedlings. By drawing on a network of partners from academic research, higher education, the seed and plant interprofessional sector, and private companies specialising in seed evaluation and treatment, SUPRASEED addresses the challenges of the agroecological transition by developing sustainable alternatives to synthetic chemical inputs.

The infrastructure is based on advanced technologies that enable precise characterisation of the effects of biosolutions on seed physiology and seedling vigour. Through high-throughput screening, advanced phenotyping, and multi-scale approaches, SUPRASEED identifies the modes of action of biosolutions to optimise their efficacy under real agronomic conditions and refine their application claims. This detailed characterisation is essential to accelerate their market entry, ensuring robust scientific validation and compliance with regulatory requirements.

By structuring and harmonising evaluation methodologies, SUPRASEED helps to overcome the technical and regulatory barriers that currently limit the adoption of biosolutions in the seed and plant sector. Its activities ensure the efficacy and reproducibility of treatments, enhance understanding of their impact on seed-associated microbial communities, and optimise their integration into agricultural management practices. It also aims to guarantee the sanitary, physical, and physiological quality of seeds, as well as the vigour of young plants, while adhering to agroecological principles.

Beyond its scientific and technical role, SUPRASEED serves as a catalyst for innovation and knowledge transfer. It provides stakeholders in the seed sector and biosolution developers with scientific and technical expertise, state-of-the-art facilities, training programmes, and collaboration opportunities to accelerate research and innovation. By establishing a reliable and shared methodological framework, it facilitates the acceptance and adoption of biosolutions across the agricultural sector. SUPRASEED is part of a long-term strategy to enhance the resilience of agricultural systems and ensure a sustainable and competitive production model, fully integrating biological solutions and natural balances into crop protection and enhancement. 

Coordination 
Loïc Rajjou, "Germination Physiology" PHYGERM team

The project kick-off took place on the 23rd of March at the Versailles campus of the INRAE IDF - Versailles-Saclay centre: programme










In connection with the research developed at the Institute Jean-Pierre Bourgin for Plant Sciences.