Seeds for Tomorrow Chair Sector Day – Development of service plants: what perspectives for the seed sector?

The Agro Institute Foundation’s “Seeds for Tomorrow” Chair organises an annual day dedicated to current and future challenges facing the seed industry. The 2025 edition, held on 9 October on the Rennes campus, was dedicated to service plants, a rapidly growing agronomic lever to support the agroecological transition.

With presentations and round tables, the day provided an opportunity to exchange views and highlight the agronomic and environmental benefits of service plants. Discussions also identified barriers to their adoption, levers to be mobilised, and questioned the role that the seed sector can play in structuring supply, supporting innovation and responding to needs in the field.

Julie Gombert (GEVES), chair of the CTPS Inter-Sections Commission dedicated to Service Plants (CISPS), spoke at the round table on legumes, alongside Vincent Béguier (Agri Obtentions) and Xavier Bousselin (ESA). She outlined the missions of the CISPS and emphasised the importance of varietal leverage in the development of service plants.

A day rich in exchanges to build together the seeds of tomorrow.