GREENSCALE

Coordinating institution : CEA

Project leader : Jean Alric and Fabien Chardon
Project duration : 60 months | October 1st 2025 → September 30th 2029

Grant : 1 256 295 €

 

Institutional partnerships : INRAE 

Associated institutions : Aix Marseille Université - CNRS - Arvalis Institut du végétal

 

LinkedIn GREENSCALE

 

 

 

 

In a global context marked by the climate emergency and the need to achieve carbon neutrality, terrestrial ecosystems face major challenges, particularly the negative impacts of climate change on carbon dioxide (CO₂) sequestration through photosynthesis.

Within this framework, crucial issues emerge regarding the development of agricultural solutions that can mitigate these impacts and support crop adaptation while maintaining high productivity. GREENSCALE proposes an innovative approach focused on reducing crop nitrogen requirements while maintaining carbon assimilation as a mitigation strategy. The core hypothesis of the project is based on the regulation of chlorophyll content in plants, a natural process that influences the acclimation of photosynthesis to environmental conditions.

The objective is to test the idea that a targeted adjustment of chlorophyll b and its associated protein complexes can reduce soil‑nitrogen assimilation, lower canopy temperature and evapotranspiration, without compromising CO₂ assimilation under non‑limiting light conditions.

This initiative is built on an innovative partnership between researchers from INRAE, CNRS, CEA, and ARVALIS, with the ambition to deepen our understanding of the interactions between nitrogen nutrition and photosynthesis, the soil carbon–nitrogen cycle, and to develop field‑ and environment‑scale models. Using non‑GMO barley varieties with different chlorophyll contents, GREENSCALE investigates the biological responses of these crops to drought and nitrogen availability. Based on results obtained from chlorophyll‑induced variability, the project aims to improve the accuracy of land‑surface models, particularly regarding the natural variability observed in croplands and grasslands.

The expected outcomes will guide future plant‑breeding programmes, paving the way for more sustainable and resilient agricultural practices in the face of environmental challenges and cereal‑production demands. Beyond its agricultural impact, GREENSCALE contributes to the broader structuring of integrated photosynthesis research in France. By acting as a bridge between molecular and cellular studies of photosynthesis on one hand, and environmental and agronomic approaches on the other, the project seeks to foster collaboration across scientific disciplines and integrate complementary methodologies, thereby overcoming the limitations of individual fields.