Lignées pures de maïs obtenues par autofécondation, au Moulon

Pure lines of maize are obtained by self-fertilisation on an experimental farm in Le Moulon, in the Paris region. This image shows a plant with a fertilised ear enclosed in an adjacent manual fertilisation bag that also contains a later-flowering plant with a female ear still bagged to protect it from extraneous pollen. Scientists at the Quantitative Genetics and Evolution unit in Le Moulon are studying the genetic, epigenetic and molecular control of qualitative and quantitative characteristics and their importance in the adaptation and evolutionary history of plant species. They optimise selection processes based on target characteristics (such as growth, development and adaptation), taking advantage of breakthroughs in genomics and genetic resources, and allowing for changes in environmental conditions and farming methods.