Portrait of Adrien Vial in front of yellow brick wall.
Adrien Vial. Photo: Alva Mårtensson, SLU.

Adrien studies wheat cultivar mixtures as eco-friendly crop protection

News published:  25/06/2026

Adrien Vial studies cultivar mixtures as eco-friendly protection against tan spot disease. He and seven other doctoral students contribute to knowledge development in the field of food through the LTV faculty's investment in the SLU and Sparbanken Skåne Centre for Sustainable Primary Production.

At the Department of Plant Breeding, doctoral student Adrien Vial is studying tan spot in spring wheat. The disease, which threatens wheat harvests, is prevalent in Europe, and outbreaks have been reported in Scandinavia.

His research focuses on how the cultivar mixture method can be used to curb the spread of disease across the field. The method is based on ecological principles and involves growing several different wheat cultivars together.

– Cultivars' diversity leads to trait diversity, complementing one another to improve the resilience and productivity of the system, he says.

Cultivar mixtures have already proven effective against foliar diseases, but many questions remain to be answered.

Researchers struggle to accurately predict how the method works in terms of plant-to-plant interactions. Many different mechanisms come into play – such as resistant cultivars forming barriers, or infected plants sending warning signals to others to activate their immune systems.

A doctoral student portrait of Adrien Vial is now published on the centre's website.

Read the text here: Mixing wheat cultivars: An ecological way to curb the spread of disease in the field.

Centre for Sustainable Primary Production

The SLU and Sparbanken Skåne Centre for Sustainable Primary Production was established in Alnarp in 2025. The centre is a co-funding arrangement between the LTV faculty and Sparbanken Skåne through its owner foundation Finn.

Through the faculty's investment, funding is provided for, among other things, eight doctoral positions whose research will contribute to knowledge development in sustainable primary production in the field of food.

Presentations of doctoral students

All doctoral students will be presented over the coming months.

Read all portraits here: Doctoral students.

Wheat.

The SLU and Sparbanken Skåne Centre for Sustainable Primary Production

Through excellent research and education, the centre will collaborate with industry and public actors to develop, disseminate and make use of knowledge and new solutions for a transition that balances economic, ecological and social sustainability. Primary production refers to the first stage of the food chain, which often takes place at farm level in agricultural and horticultural enterprises. It includes, for example, the production of fruit and vegetables, cereals, rapeseed, legumes, and meat, eggs and dairy.

Eight doctoral students

  • Adrien Vial: Can the integration of ecological theory with quantitative genetics transform disease resistance breeding?
    Primary supervisor: Aakash Chawade, Department of Plant Breeding.
  • Ananta Aacharya: Crop cultivation in combination with solar panels on arable land – How does it contribute to the future need for food and energy in a profitable way?
    Primary supervisor: Daniel Nilsson, Department of Biosystems and Technology.
  • Andrew Gallagher: Transformative governance for a sustainable food system.
    Primary supervisor: Fredrik Fernqvist, Department of People and Society.
  • Laurène Mailhan: From Stench to Scent – Genetic strategies towards bunt-free organic wheat.
    Primary supervisor: Therese Bengtsson, Department of Plant Breeding.
  • Linda Groot Nibbelink: The potential of Nordic heirloom vegetables for improved national food security and ability to cope with future climate changes.
    Primary supervisor: Lars Mogren, Department of Biosystems and Technology.
  • Luboš Říha: Towards a sustainable future with reduced input through enhanced starch yield and tailored starch qualities.
    Primary supervisor: Mariette Andersson, Department of Plant Breeding.
  • Mina Nešić: Exploring seed quality traits and their genetic regulation in Swedish protein crops for enhanced diversity and nutritional stability.
    Primary supervisor: Cecilia Hammenhag, Department of Plant Breeding.
  • Yizhi Zhang: Climate impact mitigation and resource use efficiency of rooftop greenhouses for urban food production.
    Primary supervisor: Thomas Prade, Department of Biosystems and Technology.

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