Postdoctoral fellowship proposal at UMT-Eau Toulouse-Baziège
Context
Irrigated farms are subject to important context modifications in term of economic, regulatory and climatic conditions. In October 2007, was set up on the French pole of Toulouse-Baziège, a Mixed Technology Unit (UMT) “Tools and methods for quantitative management of water: from irrigation block to irrigators’ association” which associates INRA, ARVALIS – Institut du végétal and CETIOM. The proposed research belongs to integrated assessment approaches (Pahl-Wost, 2005) aiming at organizing knowledge in a given area and making it available for decision making support in agriculture (Bland, 1999; Harris, 2002).
The UMT has the aim of developing tools and methodologies for the quantitative management of water from the irrigation block level to the collective irrigators’ association sharing a common resource. The first two years of the work have enabled the development and adaptation of a number of tools for simulation and optimization (STICS, MODERATO, P2b) and carriage of these tools on a single platform for modeling and simulation (RECORD).
Problematic
The post-doc will use the different developed tools to provide farmers with advice on renewed irrigation strategies taking into account the new context of price, availability of water and climate. To start with, it is expected to work on the irrigation of maize, the main irrigated crop in Midi-Pyrenees.
Proposed steps
The post-doc work may be divided into six phases:
i) to learn the different developed tools the platform INRA RECORD;
ii) to parametrize the tools for the targetted use: ” irrigation strategy for maize irrigation with a limited amount or flow rate in Midi-Pyrenees”.
iii) to define the virtual experimental plan in close collaboration with irrigation advisors from different institutes;
iv) to effectively search for irrigation strategies optimized for the chosen scenarios;
v) to represent results in a comprehensive way for farmers (leaflets, charts or any other choices discussed with institutions and technical irrigation advisers).
vi) to draft technical papers on the work done and scientific papers on the process (target Agric. Wat. Manag.) or results (target Eur. J. Agron.).
Skills
Agronomy systemic; computer programmation; modelisation; autonomy; dialog.
Working conditions
The postdoc will be held at INRA Toulouse, south-western France. It is a of one year contract starting 01/10/2010. The pay is around 2200 € / month (funding Midi-Pyrenees and ARVALIS – Institut du végétal). The post-doc will have access to the center catering
Recruitment conditions
Candidates must either carry out their first postdoc in Midi-Pyrenees, or doing a postdoc abroad and be recruited into a research team of Midi-Pyrenees. Interested candidates should send their CV, cover letter and email contact of three references to Jacques-Eric Bergez, jbergez@toulouse.inra.fr and Bernard Lacroix, b.lacroix@ arvalisinstitutduvegetal.fr
Limit to send CV, cover letter and emails: xxx 2010.
Recruitement date: as soon as possible.
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