François Colin
SupAgro
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Publication
Featured researches published by François Colin.
Advances in Agronomy | 2012
Irina Comte; François Colin; Joann K. Whalen; Olivier Grünberger; Jean-Pierre Caliman
Rapid expansion of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) cultivation in Southeast Asia raises environmental concerns about deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. However, less attention was paid to the possible perturbation of hydrological functions and water quality degradation. This work aimed to review (i) the agricultural practices commonly used in oil palm plantations, which potentially impact hydrological processes and water quality and (ii) the hydrological changes and associated nutrient fluxes from plantations. Although many experimental trials provide clear recommendations for water and fertilizer management, we found that few studies investigated the agricultural practices actually followed by planters. Our review of hydrological studies in oil palm plantations showed that the main hydrological changes occurred during the first years after land clearing and seemed to dissipate with plant growth, as low nutrient losses were generally reported from plantations. However, most of those studies were carried out at the plot scale and often focus on one hydrological process at a single plantation age. So, there is insufficient information to evaluate the spatiotemporal fluctuations in nutrient losses throughout the entire lifespan of a plantation. Furthermore, few studies provided an integrated view at the watershed scale of the agricultural practices and hydrological processes that contribute to nutrient losses from oil palm plantations and the consequences for surface and groundwater quality. Future research efforts need to understand and assess the potential of oil palm plantations to change hydrological functions and related nutrient fluxes, considering agricultural practices and assessing water quality at the watershed scale.
Hydrological Sciences Journal-journal Des Sciences Hydrologiques | 2016
Mohammad Merheb; Roger Moussa; Chadi Abdallah; François Colin; Charles Perrin; Nicolas Baghdadi
ABSTRACT This work examines 140 hydrological studies conducted in the Mediterranean region. It identifies key characteristics of the hydrological responses of Mediterranean catchments at various time scales and compares different methods and modelling approaches used for individual-catchment studies. The study area is divided into the northwestern (NWM), eastern (EM) and southern (SM) Mediterranean. The analysis indicates regional discrepancies in which the NWM shows the most extreme rainfall regime. A tendency for reduced water resources driven by both anthropogenic and climatic pressures and a more extreme rainfall regime are also noticeable. Catchments show very heterogeneous responses over time and space, resulting in limitations in hydrological modelling and large uncertainties in predictions. However, few models have been developed to address these issues. Additional studies are necessary to improve the knowledge of Mediterranean hydrological features and to account for regional specificities. Editor D. Koutsoyiannis Associate editor A. Efstratiadis
Sensors | 2011
Armand Crabit; François Colin; Jean Stéphane Bailly; Hervé Ayroles; François Garnier
An innovative soft water level sensor is proposed to characterize the hydrological behaviour of agricultural catchments by measuring rainfall and stream flows. This sensor works as a capacitor coupled with a capacitance to frequency converter and measures water level at an adjustable time step acquisition. It was designed to be handy, minimally invasive and optimized in terms of energy consumption and low-cost fabrication so as to multiply its use on several catchments under natural conditions. It was used as a stage recorder to measure water level dynamics in a channel during a runoff event and as a rain gauge to measure rainfall amount and intensity. Based on the Manning equation, a method allowed estimation of water discharge with a given uncertainty and hence runoff volume at an event or annual scale. The sensor was tested under controlled conditions in the laboratory and under real conditions in the field. Comparisons of the sensor to reference devices (tipping bucket rain gauge, hydrostatic pressure transmitter limnimeter, Venturi channels…) showed accurate results: rainfall intensities and dynamic responses were accurately reproduced and discharges were estimated with an uncertainty usually acceptable in hydrology. Hence, it was used to monitor eleven small agricultural catchments located in the Mediterranean region. Both catchment reactivity and water budget have been calculated. Dynamic response of the catchments has been studied at the event scale through the rising time determination and at the annual scale by calculating the frequency of occurrence of runoff events. It provided significant insight into catchment hydrological behaviour which could be useful for agricultural management perspectives involving pollutant transport, flooding event and global water balance.
Journal of Land Use Science | 2015
Florent Levavasseur; Philippe Lagacherie; Jean-Stéphane Bailly; Anne Biarnès; François Colin
In agricultural landscapes, drainage networks can be greatly extended by man-made linear features such as ditches. Modifying the density of these man-made drainage networks can be a valuable tool to modulate hydrological processes. The objective of this paper is to determine the spatial variability of man-made drainage density in agricultural landscapes and to quantify the extent to which this density depends on the landscape attributes. We performed field surveys of man-made drainage networks, identified potential explanatory variables, and modeled the density of drainage networks by employing multiple linear regression and kriging. The explanatory variables were related to the topography, soil type, density of roads, and density of the field boundaries. These explanatory variables accounted for 55% of the variability in the density. The remaining 45% of the variability were assumed to be related to socioeconomic factors, and represent the latitude in modifying these networks.
Science of The Total Environment | 2018
Aplena Elen Bless; François Colin; Armand Crabit; Nicolas Devaux; Olivier Philippon; Stéphane Follain
Soil salinization is a major threat to agricultural lands. Among salt-affected lands, coastal areas could be considered as highly complex systems, where salinization degradation due to anthropogenic pressure and climate-induced changes could significantly alter system functioning. For such complex systems, conceptual models can be used as evaluation tools in a preliminary step to identify the main evolutionary processes responsible for soil and water salinization. This study aimed to propose a conceptual model for water fluxes in a coastal area affected by salinity, which can help to identify the relationships between agricultural landscape evolution and actual salinity. First, we conducted field investigations from 2012 to 2016, mainly based on both soil (EC1/5) and water (ECw) electrical conductivity survey. This allowed us to characterize spatial structures for EC1/5 and ECw and to identify the river as a preponderant factor in land salinization. Subsequently, we proposed and used a conceptual model for water fluxes and conducted a time analysis (1962-2012) for three of its main constitutive elements, namely climate, river, and land systems. When integrated within the conceptual model framework, it appeared that the evolution of all constitutive elements since 1962 was responsible for the disruption of system equilibrium, favoring overall salt accumulation in the soil root zone.
International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment | 2018
Sandra Payen; Claudine Basset-Mens; François Colin; Pauline Roignant
PurposeIn a context of flourishing eco-labelling programs and environment policy for food products, LCA application to agricultural systems faces the challenges of being operational, accurate and exhaustive. This is particularly challenging for the newly developing LCA and ISO-compliant water footprinting, with many LCIA methods only recently developed, but no dedicated inventory method. To support the inventory of elementary water flows, LCA practitioners have a variety of tools available, ranging from databases (e.g. World Food LCA Database) to complex agro-hydrological models. To allow all LCA practitioners to fulfil their diverse agri-food LCA objectives, a review of available inventory tools for field water flows and recommendations are needed.MethodsThe selection of the appropriate method and tool for the inventory of field water flows in agri-food LCA studies depends on the objectives of the LCA study, data and resources available (time and skills). We analysed water inventory and agri-food LCA databases by evaluating the models on which they rely and their input data. Then, we explored the use of agro-hydrological models for LCA aiming at discriminating between different cropping system practices (LCA-based eco-design).Results and discussionWater inventory and agri-food LCA databases provide estimates of theoretical water consumed by a crop and rely on data and methods that have limitations, making them suitable only for background agricultural LCAs. In addition, databases do not support the application of water availability footprint indicators (assessing quantitative water use and water quality alteration). For the LCA-based eco-design of cropping systems, the inventory of water flows should be based on a model simulating evapotranspiration, deep percolation and runoff accounting for crop specificities, pedo-climatic conditions and agricultural management. In particular, the model should account for possible water, salinity and nutrient stresses; assess evaporation and transpiration separately; and estimate runoff and drainage according to the system specificities. Yield should not be estimated with a model but with primary data. Recommended and default data sources are provided for each input parameter.ConclusionsThe FAO AquaCrop model represents a good trade-off between accuracy, simplicity and robustness for LCA-based eco-design of cropping systems. However, this model is not yet applicable for perennial crops. Beyond a single model selection, this is a modelling approach that we characterised in this work.
Computers & Geosciences | 2010
Philippe Lagacherie; Michaël Rabotin; François Colin; R. Moussa; Marc Voltz
Hydrological Processes | 2012
Florent Levavasseur; Jean-Stéphane Bailly; Philippe Lagacherie; François Colin; M. Rabotin
Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment | 2013
Irina Comte; François Colin; Olivier Grünberger; Stéphane Follain; Joann K. Whalen; Jean-Pierre Caliman
Water Resources Management | 2011
François Colin; Serge Guillaume; Bruno Tisseyre
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Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement
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