Visit to the breeding greenhouses in Northern France: RAGT2n in Annœullin and Florimond Desprez in La Cappelle

On February 9, 2026, PeaBoost GIE members traveled to the Nord department (59) for a day of technical visits to the greenhouses of two founding members: the RAGT2n research station in Annœullin in the morning, followed by the Florimond Desprez facilities in La Cappelle in the afternoon.

Discovering and comparing breeding facilities

The day had a dual objective: to discover the scale of each partner's greenhouse facilities and to exchange on the technical aspects of these strategic tools. In plant breeding, greenhouses are an essential lever for accelerating programs, particularly through SSD (Single Seed Descent) and speed breeding, two techniques that require advanced expertise and adapted infrastructure.

The geographical proximity of the two sites, located just a few kilometers apart, made it possible to organize this double visit in a single day, maximizing exchanges between the teams.

Rich exchanges between specialists

These visits enabled the sharing of techniques, strategies and methods between breeding specialists. Discussions focused on cultivation protocols under controlled conditions, management of accelerated generation cycles and optimization of greenhouse resources. The day was particularly rich in information and cross-feedback.

Observing the first generations from the Pea4Ever program

Participants were also able to observe and appreciate the different greenhouse generations launched within the project: from the first crosses carried out to the latest F4 generations, ready to be sown in the field in spring 2026. This concrete monitoring illustrates the program's momentum and the rapid progress enabled by breeding tools in controlled environments.

The greenhouse, a major technical lever for pea breeding

The greenhouse clearly stands out as a major and essential technical lever for accelerating breeding programs in controlled environments. These facilities allow work on both genetic diversity accessions and elite material, two pillars of pea varietal improvement within the Pea4Ever framework.

Attendees: PeaBoost group members, breeders, technical coordinator, as well as greenhouse managers from RAGT and Florimond Desprez.