Functions and professions :
- agronomic experimentation
- adapting technical itineraries to improve the health of soil, air, the environment and consumers
- introduction of a protocol to reduce energy and water consumption in the production and conservation of plant products
- introduction of agro-ecological tools to protect crops against climatic and biotic stresses and emerging pests
- varietal selection using phenotyping and analysis of genotype x environment effects
- technical sales representative for agricultural supplies and equipment
- audit of the plant industry
- research engineer at a national research centre or university in the fields of crop protection, biostimulants or technologies for preserving fresh fruit and vegetables
The course is particularly well-suited to all vegetable and tree production sectors, where it provides multi-skilled managers capable of tackling issues relating to technical itineraries, environmental protection, carbon, financial and energy balances for farms, and post-harvest conservation and quality.
The training is strongly supported by INRAE and the Institut Technique Interprofessionnel des Fruits et Légumes (CTIFL). These institutes and a local network of companies in the agronomic experimentation sector are actively involved in the courses, in roughly the same proportions as the teacher-researchers at the Université d'Avignon. None of the teaching is given in video mode, and many modules include field trips on very specific topics.
The production area around Avignon is responsible for around 25% of national fruit and vegetable production (27% organic) and 35% of direct and indirect employment in the Vaucluse department. This rich and dynamic network of businesses is made up of small, medium and large companies, some of which are major export-import players. Many seed companies are taking advantage of the warmer climate to select their varieties. Over the years, a network of former students has been built up within this industrial network, making it easier for SDPV students to find work placements and jobs.
The size of the local employment pool does not prevent students from doing their work placements abroad every year, or finding their first jobs there (mainly in Canada and Brazil, but also in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe). These professional projects are supported by the university's international office and the many contacts that the master's lecturers have with foreign laboratories, particularly through the CIRAD teams with which they work.
Every year, some students are more interested in laboratory work and find employment in a national research centre such as INRAE as a research engineer or with a doctoral contract (ministerial grant or CIFRE) to obtain a thesis diploma.
Graduate careers : Find out what has become of our former graduates on the Observatoire des Formations et de l'Insertion Professionnelle page:
https://univ-avignon.fr/lobservatoire-de-la-formation-et-de-linsertion-professionnelle-ofip/