Louvain-la-Neuve, 14th October 2024—Louis Delval has successfully defended his PhD thesis titled "Quantifying Soil-Grapevine Hydraulics from Plant to Field Scale" at the Université catholique de Louvain's Earth and Life Institute. His work, supervised by Professors Mathieu Javaux and François Jonard, sheds light on the intricate interactions between soil, grapevine hydraulics, and their implications for viticulture in the context of climate change.
Focusing on plant response to drought, Delval's research explores soil-root dynamics and their impact on grapevine water potential. This study comes at a critical time as climate change intensifies challenges for the wine industry in Belgium.
The examination jury, led by Professor Marnik Vanclooster and including prominent experts, praised Delval for his innovative approach and contribution to the understanding of vine-soil interactions. This thesis marks a significant step forward in bridging fundamental research and real-world viticultural challenges, reinforcing the importance of soil-root interactions in sustaining grapevine productivity and quality.
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