Team : Sureau

PhD student :  DECUY Ombeline

Thesis supervisors :  HERBETTE Stéphane ,  BALANDIER Philippe

Dates : February 2024 - February 2027

Description

Climate change is severely affecting Mediterranean regions, with increasingly frequent heat waves and droughts. This phenomenon threatens crops of aromatic and medicinal plants (PPAM), especially in areas where water resources are limited. Shading, particularly through agroforestry, appears to be a promising solution for reducing water and heat stress on plants. However, shade tolerance varies among MAHP species, which can affect the production of compounds of interest.

The main objectives of the thesis are therefore to determine the physiological, biochemical and phenological changes induced by controlled shading on PPAMs and to characterise the impacts on crop drought response. An artificial shading device coupled with a rain exclusion system was therefore installed to simulate the spatial heterogeneity of tree shade. Three PPAM species Three species representative of the PPAM sector were selected: lavandin (Mediterranean perfume plant), curly parsley (temperate aromatic plant) and valerian (temperate medicinal plant). This choice was based on their importance in the PPAM sector as well as other criteria such as the valued organ, their ecology and their life cycle.

To assess the effects of shade on the microclimate and on the plants, various sensors have been installed. The plants' responses are analysed according to physiological criteria and the agronomic characteristics specific to each species.

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