Summer School on Advanced Soil Physics: Soil-Plant-Water Flow

This intensive one-week program aims to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of water flow in the soil-rhizosphere-plant system, influenced by plant physiology and rhizosphere hydraulics.

Attendees will gain both theoretical knowledge of soil and plant water flow and practical skills to model these processes using advanced numerical tools.

This summer school is tailored for master’s and PhD students, and early-career scientists working in soil physics, plant physiology, water management, environmental science, and related fields. Applicants should have an early-stage familiarity with soil physics in their research and an interest in deepening their knowledge and skills. While prior programming experience is beneficial, group projects will provide opportunities to learn basic programming skills. Participants will receive support from mentors and teaching assistants throughout the program.

Each participant will be provided with a computer. Additional practical information will be shared with the selected participants.

Fees

500 euros.

The fees include coffee/tea, and lunches. It does not include accommodation.

Applicants from middle- and low-income countries may apply for a grant (see application form).

Location

de Serres building (https://maps.app.goo.gl/Hh6PSj72jgoQRuoN7)

Croix du Sud 2

1348-Louvain-la-Neuve

Belgium

 

Provisional Program

The program will be updated progressively.

Day

Topics

1 

Challenges of soil Physics 

Root physiology 

2 

Root-scale and rhizosphere hydraulics

3 

Plant Hydraulic Architecture 

4 

3D soil-plant water flow modeling

5 

Simplified approaches in soil-plant water flow modelling and roundtables

Important Dates

Date

 

1^st February

Start of the application

1^st May

Application deadline

15^th May

Notification of decision

30^th May

Complementary practical information shared with the selected participants

 

Course organizers and current list of lecturers

• Prof. Dr. Jan Vanderborght
• Prof. Dr. Mathieu Javaux
• Prof. Dr. Andrea Schnepf
• Prof. Dr. Guillaume Lobet
• Prof. Dr. Xavier Draye
• Prof. Dr. Valentin Couvreur
• Mona Giraud

 

Accommodation options

• The Martin’s Hotel (8 minutes walk from the train station and 15 minutes from the meeting place): https://www.martinshotels.com/fr/page/martins-louvain-la-neuve/martins-louvain-la-neuve-innovation-art-de-vivre-hotel.11057.html
• If Martin’s Hotel is fully booked, another option is Hotel IBIS (20 minutes walk from the train station and 30 minutes from the meeting place): https://all.accor.com/hotel/2200/index.en.shtml
• Cheaper option: youth hostel Mozaik (5 minutes walk from the train station and 15 minutes from the meeting place): https://www.gite-mozaik.be/en/

 

Link to application form

https://forms.gle/oyy6bRZarwhLCJJ3A

 

More information

For any additional questions, contact

m.giraud(at)fz-juelich.de