Exceptional open thesis proposal ! Characterization of abiotic stress of trees using Al methods on acoustic signals

The PhD student will be supervised by Prof. Tahar Kechadi (University of Dublin, Ireland) and Dr. Guillaume Charrier (INRAE, France).

See here for comprehensive information: (https://Inkd.in/ ewC-Ttwy)

Application details are available at: https://Inkd.in/eJWEWTkz

Deadline April 15 2026

Objectives:

This case study will focus on two complementary parts: (i) analysis of acoustic signals to extract relevant information from it (signal quality), (ii) comparison of classified acoustic measurements with ecophysiological reference measurements in cultivated sites with different stress modalities (e.g. agroecological orchards and vineyards along natural gradients). The characterization of the acoustic signature will make it possible to measure the damage generated by different climatic hazards and to better understand the physiological mechanisms of resistance to abiotic constraints. The acoustic signature, integrated into the algorithm controlling the autonomous acoustic sensors, will make it possible to trigger alerts and an adapted response to these different climatic constraints. The design of a tool capable of measuring damage and, ideally, mitigating its consequences before it becomes irreversible is key to mitigate consequences of climatic stress. By providing a better understanding of the physiological mechanisms that plants develop to resist abiotic stress and, above all, their interactions, it fits to the challenge agroforestry and agro-ecology will face in the future.

All the mentioned objectives can be listed as follow:

1. Investigate the potential of using acoustic emissions to detect and measure damage caused by abiotic stresses (drought, frost, etc.) in plants;

2. Develop a non-invasive method for continuous plant health monitoring based on reliable acoustic signatures; 3. Analyse the unique acoustic signatures of different abiotic stresses on plants by means of advanced analytics methods.

This is a novel approach as previous research focused on single stresses, while in nature plants experience multiple or interacting stresses. These objectives will be achieved using the following work planning to grant their feasibility.



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