Plant Health in Sustainable Cropping Systems
Erasmus+ Programme
Key Action 1 - Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees

Master Thesis & Student Research
PlantHealth students can do their master thesis anywhere in the world!
The overall goal of the master is to educate students to become specialists in crop protection and IPM to develop their scientific curiosity and intercultural skills and enable them to work in international companies, universities or research institutes in different parts of the world.
The Master PlantHealth trains students to develop the ability to see plant health in a broad context taking into account all relevant agronomic factors, like plant variety, nutrition, soil tillage, crop rotation etc. Students obtain the skills and knowledge of advanced entomology, mycology, virology, bacteriology, nematology and weed science to efficiently analyse or diagnose biotic and/or abiotic constraints in productivity of cropping systems.
During the master thesis period, PlantHealth students have the chance to apply their scientific basis in life sciences and the skills and methodology learnt during the master to do research or implement sustainable plant health strategies in an applied approach.
Master Thesis Report 2019
PlantHealth students find master thesis in a great variety of companies and positions. Here is an overview of the Master Theses carried out in 2019:
Country | Company | Master Thesis Topic |
---|---|---|
Belgium | Ghent University | "Biological and chemical control of tomato russet mite, Aculops lycopersici" |
France | EDYSAN and INRA le Rheu | Characterization of varietal resistance on Pisum sativum resistance to the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) |
France | INRA - Institut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences (IRHS) | Yeast transformation for aldaulactone production, a fungal toxin produced by Alternaria dauci, causal agent of carrot leaf blight |
France | INRA - Institut de Recherche en Horticulture at Semences (UMR IRHS) | Effect of plant defense stimulators on the evolution of Venturia inaequalis populations - consequences for sustainability |
France | INRA Bordeaux - UMR SAVE | Quantification of vine wood diseases in relation to agroclimatic parameters |
Germany | Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics at Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) | "Characterisation of culturable microbial endophytes of Lolium perenne in association with the mutualistic symbiotic fungus Epichloë festucae var. lolii". |
Germany | Institut für Zuckerrübenforschung – University of Göttingen | Analyzing Beet Curly Top Virus for gene delivery vector in Nicotiana benthamiana and sugar beet. |
Germany | Molecular Phytopathology and Mycotoxin Research Lab, University of Göttingen | Degradation of Fusaric acid by fungi and bacteria |
Germany | Molecular Phytopathology and Mycotoxin Research Lab, University of Göttingen | Effect of secondary metabolites of Fusarium oxysporum on Arthropods: Springtails F. candida and Dwarf white isopods T. tomentosa |
Germany | University of Göttingen | Comparison of methods used for assessing the viability of Plasmodiophora brassicae resting spores |
Germany | University of Göttingen | "The resistance of oilseed rape to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans and cross-resistance to Verticillium longisporum and Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris” |
Italy | Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (DAFNAE) University of Padova | Evaluate the effect of serioes of phenolic compound on (i) In vitro F. verticilloides growth and in vivo efficacy (ii) On the expression of key genes in the fumonisin biosynthetic pathway (iii) On the expression of a key gene involved in resistance to F. verticilloids |
Italy | University of Padova | "Different tactics for Halyomopha halys management: Effects of low temperature, chemical control and RNA interference" |
South Africa | Stellenbosch University | Cross pathogenicity of selected Botryosphaeriaceae spp on various fruit trees |
Spain | Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible | “Remote sensing of Cynodon dactylon (bermudagrass) in vineyard using images from unmanned aerial vehicles” |
Spain | Polytechnical University of Madrid / Laboratory of Advanced Technologies in Agrifood (LPF_TAGRALIA) | "Development of Multispectral Indices for Monitoring Organic Fertilization" |
Spain | Universitat Politècnica de València | Seasonal dynamics of Phaeomoniella chlamydospora inoculum in a vineyard: effect of environment and cover crops |
Sweden | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) | New omics Biomarkers for disease resistant and drought tolerant Potatoes |
The Netherlands | Koppert Biological System | Suitability of prey mite species for supplementary food of some generalist predatory mites |
The Netherlands | Wageningen University | Does ultraviolet radiation enhance hypersensitive-like responses (HR) against butterfly eggs in Brassica plants? |
Master Thesis Report 2018
PlantHealth students find master thesis in a great variety of companies and positions. Here is an overview of the Master Theses carried out in 2018:
Country | Company | Master Thesis Topic |
---|---|---|
Belgium | Biobest Group | Exploring the potential of Trichoderma for broad- spectrum protection against pests and diseases |
France | INRA GAFL Avignon | Evolution forces involve in aphids population A. gossypii on resistant melon plants |
France | INRA PACA- Unité Pathologie Végétale | Effect of humidity and temperature on the protective efficacy of Ampelomyces quisqualis against Oidium neolycopersici on tomato |
France | Biostatistics and spatial processes (BioSP) INRA PACA Avignon | Simulation of an agricultural landscape to study population dynamics of pest and auxiliary |
France | Groupe ROULLIER, Centre mondial de l’innovation | Characterisation of microbial strains as potential biocontrol agents against plant pathogenic fungi |
Germany | Georg-August-Universität Göttingen | Cloning and heterologous expression of proteins from Fusarium graminearum in E. coli |
Germany | University of Göttingen, Laboratory for molecular phytopathology and mycotoxin research | Secondary metabolites of Fusarium oxysporum and food preference of arthropods |
Italy | University of Padova | Spatial distribution of Drosophila suzukii and its parasitoids in Northern Italy: A landscape perspective |
Italy | University of Padova | Multi-spectral reflectance response to pest infestation in young plants. |
Spain | Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA) | Behavioral responses of Lasius grandis to larvae of the predatory coccinellid Cryptolaemus montrouzieri fed on different diets |
Spain | Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA) | Evaluation of Biostimulant Products for the Control of Phytophthora capsici in Pepper |
Spain | Trialcamp/Eurofins Agroscience Services | Three ecotoxicological studies on Apis mellifera L. under laboratory conditions |
Spain | Universitat Politècnica de València | Characterization and phylogeny of a collection of Phytopythium isolates obtained from woody plants |
The Netherlands | Koppert Biological System | Effect of low relative humidity on Phytoseiulus persimilis gravid females and their eggs |
The Netherlands | Wageningen University & Research | Development of a protocol to knockout genes in Alternaria solani for studying pathogenicity in potato |
The Netherlands | Wageningen Institute | Evaluation of omnivorous bugs performance fed by Ephestia eggs and different quality of Artemia cysts as an alternative food |