Below you will find our main areas of research in agronomy.
This research is carried out within the ELI-A (Agronomy) department of the Earth and Life Institute.
You can also find all our scientific publications in the field of agronomy on this page.
Would you like to find out more? Contact our researchers by clicking on their names or visit their website if a link is available.
Research in plant physiology and ecophysiology aims to understand how plants grow and adapt to their environment, particularly to abiotic factors.
We work at multiple scales, from individual plants to field level, with a special focus on cultivated species.
By studying different plant organs, we examine their ability to use water and nutrients for growth and their responses to stresses such as drought, heat, salinity, and other mineral constraints.
Our goal is to deepen this understanding to support the development of more sustainable agricultural practices.
Prof. Valentin Couvreur - PEPA Lab
More info: Lab website
Prof. Xavier Draye
Prof. Guillaume Lobet - PEPA Lab
More info: Lobet's website | Lab website
Prof. Stanley Lutts
Prof. Muriel Quinet
ELI-A’s research on plant reproduction and genetics spans a broad spectrum, from studying the genetic, hormonal, and environmental mechanisms that regulate flowering and floral development to analyzing the ecological interactions between plants and pollinators.
We work on cultivated species to improve yields and strengthen the resilience of agricultural systems, as well as on wild species — both rare and endangered and invasive exotics — to enhance ecosystem management.
The impact of climate change on plant reproduction and plant–pollinator relationships is a central focus of our research.
Prof. Xavier Draye
Prof. Anne-Laure Jacquemart
Prof. Muriel Quinet
Research in Agricultural Economy and Food Systems at ELI-A examines the functioning and performance of agrifood systems, and the challenges and opportunities for their transformation.
On the one hand, agrifood systems are examined through the lens of agricultural and food economics to analyse how policies, markets, technologies, and institutions influence production decisions, value chain organization, trade, consumption patterns, and sustainability outcomes.
On the other hand, multidimensional, interdisciplinary, and participatory approaches are mobilised to characterize the diversity of production systems, unravel the organisation of food value chains, and envision transition pathways for agrifood systems at multiple scales.
A central objective is to contribute to the transition toward more sustainable agrifood systems by producing rigorous scientific knowledge addressing economic viability, environmental resilience, social inclusion, and nutritional outcomes.
Methodologically, this research combines quantitative and qualitative approaches, using survey data, experimental methods, econometric analysis, value chain analysis, quantitative modelling, impact evaluations, barrier and lever analysis, semi-structured interviews and focus groups, and is embedded in inter- and transdisciplinarity.
Empirical work spans both the Global North (with a focus on Belgium and Europe) and the Global South (particularly African countries), allowing for comparative and context-specific insights.
This thematic area is led by the Sytra team (Prof. Philippe Baret) and the Agrifood Economics Group (Prof. Goedele Van den Broeck), together with Prof. Frédéric Gaspart, whose research contributes to academic debates and policy discussions on sustainable food systems, development, and inclusive growth.
Prof. Philippe Baret - Sytra Team
More info: Website | LinkedIn | Subscribe to the Sytra newsletter
Prof. Goedele Van den Broeck - Agrifood Economics Group
Our research focuses on the intersection of sustainable agriculture and practical food production.
Richard Lambert’s research explores how to optimize nitrate fertilization to maximize crop yields while minimizing environmental impact. We investigate evidence-based approaches to reduce nutrient leaching and runoff, aligning fertilization strategies with ecological thresholds and plant uptake dynamics.
Guillaume Lobet’s research addresses drought-robust agriculture, investigating crop varieties, soil management strategies, and water-use-efficient techniques that enable farming systems to remain productive and resilient in the face of increasingly unpredictable rainfall and rising temperatures.
More generally, we work on the development and refinement of sustainable farming practices — examining soil health, biodiversity, and low-input systems that maintain long-term productivity without depleting natural resources.
This extends to small-scale market gardening techniques, where we study intensive, space-efficient methods that empower local producers to grow diverse, high-value crops with limited land and capital.
Together, these research threads are united by a shared commitment to building agricultural systems that are ecologically sound, economically viable, and adaptable to the challenges of a changing climate.
Prof. Richard Lambert
Prof. Guillaume Lobet - PEPA Lab
More info: Lobet's website | Lab website