Onderzoeker Plantweerbaarheid

Als HBO onderzoeker plantweerbaarheid draag je bij aan onderzoek naar nieuwe oplossingen voor het voorkomen en beheersen van plantenziekten en -plagen in de glastuinbouw. Je werkt draagt bij aan de ontwikkeling van duurzame teeltsystemen waarin gebruik van chemische gewasbeschermingsmiddelen verder kan worden beperkt of voorkomen.

Jij werk richt zich op praktisch onderzoek in kas en lab om antwoorden te geven op onderzoeksvragen van telers, toeleveranciers en overheden.

Binnen het team plantgezondheid ben jij verantwoordelijk voor coördinatie en uitvoering van proeven met plantenziekten – en plagen in lab en kas, zowel op het proefbedrijf in Bleiswijk als in de praktijk.

Jouw taken en verantwoordelijkheden als HBO onderzoeker plantweerbaarheid zijn:

• het verrichten van proeven met plantenziekten en -plagen in lab en kas;
• ontwerp, organisatie en uitvoering van experimenten;
• verwerking, interpretatie en verslaglegging van de onderzoeksgegevens, en bijdragen aan rapporten, (web-)artikelen en nieuwsbrieven;
• de begeleiding van stagiaires en studenten.

Jij gaat samenwerken met andere collega’s die actief zijn op dit thema ( 5 wetenschappelijke onderzoekers , 4 HBO onderzoekers, en stagiaires). Deze groep maakt onderdeel uit van het team gewasgezondheid dat bestaat uit 24 collega’s. Je standplaats is Bleiswijk waar we beschikken over moderne laboratorium- en kasfaciliteiten.

Hier ga je werken
Het team gewasgezondheid maakt onderdeel uit van Wageningen Plant Research, waarbinnen nog ruim 100 andere collega’s actief werken aan een duurzame glastuinbouw zowel op onze locatie in Bleiswijk als in Wageningen.

Researcher in Plant Resilience

Ready to make a real difference in sustainable horticulture? As a higher professional education (HBO) researcher in plant resilience, you will contribute to research into new solutions for the prevention and control of plant diseases and pests in greenhouse horticulture. You will contribute to the development of sustainable cultivation systems in which the use of chemical plant protection products can be further reduced or eliminated.

Your work focuses on practical research in the greenhouse and laboratory to provide answers to research questions from growers, suppliers and government bodies.

Within the plant health team, you will be responsible for coordinating and carrying out trials involving plant diseases and pests in the laboratory and greenhouse, both at the experimental farm in Bleiswijk and in the field.

Your tasks and responsibilities as a plant resilience researcher (HBO level) are:

• conducting trials involving plant diseases and pests in the laboratory and greenhouse;
• designing, organising and carrying out experiments;
• processing, interpreting and reporting research data, and contributing to reports, (web) articles and newsletters;
• supervising interns and students.

Your team
You will be working alongside other colleagues involved in this area (5 research scientists, 4 higher vocational education researchers, and interns). This group forms part of the plant health team, which comprises 24 colleagues. You will be based in Bleiswijk, where we have modern laboratory and greenhouse facilities.

You will work here
The crop health team is part of Wageningen Plant Research, where over 100 other colleagues are actively working towards sustainable greenhouse horticulture, both at our site in Bleiswijk and in Wageningen.

Postdoc researcher: Food Waste - Practices and Societal Transformations

Are you excited to contribute to empowering citizens, retailers, municipalities, and policymakers to adopt and scale circular practices in the domain of food consumption? We are looking for an enthusiastic postdoctoral researcher to conduct research and coordinate the project Food Waste: Practices and Societal Transformations.

In this project you will not only do research but also translate insights into strategies and toolkits to help reduce food waste. You will start by examining practices and behaviors of various stakeholders (people, restaurants, retail) together with partners from different European countries to identify practices related to food waste. For instance, various successful practices to prevent food may exist, and mapping these local practices will help to identify opportunities to prevent food waste at scale. Drawing on literature studies and empirical research you will uncover and map food consumption practices in different countries, and translate this knowledge into new innovative ways and practical toolkits to reduce food waste. You will be involved in designing and executing the research.

The project involves gaining a deep understanding of practices in different countries in Europe and identifying culturally appropriate, financially practical and feasible, leverage points to develop interventions. In plain words, to make sure that interventions at home, supermarkets or restaurants align with what people do and value and contribute to an understanding whether any identified interventions are scalable across different countries where different practices and eating cultures exist.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• Study and map consumption patterns relevant for preventing food waste among different groups including citizens, retailers and policymakers;
• Examine whether and how effective practices to prevent food waste in one country can be translated to another country;
• Develop practical toolkits to facilitate the adoption of circular food consumption practices for various interest holders, and contribute to strategies of scaling these practices;
• Contribute sociological and behavioral expertise in a large international consortium;
• (Contribute to) management of a work package in a European Horizon grant.

Your team
The project is part of the HORIZON project “Empowering Equitable and Emotionally Intelligent Transitions to Circular Food Systems”.

You will be working closely with prof. dr. Harm Veling (behavioral scientist; chair of CHL) and dr. Hilje van der Horst (sociologist specialized in consumption). In their work, they aim to gain a deep understanding of behavioral patterns and consumption patterns drawing on psychological and sociological theories, and examine how this understanding can contribute to societal transitions that benefit human and planetary health. They will co-supervise this project to ensure insights from different disciplines are integrated.

Researcher Biodiversity and Policy

Would you, as a Researcher Ecology like to contribute to advancing knowledge regarding urgent societal challenges related to landscape and biodiversity? Do you have in-depth expertise in (Dutch) flora and fauna and enjoy conducting applied scientific research within a project-based organization? If so, we want to hear from you!

Within the Biodiversity and Policy (BP) team of Wageningen Environmental Research (WENR) we are looking for a new colleague. As an ecologist you will perform applied and policy relevant research focusing on monitoring, modelling, protecting, and restoring biodiversity in (agricultural) landscapes and protected areas both nationally and internationally.

Here are the links that give you an idea of the projects we are working on:

https://research.wur.nl/en/projects/restore-connect-restoring-connectivity-and-landscape-coherence-kb/

rapport-basiskwaliteit-natuur-bebouwde-omgeving.pdf

Model for Nature Policy 2024: Automatische validatie, modellering habitattypen, abiotische gebiedskwaliteit, abiotische knelpuntanalyse, nieuwe grenswaarden stikstof - Wageningen University & Research

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• carrying out research, process and interpret research results within project frameworks, and write publications, including peer-reviewed scientific articles and Dutch reports and articles
• Designing and coordinating (field) research on (Dutch) flora and fauna, landscapes, and forms of agricultural management.
• Working in a project organization as a project leader in inter- and transdisciplinary research.
• Translating science based research on ecological knowledge into policy

You will work here
Your home-base will be the team Biodiversity & Policy of WENR based at the Wageningen Campus of Wageningen University & Research, and you will also collaborate intensively with colleagues in other teams at WENR as well as with researchers in other research institutes in the Netherlands and internationally.

You will be working in an enthusiastic multi-discipline team of about 30 colleagues working on research projects related to biodiversity conservation and restoration in a broad-spectrum: societal research related to transformative change to landscape ecology research or research of biodiversity in various ecosystems.

By joining you will have the opportunity to be involved in wider projects working alongside a team of passionate, committed colleagues, and be able to build on a wealth of expertise to take this important work forward.

PhD position: Thermal Imaging & Crop Canopy Transpiration

As a PhD candidate, you will contribute to the development of innovative methods and models to monitor and interpret crop canopy transpiration using thermal imaging combined with microclimate sensing. You will work with advanced camera systems, microclimate sensor arrays and crop canopy models to quantify how environmental variability affects canopy transpiration and stomatal behaviour. You will conduct experiments in greenhouses and vertical farms, collaborate with engineers and modellers across work packages, and work closely with technology providers and growers to turn your findings into practical crop‑centred control strategies.

This project is part of the GreenControl programme which is funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and 11 companies. This programme encompasses 7 PhD students appointed at the universities of Wageningen, Delft, Eindhoven and Twente. Within GreenControl, you will work in parallel with another PhD in the same group, focusing on carbon related traits and colleagues across different disciplines, technology companies and growers, ensuring that your research results are directly usable in operational climate‑control strategies.

Your duties and responsibilities:

• Designing and conducting experiments using thermal imaging, climate sensors, and multilayer energy‑balance modelling to quantify canopy transpiration.
• Use robust image‑processing and develop data‑integration pipelines that combine imaging, microclimate and crop structural information.
• Investigating how airflow, temperature, humidity and light influence stomatal behaviour and daily canopy water use and implement the findings in a mechanistic model.
• Collaborating with scientists, engineers, growers and industrial partners to translate scientific insights into algorithms and control‑oriented tools.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair Horticulture and Product Physiology, and member of team of Silvere Vialet-Chabrand, which is led by Prof. Leo Marcelis.

The Horticulture and Product Physiology (HPP) group at Wageningen University & Research focuses on understanding and controlling plant growth, development, and product quality, particularly in controlled environments such as greenhouses and vertical farms. By integrating plant physiology, modelling, and data-driven approaches, the group aims to predict plant performance and optimize production systems across the entire supply chain, contributing to sustainable and efficient horticulture.