Projects
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Crop ecological aspects and modelling of cocoa production: understanding effects of pruning and shading
Millions of small holder farmers in West Africa produce 73% of the global cocoa production. The majority of cocoa is produced in agroforestry systems...
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Understanding responses to simultaneously and sequentially occurring abiotic stresses typical of climate change in rice and Arabidopsis
Under natural conditions, unfavourable environments such as high temperature, drought or submergence may limit plant production and survival. When...
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Creation of a potato FSPM, and adapting it to study the Early Blight pathosystem
The Early Blight complex of potato (Solanum tuberosum), caused by several species of the fungal genus Alternaria, is a foliar disease that can cause...
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Optimising cotton growth, architecture and production: a functional-structural plant modelling approach
Cotton is an indeterminate perennial but grown as an annual cash crop for fibre. The branching pattern and fruit retention which have been considered...
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More roses for less: Balancing between crop growth, fungal diseases and energy use in greenhouses
Growing of cut-roses (rosa x hybrida) is very much affected by fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca pannosa var. rosae). There is a...
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Enlightening ad- and abaxial photosynthesis: integrating bidirectional illumination in a tomato FSPM
Light sources for greenhouse crops are usually located above the canopy, whether this is solely solar radiation or supplementary light. Therefore,...
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Exploring variation in photosynthesis, transpiration and growth among plants and leaves within tomato canopies
The horizontal and vertical light distribution within a canopy has a direct influence on plant photosynthesis, transpiration, growth and development,...
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Canopy photosynthesis in response to fluctuating water, nitrogen and light conditions, and crop management
Canopy photosynthesis is affected by water, nitrogen and light variations, and crop managements (e.g. bending in rose production). However, the change...
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Quantifying feedbacks between plant architecture, physiology and microclimate to analyse crop climate responses
Understanding the feedback between microclimate, plant physiology and plant architecture is essential to quantify crop performance and associated food...
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Modelling dynamic plant-plant-herbivore interactions in space and time
Plants down-regulate their defences against insect herbivores upon impending competition for light, a mechanism that has been viewed in the context of...