Research of Horticulture and Product Physiology Group
The vision of the chair group HPP is that controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is essential to advance nutritional food security.
Our mission is to conduct research on production of vegetables, fruits, ornamentals, and their quality at- and post-harvest, contributing to a sustainable production in CEA that enhances nutritional food security.
Our research
Driven by curiosity and grounded in a fundamental understanding of environmental crop and product physiology, our research explores how to use resources, including energy and water, efficiently while minimizing emissions and waste across cultivation systems ranging from low-tech to high-tech CEA (greenhouses and vertical farms).
By combining expertise in modelling, sensing and experimentation, and through collaboration within and beyond the group, we are building the scientific foundations for tomorrow's horticulture, enabling climate-resilient production systems that secure nutritious, high-quality food and ornamentals for a changing world. In this way we contribute to the quality of life.
Research themes
One of our research themes focusses on Plant growth and development, as well as product quality. These form emergent properties of underlying physiological and genetic processes. In addition, research fields such as phenotyping, (LED) light regulation of plant processes and functional-structural plant modelling are gaining increasing prominence within the group.
Plant growth & development
We study several aspects of plant growth and development, focusing on crop physiology, crop modelling, carbon partitioning and storage in plants, and rootzone physiology in hydroponic systems.
Photosynthesis
We study how photosynthesis in crops responds to fluctuating environments, as well as related plant behaviours such as gas exchange.
Product physiology
We study how preharvest conditions affect the (postharvest) quality of plants, and how plants regulate different biochemical routes during stages of plant development and during postharvest.
Horticulture and Product Physiology
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