ir. C (Chris) Blok

Born on an arable farm and MSc in tropical soil science. Ten years of experience as an industry researcher for a stone wool producer and for a large propagation company. Then twenty-five years of contract research on growing media for vegetables, floriculture and mushrooms. Publications and patents in the field of growing media and irrigation systems.

Current focus in the soil, water and microbiology group on research for companies (B2B or in consortia). Topics include renewable growing media, drain water recirculation, organic fertilizers, ion specific measurement, resilient cultivation and microbiology, design of cultivation systems. Specialties: laboratory methods for growing media, propagation and irrigation and fertilization strategies.

Examples of relevant publications:

Blok , C.; Baumgarten, A.; Baas, R.; Wever, G.; Lohr, D. Analytical methods used with soilless substrates. In Soilless culture. Theory and Practice, Raviv, M.; Lieth, H.; Bar-Tal, A., Eds. Elsevier: Oxford, United Kingdom, 2019.

Blok, C., Jackson, B.E., Guo, X., de Visser, P.H.B. and Marcelis, L.F.M. (2017). Maximum Plant Uptakes for Water, Nutrients, and Oxygen Are Not Always Met by Irrigation Rate and Distribution in Water-based Cultivation Systems. Front. Plant Sci., 11 April 2017 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.00562

Blok, C., Salm, C.V.D., Hofland-Zijlstra, J., Streminska, M., Eveleens, B., Regelink, I., Fryda, L., and Visser, R. (2017). Biochar for Horticultural Rooting Media Improvement: Evaluation of Biochar from Gasification and Slow Pyrolysis. Agronomy 2017, 7(1), 6; doi:10.3390/agronomy7010006