X (Xin) Yuan

Xin is a PhD candidate at the Horticulture and Product Physiology group, Wageningen University & Research, working under the supervision of Prof. Leo Marcelis and Dr. Ep Heuvelink, with co-supervision from Prof. Qichang Yang and Dr. Zhonghua Bian.

Her PhD research investigates how light quantity and temporal distribution of light influence light use efficiency (LUE) in vertical farming. Combining a literature review on vertical farming technologies, a meta-analysis of dose-response relationships in lettuce, and climate-room experiments on tomato, her work introduces temporal lighting as a unifying framework for time-based light strategies in controlled environment agriculture. Key findings include the role of dark period duration in light/dark cycle effects, the importance of spectral timing within a day, and the economic potential of aligning lighting strategies with fluctuating electricity prices.

She will defend her thesis Shining Light on Vertical Farming in July 2026.