ir. PM (Piet) Spoorenberg

ir. PM (Piet) Spoorenberg

Innovative crop protection generalist

I was raised in a village where mixed farming was changing to specialized farms (dairy, meat, arable and vegetable farms). I got interested in applied biology and started at Wageningen University in1977. I finished with my PhD in plant pathology in March 1985. During my study I already experienced working as professional applied researcher at the faculty of plant pathology for the EPIPRE program (prediction of plant diseases in cereals) and at the plant protection service of the ministry of agriculture (executing weed trials and reporting).

Before getting my degree (March 1995) I already started my working career at the applied plant research (PAGV) in Lelystad.

From December 1984 to December 1988 I worked on weed control in field crops. Trials were executed in wide range of herbal crops (herbs and medicinal plants), seed crops (flower seed, grass seed), potato, maize and sugar beet.

In January 1989 I became head of the research group working on farming systems including crop protection, soil management and fertilization, mechanization, crop rotation and farming systems development.

Mid 90’s crop protection became a very important issue, due to the national policy to significantly reduce the use of chemical crop protection. Both crop protection and farming systems development where booming and forced us split in 2 groups. I moved forward with an increasing crop protection group.

In 1995 our organization was separated form the ministry of agriculture into a new organization (PAV) and inn which I became member of the direction and manager of the nematology research group and a facilitating groups (laboratory, statistics and ICT).

I the new millennium our organisation was privatized and became a business unit within the new Wageningen University and Research organization. Where in January 2001 I became research manager occupied with several research groups, acquisition of projects and account management.

From February 2016, after 28 years as manager of research groups since 1988, I returned to the field as senior expert for general crop protection issues and account manager for crop protection companies within Wageningen Plant Research.

I consider myself as an innovative crop protection generalist. After starting as a weed and crop protection specialist I moved into farming systems research including crop protection, soil management and fertilization, mechanization, crop rotation and farming systems development. Concepts like integrated crop management (ICM), integrated pest management (IPM) and product stewardship are very familiar to me. My habitat is the whole of the farming system(s), the production chain(s) and the role of plant protection herein. Feeling comfortable in this environment, I constantly look what improvements can be made to adapt to recent changes and future challenges. Besides crop protection I’m attracted to many other new developments in the field of food production, e.g. the production of insects for feed and food.

By identifying myself with your and other stakeholders constraints and challenges, I look for the best opportunities to improve the production of our healthy food within the carrying capacity of our world. Combining knowledge and ideas is what I like to do to help my customers, partners and colleagues