News
Vici grant: two sums of 1.5 million for Wageningen scientists
Leading scientist Christa Testerink has received 1.5 million euros from the Dutch Research Council (known by its Dutch acronym NWO). With this Vici grant, she will spend the next five years researching how plants handle stress with more flexibility than hitherto assumed. Vici is one of the most significant scientific grants in the Netherlands.
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Public-private study on photosynthesis approved
The board of the NWO Domain Science has allocated 1.7 million euros of funding within the Photosynthesis programme. A consortium led by Mark Aarts of Wageningen University & Research will investigate how photosynthesis in plants responds to changing light conditions. The consortium consists of a collaboration between various knowledge institutes and public-private parties. The Photosynthesis programme aims to contribute to improving photosynthetic efficiency in crops under dynamic, natural cultivation conditions.
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WUR is working on Digital Twins for tomatoes, food and farming
Wageningen researchers are going to work on Digital Twins in the areas of tomatoes, food and farming. The projects are called Virtual tomato crops; Me, my diet and I; and Digital Future Farm. Digital Twins, one of the three investment themes of the WUR Strategic Plan 2019-2022, is a relatively new concept: computer models of individual objects or processes that are updated on the basis of real-time information.
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(R)evolution in plant breeding: new options for better photosynthesis
It seems so logical: each plant carries chloroplasts that contribute to the optimum growth and development of the plant. At least that is what has always been assumed. However, this has turned out to be false, as demonstrated by researchers at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) in a scientific publication published today in Nature Plants.
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6th International Plant Phenotyping Symposium
The International Plant Phenotyping Network (IPPN) is organising the 6th International Plant Phenotyping Symposium from 22-26 October, 2019 in Nanjing, China. Rick van de Zedde and René Klein Lankhorst (both from Wageningen University & Research) will present plant phenotyping research in the Netherlands.
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How to feed 10 billion people?
The American news platform Bloomberg launched a new video ‘How to feed 10 billion people’ in the series called ‘Problem Solved’. These videos focus on how scientists are trying to solve some of the biggest challenges the world faces.
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Summer school Imaging & Phenotyping in Wageningen
The Summer School on Image analysis for plant phenotyping was held at the Wageningen University & Research Campus with great succes.
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NPEC at Wageningen University & Research Business Day 2019
On 26 September 2019 the Business Day will be held at Wageningen Campus. On this day developments in technology and new innovations will be key. Rick van de Zedde and Benny van der Fels will attend to speak about phenotyping.
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Vacancy – IT systems architect NPEC
NPEC offers an opportunity for an enthusiastic and versatile IT systems architect to help us connect various elements of the new phenotyping facility we are building to a central database and make this accessible to users throughout the country.
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In the greenhouse? Put on your AR glasses
Can Augmented Reality (AR) help with training harvesting staff in a greenhouse? Or can AR-glasses show whether the crop is healthy? Wageningen University & Research is researching this with a consortium of breeders and suppliers. That research focuses on the question: how can we use Augmented Reality in horticulture?
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€5.7 million towards future-proof lettuce varieties
A new €5.7 million research project has been set up in order to make lettuce more resistant to pathogens and the effects of climate change as well as to improve its performance in new growing systems. To this end, researchers from institutions including Utrecht University will map the properties and genetic codes of 500 wild and cultivated lettuce varieties. ‘Our aim is to combine the most advantageous properties of these lettuce varieties into new varieties that will eventually end up on our plate.’
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Genes+environment = plant. New research centre for phenotyping starts up
A complex interaction between genes and environment determines the characteristics of a plant. That interaction is the focus of a big new research centre: Netherlands Plant Eco-phenotyping Centre. With the knowledge acquired there, scientists hope to breed robust lettuce. Or salt-resistant potatoes.
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New automated plant phenotyping device at WUR
Shared Research Facilities (SRF) of Wageningen University & Research (WUR) has recently purchased a new mobile device suitable to automatically phenotype plants. The company Photon Systems Instruments (PSI) from the Czech Republic has developed the Robin PSI PlantScreenTM system based on specific requirements set by WUR. It has been installed at WUR’s location Unifarm, and it is the first device that has arrived as part of the new Netherlands Plant Eco-phenotyping Centre (NPEC).
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