PhD SMARTFARMING: smart vertical farming production using plant monitoring and self-learning control

The mission of Wageningen University and Research is "To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life". Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With its roughly 30 branches, 6.800 employees and 12.900 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen's unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

Read the 5 reasons why your future collaegues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

Horticulture and Product Physiology group conducts high impact research and educates students providing the scientific basis required to answer questions that are of utmost importance for sustainable crop production and product quality in horticulture. The research focus is on how physiological processes in crops, plants and plant organs interact with the abiotic environment and how this affects crop production and product quality. Questions arising from horticultural practice are translated into fundamental research topics, aiming to explain mechanisms. The research and education contribute to sustainably feeding the World with healthy high-quality products. The chair group is an international team consisting of 14 permanent staff members, about 25 PhD candidates and postdocs and several guest researchers. Each year about 40 MSc students conduct their thesis study (6 months of research) at our group. We organize and participate in a variety of courses for BSc and MSc students to transfer knowledge on horticulture (pre- and post harvest), environmental physiology and product quality.

Farm Technology group is one of the world's leading university groups on the application of control and artificial intelligence in agriculture. The Farm Technology Group aims at enhancing, exploiting and disseminating technology in primary agricultural production processes with the aim to fulfil the needs of mankind and nature in a sustainable way. Though we address questions and challenges arising in agricultural practice, our scientific based engineering enquiries stay at the more fundamental Technology Readiness Levels. We aim to develop and apply advanced sensing, perception and control methodologies to improve the operation of agricultural production processes and our understanding thereof. You will become a member of a group of 20 research and education staff, over 40 PhD students and around 50 thesis students. The group is a leading contributor to the Bsc. and Msc programmes Biosystems Engineering at Wageningen University.

In a rich multi-disciplinary setting, you will be supervised by assistant professors Silvere Vialet-Chabrand from Horticulture and Product Physiology Group and Congcong Sun from Farm Technology Group. Professors Leo Marcelis and Eldert van Henten will be your promotors and will guide you in your scientific training.

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.