PhD Student plant sensors and modelling for tomato

Job description

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.

With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

For the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Plants and Crops, Laboratory of Plant Ecology we are looking for a m/f/x

YOUR JOB
PROJECT – DigiKas (a 4-year interdisciplinary VLAIO LA-trajectory project, supported by various stakeholders)
DigiKas is dedicated to enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of greenhouse horticulture. By promoting the use of plant sensors, we aim to improve the monitoring of plant behaviour in climate-controlled greenhouses, and advance data-driven cultivation management among Flemish tomato growers. Our focus includes identifying and addressing bottlenecks in sensor application and digitalization, improving tomato growers' competencies with sensor use, and increasing knowledge on resource-saving strategies related to light, energy, water, and CO2. We also target to develop and implement innovative data analysis techniques that integrate mechanistic plant modelling with machine learning, translating sensor data into cultivation strategy actions to boost production efficiency. Additionally, DigiKas is building an online knowledge platform for sensor applications in horticulture. We are committed to coaching and mentoring the tomato sector towards the next step in smart farming.

Tasks

• Assess commercially existing and new plant and microclimate sensors for tomato crop production.
• Unravel the dynamic plant-greenhouse climate interactions measured with plant sensors (sap flow, variations in stem, fruit and leaf thickness) and climate sensors by analysis and interpretation of the datasets.
• Integrate these sensor datasets with growers’ manual crop assessments and actions to create unique datasets.
• Answer important questions on resource-saving cultivation strategies related to dynamic lighting, energy, water, and CO2 using the newly gathered insights.
• Plan and conduct well-designed experiments in campus greenhouses and climate chambers to answer outstanding questions.
• Synthesis of research results in internal project reports, and project meeting presentations.
• Present results during national or international conferences, seminars and workshops.
• Write international peer-reviewed papers to be combined in a final PhD manuscript
• Participate in a collaborative, interdisciplinary consortium, with highly motivated researchers, growers and companies.

Job profile

• You hold a Master degree in Bioscience engineering, Biosciences, Horticultural sciences, Biology, Engineering, or an equivalent relevant degree.
• Highly motivated to conduct ground-breaking research in plant ecophysiology with practical application.
• Strong affinity with plants and horticulture, and a large interest in plant monitoring and climate control.
• Technical skills to operate sensors and measurement equipment.
• Analytical mindset to integrate mechanistic plant modelling and machine learning with sensors into new tools.
• Organizational skills, and problem-solving, result-oriented attitude.
• Excellent communication skills in Dutch – both orally and written – to intensively interact with Flemish growers.
• Excellent communication skills in English – both orally and written.
• A team player who can work independently and has good communication skills.
• High mobility and flexibility.
• Driver’s license category B.
  
  

Where
The candidate will work at the Laboratory of Plant Ecology (Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University) under the supervision of Prof. Kathy Steppe, and will spend time at Agrotopia and the Knowledge centre Energy, Thomas More. Data will be collected in Agrotopia (Roeselare), in campus greenhouses and climate rooms (UGent, Thomas More) and in high-level commercial greenhouses located throughout Flanders.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which, after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• Your contract will start on 01/09/2024 at the earliest.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by the Department of Personnel and Organization based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits (in Dutch).

How to apply

Please send a cover letter explaining your interest in the position and how this PhD project aligns with your experiences and goals. Additionally, include your curriculum vitae with contact information for two references, all in a single pdf-file. The file should be named: “surname_first name_DigiKas". We look forward to receiving your application by July 31, 2024.

Please send the application file via email to Kathy Steppe (kathy.steppe@UGent.be) and Pui Yi Ng (puiyi.ng@UGent.be). For additional information about the project, please contact Prof. Kathy Steppe (kathy.steppe@UGent.be).