Efficient Water Management in Soil‑Bound Crops with Digital Decision Tools
Efficient irrigation in soil‑bound crops relies on understanding how much water is actually available to the plant. In this workshop, we introduce how QMS Water and the Virtual Lysimeter work together to provide clear, data‑driven insights into soil‑water dynamics.
These tools translate soil moisture, crop transpiration, and weather effects into practical irrigation advice. Showing when to irrigate and how much. During the session, we’ll walk through how these models operate and how you can integrate them into your own processes to reduce water use, improve crop performance, and make irrigation decisions with more confidence.
Speakers
The team Rootzone Dynamics from Wageningen University & Research BU Greenhouse Horticulture focuses on investigating processes around the plant roots and in the irrigation system. Research topics: alternative growing media, microbiology, belowground phytopathology, water quality, fertigation and virology. My personal focus has been on the application of water technology to achieve a zero-emission cultivation system with optimal recirculation water quality: prevent distribution of diseases via water, removal of plant protection products from discharge water, optimization of filtration and selective ion removal. Focus is on finding technologies that have specific effects on water quality, without inhibiting plant productivity, for example for prevention of biofilm formation in irrigation lines. The role of water composition and treatment on the rootzone microbiology is another topic that still requires a lot of attention.
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Joseph began his career in 2012 in instrumentation and controls engineering, using sensors and PLC systems to control auxilary systems in semi-conductor manufacturing. In 2019, he returned to university to study biosystems engineering at Wageningen University and Research. Since graduation he has worked at Wageningen research modelling water flows through soil to reduce emission of water, nutrients, and PPPs into the environment; optimizing fertilization to accomodate dynamic recirculation throughout the crop cycle; and, since 2023, using biochar as a cultivation susbtrate in greenhouse trials at the WR Glastuinbouw research station in Bleiswijk. Joseph brings a fresh perspective into the horticultural industry and has an eye for both what is possible and what is practical.
