PhD position: Modelling Crop Growth and Resource Use

The greenhouse sector is changing rapidly. New cultivation systems, such as single-truss tomatoes, hybrid systems of greenhouses with vertical farms, and semi-closed greenhouses, have the potential to increase resource use efficiency.

Your job

The greenhouse sector is changing rapidly. New cultivation systems, such as single-truss tomatoes, hybrid systems of greenhouses with vertical farms, and semi-closed greenhouses, have the potential to increase resource use efficiency. However, managing and optimizing these new cultivation systems requires crop models that can predict plant growth, crop yield and resource use under highly dynamic conditions.

As a PhD candidate, you will develop mechanistic crop models for innovative greenhouse production systems. You will model young plant production in vertical farms, source–sink relationships in single-truss tomato and integrate crop and greenhouse models to evaluate resource use. The models will be developed and validated using existing experimental datasets, complemented with targeted validation experiments where needed. You will work closely with other researchers collecting data on crop growth, development and carbon allocation.

This PhD project is part of the Greenhouses in Transition project, which brings together leading universities (e.g. University of Wyoming, Texas A&M, University of Kentucky, TU Delft, University of Twente) and industry partners (e.g. Ridder Group, AMS Institute, Crop King USA, Bosch growers, Addium) from the Netherlands and the United States to accelerate the transition towards sustainable and circular controlled environment agriculture. The research project comprises 8 PhD candidates, 7 postdoctoral researchers and 1 PDEng, allowing close collaboration across disciplines including plant physiology, crop modelling, greenhouse technology and systems engineering. As a PhD candidate, you will work closely with experimental researchers at Wageningen University while interacting with an international network of scientists and stakeholders, contributing to the development of innovative greenhouse systems that improve resource efficiency, reduce fossil energy use and strengthen the resilience of food production across diverse climates and production systems.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• developing and extending process-based crop models describing physiological processes (e.g. carbon partitioning, organ growth, reproductive development and harvest index) under dynamic environments;
• designing and conducting targeted climate chamber and greenhouse experiments to improve model parameterization and validate specific physiological mechanisms;
• integrate crop and greenhouse models to evaluate resource-use efficiency of innovative greenhouse production systems;
• collaborating with researchers, growers and industry partners within the Greenhouses in Transition consortium to translate scientific insights into practical greenhouse innovations.

You will work here

The research is embedded within the chair Horticulture and Product Physiology which is led by Prof. Dr Leo Marcelis. You will be co-supervised by Dr. Ana Cristina Zepeda and Dr. Ep Heuvelink.

Your qualities

You are enthusiastic about simulation and modelling of crops in greenhouses and are motivated to improve the sustainability of controlled environment agriculture. You are team player who likes to collaborate with researchers and industry partners in an international environment.

You also possess:

• a completed MSc degree in Plant Sciences, Biosystems Engineering, Computational Biology, or a related field;
• experience with process-based modelling, data analysis, programming (e.g. Python, MATLAB or R), or quantitative analysis of biological systems;
• an interest in crop physiology and translating physiological knowledge into mechanistic crop models;
• a collaborative attitude, curiosity, and the ability to work both independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team.

Excellent communication skills as well as good proficiency in English (both oral and written).

We offer

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• Partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.
The gross salary for the first year is € 3,204.- per month rising to € 4,051.- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

We encourage development and internal mobility within our organisation. Our recruitment and selection policy sets out the conditions that apply specifically to you as a (former) employee. If you have any questions, we are happy to help.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment.

Coming from abroad

Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account, dual career programs or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Important information

For more information about the position, please contact Dr. Ana Cristina Zepeda, Assistant Professor, via email: Cristina.zepeda@wur.nl or Dr. Ep Heuvelink, Associate Professor, via email: ep.heuvelink@wur.nl.
Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Noorien Abbas, Corporate Recruiter, via email: vacaturemeldingen.psg@wur.nl.

Ready to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

To apply, please send the following documents (max. 3 pages in total):

• Complete and up-to-date curriculum vitae (max. 2 pages);
• Motivation letter (max. 1 page).

The maximum length of the documents must not exceed 3 pages. If it exceeds, applications will not be considered. Additional files such as grades and transcripts are not required during this stage and will not be considered.

You can apply up to and including Monday 7 September 2026. The first interviews are scheduled for 22 or 23 September 2026.

Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using the link below:

PhD position: Modelling Crop Growth and Resource Use – Fill out form

Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

We are

The mission of Wageningen University & 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, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

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

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