In their natural environment, leaves are exposed to rapid fluctuations of irradiance. Research on CO2 assimilation under fluctuating irradiance often relies on measurements of gas exchange during transients where irradiance is rapidly increased or decreased, after the leaf has adapted to a particular set of environmental conditions. In the field, s...
Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of a genotype to express multiple phenotypes in accordance with different environments. Although variation in plasticity has been observed, there is limited knowledge on how this variation results from natural selection. This thesis analyses how variation in the level of plasticity influences light competition b...
Many monoculture forests (dominated by a single tree species) have been converted to mixed-species forests (dominated by more than one tree species) in Europe over the last decades. The main reason for this conversion was to increase productivity, including timber production, and enhance other ecosystem services, such as conservation of biodiversit...
This report describes the development of practical tools for inspectors to monitor compliance with the target welfare regulations with regard to provison of light for dogs and rabbits that are kept and sold commercially. On the basis of a literature study on the influence of light on the welfare and functioning of dogs and rabbits, and in the conte...
Microalgae can contain large amounts of lipids which make them a promising feedstock for sustainable production of food, feed, fuels and chemicals. Various studies, including pilot-scale, have been performed and the knowledge on microalgal processes has advanced quickly. Unfortunately, current production costs for cultivation are still too high for...
The application of microbial and plant photosynthesis for biobased production on the one hand has a huge potential but on the other hand photosynthesis has serious limitations regarding its efficiency. Hence, studying both fundamental features of photosynthetic processes and engineering of photosystems is of paramount interest, exploring the engine...
status: published
Charles Darwin is niet alleen bekend door de evolutietheorie. De negentiende eeuwse wetenschapper was namelijk de eerste die rond 1880 aantoonde dat planten reageren op de zwaartekracht. Daarna was het nog 125 jaar wachten voordat duidelijk werd dat planten de zwaartekracht ook echt nodig hebben voor een normale groei.
This thesis (Light on phloem transport – an MRI approach) aims to answer the question whether phloem transport can be a limiting factor for photosynthesis efficiency (and ultimately causing a bottleneck towards achieving higher yields). To answer this key question, we manipulated the source: sink ratio within tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) while ...
In the winter 2013-2014 Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture conducted studies on energy saving opportunities in the cultivation of gerbera, CV Kimsey. The research was funded by the program Greenhouse as Energy Source from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and LTO Glaskracht. The contribution of LED lighting, LED interlighting, a lower intensity o...
