PostDoc Mineral Nutrition in Annual and Perennial crops

We are seeking a PostDoc to work in ongoing projects at the Plant Production Systems (PPS) chair group, related to perennial tree crops and annual food crops. We have funding secured for one year in the CocoaSoils project (www.cocoasoils.org) and other ongoing projects. These projects focus on improving productivity and resource use efficiency by optimizing fertilization rates on-station and in local farming conditions. Overarching questions are: how to quantify the influence of soil characteristics on crop yield, nutrient uptake and yield responses to fertilizer? How can we quantify and predict the effects of farmer management effects on soil nutrient supply, crop uptake and the yield response? How can we find simple proxies to assess productivity?

At least 50% of your time, you will be working on the CocoaSoils project. The aim of CocoaSoils is to understand the mineral nutrition requirements of cocoa. We have established 10 long-term large-scale nutrient response trials (in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ecuador and Indonesia) and around 200 small-scale on-farm trials with a limited number of treatments (in West Africa only).

We are looking for a postdoc to work on the Core Trial data.
The tasks include:

• retrieve and analyse 3−5 years of data that was collected already;
• go to the trials to collect missing data (optional, depending on the interests of the candidate);
• write up the results in one or more manuscripts.

Research questions that we aim to answer include:

1. What are optimal N-P-K combinations to achieve maximum yields and/or maximum nutrient use efficiency in modern cocoa varieties?
2. How do cocoa physiological processes (e.g. flower abortion; allocation of assimilates to different organs) respond to different N-P-K combinations?
3. What are suitable proxies (e.g. pod number; pod size) to estimate cocoa yield?
4. What is the variability (in terms of yield) between different cocoa trees within a plantation, and how does this variability develop over multiple years?

The work of the postdoc will feed into one or more papers on the CocoaSoils Core Trials, and into the development of new grant proposals to fund future research.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the Plant Production Systems Group (https://www.wur.nl/en/research-results/chair-groups/plant-sciences/chair-group-plant-production-systems.htm) led by Prof. Katrien Descheemaeker. You will be supervised by Dr. Lotte Woittiez and Dr. Tom Schut.

We are looking for a candidate with a passion for data analysis and an interest in agricultural systems. Our ideal candidate is motivated, curious, and able to work in a team and independently. In addition, they have the following skills and qualifications:

• A PhD in agronomy, plant sciences, soil sciences, biology, or similar;
• Proven experience with statistical analysis of large datasets and/or dynamic crop modelling; experience with scripting / programming is required; skills in R and/or Python are an advantage;
• Proven affinity with agriculture and agronomy; knowledge about trees or tree crops is an advantage;
• Interest in and commitment to working in projects and contributing to the project outcomes
• Strong analytical skills and affinity with field work;
• Fluency in English (written and spoken at C1 level); knowledge of French is an advantage.

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;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• 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 December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PostDoc position. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 3.378,- and € 4.707,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). We offer a temporary contract for 12 months, with options for extension depending on the availability of funding.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

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. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, 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.

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.