Education

1997 PhD Cultural Engineering and Water Management (with distinction), University of Kassel, Germany

1995 Diplom Ecological Environmental Protection (Focus: Limnology), University of Kassel, Germany

1992 Diplom International Agriculture (Focus: Agronomy), University of Kassel, Germany

1987 Farmer. Certificate of dual-education apprenticeship, Chamber of Agriculture Westphalia-Lippe, Germany

Positions

2015 – Scientist. Department of Plant Nutrition in the Tropics and Subtropics, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University of Bonn. Researcher in the transregional collaborative research project Future Rural Africa (2019 – 2021). PI in two collaborative research projects: GlobE Wetlands in East-Africa (2013-2017), Prediction and modeling of hybrid performance and yield gain in oilseed rape by systems biology (2014-2020)

2010 – 2014 Scientist. Crop Science Group, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University of Bonn. PI in transregional collaborative research Patterns in Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Systems (2010-2018). PI in collaborative research Small Wetlands in East-Africa (2007-2013)

2009 Scientist. Plant Production Systems. Wageningen University. Oilpalm research and climate-impact crop modeling

2003 – 2009 Juniorprofessor of Modeling Plant Systems. Faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture, Humboldt-University of Berlin. Courses taught: Quantitative basis of modeling, Modeling plant systems. Research: 1) Development of precision agricultural methods. 2) Agroecology of small wetlands in East-Africa. 3) Understanding water use patterns of natural vegetation in Western Australia and applying this information in redesigning farming systems better coping with widespread soil-salinity. Other responsibilities: Head of agroecological colloquia. Participation in faculty administration. Tenure evaluation: Lifetime professor title received after positive evaluation (2005). Recommendation for a chair of Modelling Plant Systems through the faculty board after internal and external review (2008). Not granted by the President of Humboldt-University due to financial restrictions and plans to close the Faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture (closed in 2014)

2001-2002 Associate Professor. Department of Horticulture and Systems Modelling. Faculty of Horticulture. University of Hannover. Teaching and writing grant applications.

1998 – 2000 PostDoc. Agronomy Department. Faculty of Agriculture. University of Kiel. Crop modeller in Collaborative Research Optimizing Plant Production systems with Respect to Performance and Ecological Effects

Experience

Extensive experience in international collaboration (Australia, Brazil, Israel, Indonesia, Malaysia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda,Turkey)

Lectures held: Introduction to Crop Modelling, Modelling Plant Systems, Quantitative Basis of Modelling, Applied Mathematics, Agricultural Meteorology, Irrigation Science, Crop Science, Software Engineering, Systems Analysis, Physics for Agriculturists

Six years of practical farming experience:

Working and living in three Kibbutzim and two Moshavim in Israel (1981-1984): Irrigation, field cultivation with tractors, orchard management, cow milking, horticulture, turkey and chicken rearing. Toranut (i.e. obligatory community services such as dish-washing, kitchen work, dining-hall services, laundry, night-milking shifts and seasonal harvest work).

Volunteer of Action Reconciliation and Service for Peace on an reconstructed ancient rainwater harvest farm of Professor Michael Evenari (Chair of Botany, Hebrew University of Jerusalem – Balzan price winner in Applied Botany together with Professor Otto Lange 1988) at the Nabatean city of Avdat in the Negev Desert, Israel (1984-1985). Field work and assisting Prof. Ernst-Detlef Schulze and Prof. Rainer Horn in the collaborative research center DFG SFB 137 “Laws and strategies of matter turnover in ecological systems” which sparked my interest in studying agroecology.

Two year dual-education apprenticeship. 1st year: Teaching, demonstration and experimental farm of the North Rhine-Westphalian Agricultural Extension Service at Haus Düsse located in the Soester Börde: Entire range of common cattle and pig rearing forms, feeding methods, milking systems, field cultivation methods, crop and animal breeding trials, slaugther and egg laying performance tests. 2nd year: Farm worker on a mixed-farm on the Haar hills near Lake Möhne (1985-1987)