Soil and Water Management KU Leuven

02/01/2024

📚 Exciting news: Marit Hendrickx published her first paper! 📚

🔗 You can access the full paper here: https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20295

💧📈 This study focusses on the uncertainty of soil moisture measurements at fixed positions and the correlation of soil moisture variability over time. In this paper, a novel mechanistic error modeling approach is presented to predict this (co)variability based on variability in the (vG) water retention curve, resulting in important insights for environmental science and hydrology.

Many thanks to all co-authors Jan Diels, Pieter Janssens, Steffen Schlüter and Jan Vanderborght! Thanks for the support of Bodemkundige Dienst van België vzw, Division of Soil and Water Management - KULeuven and Proefstation voor de Groenteteelt, and thanks to Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen (FWO) and VLAIO (DRIP project) for funding this research.

When estimating field-scale average soil moisture from sensors measuring at fixed positions, spatial variability in soil moisture leads to “measurement errors” of the spatial mean, which may persist ...

16/09/2022

Join us in congratulating Dr. Anne Felsberg on obtaining her PhD! 🍻 🥳 🥂

Two weeks ago, Anne defended her PhD research: 'Global landslide hazard estimation using hydrological satellite data assimilation' in front of her jury. She presented and explained in a very clear and graphical way how to estimate temporal, spatial and spatio-temporal hydrologically-driven landslide hazard on a global scale. 🏔🎢

Enjoy this huge milestone and good luck with whatever comes next. Your colleagues from the RSDA group and Tower 2 will miss you. Don’t hesitate to swing by once in a while and never change your honest, caring and food-sharing self. 🍎🍇🥨🍦🍰🧁🍫🍬

GRATULIERT!

30/08/2022

In addition to visible traces, humans also leave invisible chemical traces. The ground beneath our feet can teach us a lot about human history.

Florian Lauryssen published his findings on an EOS blog [Dutch].

Check it out!

Naast zichtbare laat de mens ook onzichtbare chemische sporen achter. De bodem onder onze voeten kan ons veel leren over de geschiedenis van de mens.

01/04/2022

Yesterday, the Young Soil Scientists Day took place in Brussels. Ioanna Panagea, Florian Lauryssen and Marit Hendrickx presented an oral and/or poster presentation, as did our colleague Ine Rosier from Division Forest, Nature and Landscape. It was a very interesting day, sharing knowledge and expanding our network among other young soil scientists.
At the end of the day, we were offered an interactive workshop on mental health by the KU Leuven - an especially important issue in a PhD context.

17/12/2021

Join us in congratulating Dr. Michiel Maertens on obtaining his PhD! 🥳 🥂

Last month, Michiel defended his PhD research: 'The impact of deforestation on hydrology and soil salinity: a case study over the South American Dry Chaco'. He presented the diverse and large amount of research that he conducted in an entertaining way. I think we can all agree on the value of the work, since everyone thought it was worth their 2 cents. 💰 Enjoy the next step in your career at VITO, I'm sure they are happy with a fun colleague like you. 👨🏻‍💻

You said you still owe us a small party/reception/drinks, and we'll hold you to that. Once again, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

13/10/2021

This year we experienced an exceptionally wet summer. However, extreme weather and dry summers are more and more a reality. Irrigation is hence becoming more important, especially in vegetable production.

The challenge is to use soil moisture observations in combination with a predictive soil water model, to achieve the best possible irrigation scheduling with minimal water waste.

Our colleague Marit Hendrickx started her PhD on this topic last year, and has already learned a lot. Now, we can proudly announce that she is granted an SB research fellowship by Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen (FWO), starting from November 2021.

For the next 4 years, she will be working together with a bigger project, DRIP, as well as her promotors and colleagues from the Division of Soil & Water Management at KU Leuven and Bodemkundige Dienst van België vzw.

Congratulations Marit!!!!!

30/04/2021

Become a bio-engineer
A voyage of discovery through the world of living matter.

Join us for an educational journey through the world of living matter. Become a bioscience engineer and make a change. Learn, engage, contribute.

29/06/2020

We are looking for two new colleagues!!!
Join our team to help us take care of our Earth, by making the best use of land surface modeling, remote sensing and data assimilation. Interested? More information on the website:

27/05/2020

Fot first time the Soil Science Society of Belgium gave a Young Soil Scientist Award 2020! This time Margaux Lognoul, PhD student at Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech was the winner! Check the documentary made!!!

Félicitations à Margaux Lognoul, doctorante à Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech et lauréate du Soil Science Society of Belgium Young Soil Scientist Award 2020 ! 🎉

http://www.soilbelgium.be/?page_id=3745

A cette occasion, nous vous proposons de (re)voir son webdocumentaire réalisé par VivaSciences, dédié, entre autres, aux gaz à émis par les sols.

https://www.gembloux.uliege.be/sites/sols-et-gaz-a-effet-de-serre/index.html

11/02/2020

An other Dr in our group!!!!!

Dr Adnan Aminu Adnan defended his PhD about optimizing the sowing density, nitrogen fertilization and varieties for maize🌽🌽🌽 in the Nigerian Savannas using not only modelling but also a huge number of field experiments ⚒⛏and a lot of fieldwork for him and the group of colleagues.

We would all like to CONGRATULATE our always motivated and active colleague and above all good friend Adnan.

Continue to try to make your country a better place for its citizens !!

03/02/2020

Looking for three new colleagues!!!
Join our team to help us take care of our Earth, by making the best use of land surface modeling, remote sensing and data assimilation. Interested? More information on the website:

12/11/2019

On Friday Vladimiro Alexis Tobar Solano, defended his PhD entitled "Statistical spatial and temporal analysis of historical rainfall and evapotranspiration behavior for Ecuador" ☄️🌏💨🌊.
Vladimiro explained us how the spatial and temporal variability of the climate in Ecuador with regard to rainfall and ETo affected by ENSO, the Amazon and the Andes relief.

Congratulations Vladimiro ! Thank you for the nice presentation and excellent PhD!!! We wish you all the best for your future!!!