2003 -

Juniorprofessor of Modelling Plant Systems. Institute of Crop Science, Agricultural and Horticultural Faculty, Humboldt-University of Berlin, Germany.

Teaching activities:

Development of four MSc courses: "Modelling Plant Systems", "Foundations of Quantitative Modelling", "Knowledge Management and Systems Analysis", and "Software Engineering" (Humboldt-University of Berlin 2003 - 2007). "Principles and Practices of Applied Modelling" and "Irrigation System Design" (Summer School Precision-Agriculture - Humboldt-University of Berlin 2005 - 2007). "Systems Analysis" (University of Hannover 2000 - 2002) Contributions to other courses: "Agricultural Meteorology" as part of a lecture on agricultural physics (University of Kassel 1992-1993). "Irrigation Management" as part of a post-graduate course on environmental engineering (University of Göttingen 1993).

Current research collaborations:

Development of a mathematical model for understanding and simulating energy balances and primary production of heterogeneous plant canopies (Collaborations with Prof. Hans Lambers [School of Plant Biology, University of Western-Australia, Perth] and Prof. Pedro Berliner [Jacob-Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Sde Boqer, Israel)

Analysing soil heterogeneities at two farm locations and modelling their influences on wheat growth (Collaboration with Prof. Herbst (Dep. Precision Agriculture, Humboldt-University of Berlin), Prof. Sommer, Dr. Werner and Prof. Wenkel (Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) Müncheberg)).

Agricultural use and vulnerability of small wetlands in East Africa (Collaboration with Prof. Becker (Dep. Plant Nutrition, University of Bonn), Prof. Bürkert (Dep. Tropical & Sub-Tropical Field Crop Research, University of Kassel), Prof. Schlecht (Dep. Animal Husbandry, Universities of Kassel and Göttingen), Prof. Oiyeke (National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi) and Prof. Misana (University of Dar-es-Salaam, Tansania)).

Optimizing chickpea phylloclimate for higher productivity under dryland farming conditions in Israel and the Palestine Authority (Prof. Abbo, Prof. Saranga (Hebrew-University of Jerusalem) and Prof. Khamis (Al-Quds University of Jerusalem)).

Stomatal responses of tomatoes and cucumbers to greenhouse climate pertubations using precision control technology (i.e. Phytomonitoring). (Collaboration with Prof. Schmidt (Dep. Horticultural Engineering, Humboldt-University of Berlin) and Prof. Topcu (Department of Agricultural Structures and Irrigation, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey)).

Optimizing irrigation management of maize and cotton crops under mediterranean climate conditions (Collaboration with Prof. Topcu and Prof. Kanber,Irrigation and Agricultural Structures Department, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey)

Closer scientific exchange during the last 5 years:

School of Plant Biology (Perth), CSIRO Plant Industry (Canberra), CSIRO Land and Water (Canberra), Research School of Biological Science, Australian National University (Canberra), Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment (University of Newcastle), School of Physical Sciences, University of Queensland (Brisbane), Agricultural Production Systems Unit (Toowoomba).

National Agricultural University Novosibirsk, Russia

National Museum of Kenya and ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenia

Department of Geography, University of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania

The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Faculty of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Quality Sciences - Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences. The Volcani Center. The Agricultural Research Organisation of the Israel Ministry of Agriculture.

The Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of Beer-Sheva, Sede Boqer, Israel.

Plant Science International, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Irrigation and Agricultural Structures Department, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey

Other experiences:

Chair of the Agro-Ecological Colloquia of the Berlin Universities (2003 - 2007).

Responsible for the scientific program of the symposium "Modelling Plant Systems: History and Future Challenges" which honored the contributions of Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Eilhard Alfred Mitscherlich (1874 - 1956) to crop modelling - Humboldt-University of Berlin, 2-3 February 2006.

Active participation in a number of internationl symposia and workshops.

2000 - 2002

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Horticulture, University of Hannover - Supervision of graduate and post-graduate students. Responsible for computer installations and operating the computer network of the Institute of Vegetable Production. Administrative tasks. Tutorials on system theory, higher mathematics and applied statistics.

1998 - 2000

Research Assistent of Prof. Hanus at the Department of Agronomy, University of Kiel. Collaborative research 192 of the German Science Foundation "Optimizing plant production systems with respect to economic performances and ecological effects". Faculties of Agriculture and Biology. Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany.

Member of the coordination unit. Integration of research results. Validating cropping systems models.

1994 - 1997

Brazilian-German-Israeli Research Project: Using agrometeorological network data for an improved arid and semi-arid agrosystem management. Financed by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation (German Israeli Agricultural Research Agreement for the Benfit of Developing Countries).

Fund-raising, field research, practical project management and integrating research results of the participating groups as PhD student of the departments of Land- and Resource Management (Prof. Peter Wolff) and Field Crop Research (Prof. Samuel Jutzi) at the University of Kassel.

Collaborating with Prof. M. Fuchs, Dr. S. Moreshet, Prof. Dr. Y. Cohen, Dr. S. Cohen (Department of Environmental Physics, Institute of Soils and Water, Volcani Center, Israel Ministry of Agriculture, Bet-Dagan, Israel), Prof. H. Bergamaschi, Dr. L.M. Rosa (Department of Agricultural Meteorology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre, Brazil)

1995 - 1997

Several contributions to seminars on resource management and sustainability. Deputizing in university lectures as PhD-student of Prof. Wolff and Prof. Jutzi. Topics: Irrigation Management and Crop Physiology. University of Kassel.

1993 - 1995

Analysing hydro-optical properties of forest streams and vegetation microclimate at these sites. Limnological studies (Prof. Dr. M. Meijering, University of Kassel).

1992

Student tutor at the Department of Resource Engineering and Water Management at the Universities of Göttingen and Kassel.

Curriculum development for a university course on agricultural physics at the University of Kassel (Prof. Krause): Conceiving a course on agricultural meteorology.

1990

Trainee at the Department of Environmental Physics - Agricultural Research Organization of the Israel Ministry of Agriculture, The Volcani Center at Bet-Dagan (Dr. Moreshet, Prof. Fuchs, Prof. Cohen and Prof. Stanhill). Verification of an agrometeorologcial transpiration model under varying soil moisture supply conditions. Field studies on cotton.

1988

Practical at the Institute of Geo-Sciences - University of Bayreuth (Prof. R. Horn and Prof. E.D. Schulze). Assisting in an almond experiment. Analysing soil structure, tree growth parameters and stomatal responses to the environment (gas exchange, water potential, abscisic acid).

1985 - 1987

Agricultural Apprenticeship ("Lehre" in German)

Assisting in the educational and experimental programs of the Agricultural Extension Service of Westfalia at "Haus Düsse" (1st year).

Apprentice at a dairy farm with 37 ha land (2nd year).

1984 - 1985

Trainee at the Avdat Farm of Prof. Evenari, Department of Botany, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.

Physiology of desert agriculture and eco-systems.

Literature: Lange, O. L und Schulze, E.D. (1989) In memorium - Michael Evenari (formerly Walter Schwarz) 1904-1989. Oecologia 81: 433-436.

1981 - 1983

Volunteer at Kibbutz Gevim and Moshav Liman. Irrigation, field and orchard plantations. Gaining experience in practical farming under semi-arid climate conditions.