More about Dietmar Schwarz

Date of Birth: 04/27/56
Phone:        +49 33701 78206
Fax:            +49 33701 55391
E-mail:         Dietmar Schwarz

Education:

Diplom (M.Sc.) University of Rostock, 1978
Ph.D. Department of phyto medicine, Humboldt University Berlin, 1993

Professional Experience:

• research Assistant, Plant Protection in fruit orchards, 1978-86;
• self employed farmer for vegetables and ornamentals 1987-89;
• visiting scientist at: 
  AB (DLO) Haren, The Netherlands in 1992
  Griffin Experiment Station, UGA 1997/98, 2000
  Institute for Soils and Water, Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel 1999
• Associate Editor  Scientia Horticulturae (vegetables, plant nutrition, hydroponics)  2006 - present
• senior research scientist at the Institute for Vegetable and OrnamentalCrops (production strategies in greenhouses),
  1990 - present

Research Interests:

My research interests focus on vegetable horticulture. 
At present, a major research emphasis is control management of horticultural crops in closed hydroponic systems. Novadays, more farmers use these systems to avoid nutrient losses. Therefore, we work on solutions to control nutrient supply and pathogen spread (GIF Project 659). This encompasses programs in basic and applied research, such as:

• interactive effects of climate and root environment on plant growth, quality, and photosynthesis (collaboration with
  M. van Iersel ),
• shoot root relationship, particularly graftings of tomato (collaboration with M. Dorais and Y. Tüzel),
• mycorrhiza, molecular and physiological analysis in Lycopersicon esculentum .

Other topics are centered on tritropic system inlcuding plants and microorganism and the allergic potential of vegetables

• algal populations and densities in hydroponics, pros and cons (collaboration with L. Krienitz),
• mechanism of induced resistance against pathogens, such as PepMV and Pythium aphanidermatum (collaboration with
  C. Büttner),
• control of climate and root environmental on allergenic potential of vegetables, such as tomato, carrot, celery, and pepper
  (collaboration with M. Worm and W. Weckwerth) 

Teaching:

Plant nutrition - master course (University of Applied Science, Berlin)

Latest publications :

• Schwarz, D. and Gross, W. 2004. Algae affecting lettuce growth in hydroponic systems. The Journal of Horticultural Science&Biotechnoloy 79, 4, 554-559.
• Schwarz, D. Grosch, R., Gross, W., and Hoffmann-Hergarten, S. 2005. Assessment of water quality for nutrient solution in hydroponics coming from rainwater ponds and reservoirs. Agricultural Water Management 71, 145-166. 
• Perner, H., Schwarz, D., and George, E. 2006. Effect of mycorrhizal inoculation and compost supply on growth and nutrient uptake of young leek plants grown in peat-based substrates. HortScience 41, 3, 628-632.
• Krumbein, A., Schwarz, D., and Klaering, H.-P. 2006. Effects of environmental factors on carotenoid content in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) grown in a greenhouse. Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality 80, 160-164.