Dr. agr. Dietmar Schwarz

Date of Birth: April 27, 1956

Phone: +49 33701 78206

Fax:       +49 33701 55391

E-mail:  schwarz@igzev.de

Education:

• Diploma (M.Sc.) 1978 University of Rostock
• Ph.D. in phyto medicine 1993 Humboldt University to Berlin

Professional Experience:

• research Assistant, Plant Protection in fruit orchards, 1978-86;
• self-employed farmer for vegetables and ornamentals 1987-89;
• scientific co-worker at the Institute for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops,
• Department of Plant Nutrition, 1990 – present;
• visiting scientist at the AB (DLO) Haren, The Netherlands in 1992;
• visiting scientist at the Griffin Experiment Station, UGA 1997/98; 2000
• Visiting scientist at the Volcani Centre, Bet Dagan, Israel 1999
• Editor in Chief for Scientia Horticulturae since 2006
• visiting scientist at the Colegio de Postgraduales, Montecillo, Mexico 2011/12

Research Interests:

My research interests focus on vegetable horticulture, particularly in relation to greenhouse cultivation and hydroponics. At present, a major research emphasis is vegetable grafting (Solanaceae). Farmers graft scions on rootstocks to reduce disease incidence, to enhance plant tolerance against abiotic stresses and in general to make the plant more vigorous and high-yielding. My research encompasses programs in basic and applied research. Other fields of interests are food (vegetable) allergens and how to affect them by cultivation factors in horticultural production.

In the following projects I am currently involved:

• Vegetable allergies reduced by cultivation conditions (Pakt, Leibniz-Association 2009-2012; in collaboration with M. Worm; Proteome Factory)
• EU project AGRICOM (Transfer of the Water Competences Model to AGRIcultural COMpetences)
• Control of quality characteristics of leafy vegetables by N and S nutrition (DAAD-Croatia, 2012-2013; in collaboration with Smiljana Goreta)
• Plant pathogen interactions and microclimate conditions (BMLEV-Hainan/China 2012-2013 in collaboration with Jianrong Guo)
• Phosphite on secondary metabolism in leafy vegetables (DAAD-Mexico, PPP 2012-2013) (collaboration with Fernando C. Merino Gomez)
• Vegetable Grafting (EU-COST Action, with Giuseppe Colla, 2013-2016), www.vegetablegrafting.unitus.it
  

Major engagements and other professional roles (selection)

• Editor-in-Chief “Scientia Horticulturae” (since 2006)
• Member of the Editorial Board “Scientia Horticulturae” (since 2001)          

Teaching and supervision

• Teaching assignment Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Lectures: 1) Nutrient deficiency in hydroponic cultivation systems. 2) Vegetable production in hydroponics. 3) Vegetable allergies
• Teaching assignment Beuth Hochschule für Technik Berlin. Courses: 1) Plant nutrition, 2) Organic horticultural production.
• Supervision of nine PhD students (one ongoing) and continuously of Bachelor’s and Master’s students.