In #theweekof, we get to have a look within the workweek of young professionals in Seed Valley.
Lisette is an applied researcher at Bakker Brothers. She supports the breeding department with various research projects. She has a very diverse job. One day she is on the field while being in the lab the other day. Check out her workweek: she is going on a trip to Jordan!
Monday – 09:00 am
Good morning! This week you’ll get a look into my workweek. I started with measuring seedlings in the lab. We want as many of our seeds to grow into strong plants. Therefore, I am looking at how I can improve the germination quality of bean seeds. I am looking for the best methods to measure vitality. This plant has been in a 20 degree room for seven days. I check how many seeds have germinated.
Monday – 03:00 pm
In addition to my lab work, I am also often outside ? This time, I’m testing the germination quality on the field. A high germination quality means that the plant grows well, even under extreme weather conditions such as cold or heat. The climate is changing, so the plant must be able to perform during drought or heavy rainfall.
Tuesday – 12:00 pm
Lab coat on, let’s go! I am in the lab to prepare a plant tissue culture agent for eggplant and pepper. Tissue culture allows you to develop multiple plants with the same identical properties. An efficient and short way of working, to get healthy and strong plants.
Tuesday – 05:00 pm
The result of plant tissue culture: a new and successful plant. Of course, this does not happen overnight. This one has been growing for a while. ?
Wednesday – 09:00 am
Here you see bean seed productions on rock wool and open ground. Rock wool is a clean material and retains water well. It ensures a higher yield, with less water and less chance of soil diseases. But … you do have to give the right amount of water and nutrients. So now we have to wait and see if the seed quality is affected by rock wool!
Wednesday – 12:00 pm
There they are, the bean plants on rock wool. Do you see those tubes? That is the system that sends both water and nutrients to the plants.
Thursday – 10:00 am
Off to Jordan! Bakker Brothers also has an entity there. In Jordan, we have many fields and tunnels with all our new crops. We also have trial fields in South Africa and Tanzania.
Thursday – 03:00 pm
Right off the plane, directly into business! ?? A few weeks ago, I created new scoring tables to measure plant characteristics, such as growth. We use these tables to analyze which of our new hybrids perform best. This allows the breeder to determine which varieties are suitable for the market accurately. Today, I’m checking if my scoring tables work in practice.
Friday – 09:00 am
My co-workers are working on harvesting eggplants and peppers. New varieties are harvested here every week, allowing us to determine which varieties deliver the highest yields according to the scoring tables. Research is indispensable for breeding.
Friday – 12:00 pm
These are ‘graffiti’ eggplants. They got this name because of their beautiful white stripes. I did not taste them yet, but many told me these taste different. Have you ever tried it?
Friday – 06:00 pm
Sunny greetings from Jordan. My work for this week is done: time for the weekend! ? Tonight I will go to the nearest city, Amman, to go and explore!
Together we contribute to a healthy and flowering world. We’re constantly facing new challenges , and I work on the solutions. What will you do?
Vacancies and internships