Videos

Esther

Geukens

ILVO

KU Leuven

Is Japanese holly a good alternative to boxwood?

Away with bare boxwood bushes! The infamous boxwood moth went on a rampage in Flanders in recent years 🐛🌳 But don't panic! Meet Japanese holly, a robust alternative that is immune to these voracious caterpillars. The catch? The soil in many Flemish gardens is not acidic enough for this shrub to grow well. Bioengineer Esther Geukens will therefore tinker with the plants and the soil so that Japanese holly can thrive here.

Ilse

Goyens

FWO

KU Leuven

VIB

Bacteria in the fight against 'crazy root disease'

Have you ever heard of the mysterious "crazy root disease"? Sounds like something you'd rather not have in your garden or greenhouse, right? 🌱 Find out more about this bizarre plant disease and how the VIB and the KU Leuven are determined to get rid of it! 💡✨

Margot

Geerinck

KU Leuven

Fighting the southern green stink bug

We are facing a little green problem: the southern green stink bug, an insect from Ethiopia, is on the rise in our country. And that's bad news for our vegetable growers. Fortunately, Margot Geerinck is working on a solution. The protagonists: ichneumon wasps & fungi!

Kobe

Coorevits

ILVO

KU Leuven

Smart measurement of emissions in dairy barns

Milk is a source of many delicacies, such as cheese and ice cream. Unfortunately, milk also has a smell to it... Cows produce ammonia and methane through their breath and manure. These harmful gases are mainly released when cows are in their stables. In his Ph.D., Kobe Coorevits is looking for a way to accurately and affordably monitor the emission of these gases in dairy barns.

Wout

Vierbergen

ILVO

KU Leuven

A peek under the peel of a potato

Making fries is something we Belgians are already very good at. But we can do even better, says Wout Vierbergen (ILVO - KU Leuven). He uses technology (Hyperspectral cameras! AI !) to detect black spots under the skin of a potato. In this way, he wants to help producers detect blistered potatoes so that they are left with only the finest ones to make our fries.

Isabeau

Coopmans

ILVO

KU Leuven

How do you increase farmers' resilience?

The corona pandemic, the energy crisis, the new nitrogen policy, ... Our farmers are having a hard time lately. How do farmers best face such challenges so that they can continue to produce the food on our plates? That is what Isabeau Coopmans investigated in her PhD through surveys and interviews with farmers.

Jakub

Salagovic

FWO

KU Leuven

Tasty tomatoes all year round

Let it be clear once and for all: tomatoes are technically a fruit, as expert Jakub Salagovic explains. Jakub is dedicating his Ph.D. research to tomatoes. He creates "virtual" tomato plants so that he can find the perfect growing conditions for these fruits, allowing you to enjoy tasty tomatoes all year round.

Hannes

Wilms

KU Leuven

Helping farmers... by cloning coconuts

Coconut milk, coconut water, coconut oil,... More and more coconut products are popping up in our supermarket. But soon the supply of coconuts will no longer be able to follow the demand. Luckily, Hannes Wilms & his KU Leuven colleagues are developing a new method to grow millions of palms starting from one single coconut, as to save us from a coconut crisis.

Karimi

Solomon

FWO

KU Leuven

Better storage leads to better apples

Meet Karimi Solomon, a researcher at KU Leuven - FWO. Karimi studies the aroma of apples. Does that mean he sniffs apples all day long? Not exactly. Watch the video to hear Karimi explain why & how he studies the aroma of apples.

Ruben

Van De Vijver

ILVO

KU Leuven

Drones map potato diseases

In Belgium, we grow a lot of potatoes. Unfortunately, potato plants are very susceptible to diseases. To prevent the spread of diseases, farmers spray their entire potato field with pesticides. Ruben Van De Vijver (ILVO) wants to use drones and artificial intelligence to spray only sick plants. Find out more in the video.

Maria

Culman

KU Leuven

VITO

Satellite images: giving computers better eyes for tree mapping

Trees are an important source of food and fuel for local communities all over the world. It is important to map them, so as to be able to protect them. But how do you start mapping millions of trees? Well, by combining satellite images with digital image processing technology. Problem solved? Not yet, as even computers have a hard time recognizing trees on top-down satellite images of the Earth's surface. Maria Culman (KU Leuven - VITO) explains how she intends to overcome this challenge.

Anastasia

Papangelou

KU Leuven

The circle of food

Our poo and pee are too precious to waste, says Angelou Papangelou. The phosphorus in our excrement and in animal manure can serve as the food of our food and shouldn't go to waste. That's why Anastasia Papangelou is mapping the nutrient stocks and flows in the country, so that we can put our poo and pee to good use!