Drainage in Agriculture

Gerlo Borghuis MSc serves as a Lecturer and Research Assistant in the Water Resources Management group at Wageningen University & Research since 2018. After completing his Master's degree at Wageningen University, where his thesis research focused on drip irrigation adoption by farmers in the Rio Dulce Irrigation System in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, he has developed expertise in agricultural water management and irrigation systems. He teaches in both bachelor's and master's programs within the International Land and Water Management curriculum, focusing on irrigation, agricultural management, and socio-technical approaches to water management. His work emphasizes the practical aspects of water resource management, particularly investigating water productivity and the implementation of various irrigation technologies. Through his involvement in the Water Productivity Improvement in Practice (Water-PIP) project and his teaching in MOOCs including "Agricultural Water Management" and "Drainage in Agriculture," he contributes to understanding how technological advancements can improve agricultural water management. His approach combines technical expertise with consideration of social factors, reflecting Wageningen University's unique socio-technical perspective on water management challenges.

Dr. Henk Ritzema served as Associate Professor at the Water Resources Management Chair Group of Wageningen University until his retirement in September 2020. His distinguished career spans nearly four decades of expertise in water management and hydrology for food and ecosystems. After obtaining his MSc in Civil Engineering from Delft University of Technology in 1980, he worked internationally in Fiji, Kenya, and Egypt before joining Alterra-ILRI at Wageningen University in 1989. He earned his PhD in 2009 with his thesis "Drain for gain: making water management worth its salts" from Wageningen University and UNESCO-IHE Delft.

Dr. Klaas Metselaar serves as Assistant Professor of Ecohydrology at Wageningen University & Research, where he specializes in the intersection of ecological and hydrological systems. His research focuses particularly on sustainable water management solutions, with significant work in green roof technology and urban ecology. His expertise spans the study of water movement in various ecological systems, from peat moss layers to urban green infrastructure. Through his work on green roofs, he has contributed to understanding how vegetation can be matched to growing conditions to enhance urban biodiversity. His research combines theoretical modeling with practical applications, developing hydrological models to predict and improve the performance of sustainable urban systems. He collaborates on interdisciplinary projects examining both the ecological and economic benefits of green infrastructure, particularly focusing on how these systems can contribute to urban sustainability and climate resilience.

Dr. Jos van Dam serves as Associate Professor at Wageningen University & Research's Environmental Department, where he has built an impressive 25-year career studying the transport of water, solutes, heat, and gases in top soils. His research focuses on physical soil transport processes and their relationship to agricultural production and natural vegetation resilience. As one of the main developers of the widely-used SWAP (Soil Water Atmosphere Plant) ecohydrological model, he has significantly influenced the field of soil physics and water management

Dr. Lodewijk Stuyt has established himself as a prominent figure in agricultural drainage and water management through his extensive career at Wageningen University & Research. After completing both his MSc and PhD in hydrology-related topics at Wageningen University, he developed significant expertise in land drainage and water table management. His 1992 PhD thesis produced groundbreaking design specifications for drain envelopes that continue to be widely used across European countries