Gerben Bakker

Gerben Bakker is a Researcher at Wageningen University & Research within the Soil, Water and Land Use group. His expertise centers on soil physics, water retention, and soil compaction dynamics, with significant contributions to Dutch catchment management systems, particularly in the Raam watershed. He leads nationwide projects on soil physics data collection and collaborates extensively on hydrophysical modeling and soil mapping initiatives.

His research interests include:

• Soil Physics: Quantifying water retention curves and subsoil compaction effects through interlaboratory comparisons
• Catchment Management: Updating hydrophysical base maps for agricultural and ecological planning
• Agricultural Systems: Analyzing maize root development under compacted subsoil conditions using multi-scale experiments

Recent publications demonstrate consistent focus on practical soil-water management solutions, integrating laboratory validation with field applications. Key trends include soil salinity mitigation strategies, digital soil mapping advancements, and mechanistic studies of root-soil interactions under compaction stress.

As Project Leader for Boorprofielen (BHR-P) en Wandprofielen (SFR) en analyses Bodemfysica landelijk niveau (2018-2025), he coordinates nationwide soil physics data infrastructure while contributing to consultancy initiatives like Een stap verder met zout in het waterbeheer (2023) and technical seminars on soil physical measurements.