Manuela Zude-Sasse

Manuela Zude-Sasse is a Research Professor at the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB) in Potsdam, Germany, and former Professor at Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin (2009–2017). As Working Group Leader for Precision Horticulture, she focuses on spectro-optical measurement methods (LiDAR, hyperspectral analysis) for fruit quality assessment, canopy modeling, and data science applications in bioeconomy.

• M.Sc. in Chemistry/International Agronomy (1996, TU Berlin)
• Ph.D. in Horticulture summa cum laude (1999, TU Berlin)
• Habilitation in Applied Plant Physiology (2004, Humboldt University)

Her research spans Precision Fruit Production, Plant Phenotyping, and 3D Sensor Integration, with projects like CrackSense (fruit cracking prediction) and horDIGrow (resource-efficient horticulture). She employs LiDAR, hyperspectral imaging, and time-resolved fluorescence to analyze temperate and tropical fruits.

Recent publications in Plant Phenomics and Horticulturae demonstrate her work on spatial chlorophyll estimation via LiDAR and fruit water stress indices. Her studies in the Journal of Food Engineering (2024) and Postharvest Biology and Technology (2023) highlight machine learning applications for ripeness detection and 3D canopy analysis.

• Technology Transfer Award (State of Brandenburg, 2003)
• Silver Medal for Innovation (Agritechnica, 2017)

She leads the SMART Farming Technology Research Center (SFTRC) collaboration in Malaysia and serves on editorial boards for Plant Phenomics, International Agrophysics, and Biosystems Engineering. Her 3D point cloud methodologies enable non-contact fruit biomechanics and nutrient management studies.