Niels Anten

Niels Anten is a Full Professor of Crop and Weed Ecology at Wageningen University & Research, specializing in plant interactions and sustainable agricultural systems. His research focuses on climate change impacts, crop diversification, and optimizing plant productivity under environmental stress. He leads projects on cocoa production resilience, intercropping strategies, and root-shoot signaling mechanisms in cereals and legumes.

Key research interests include crop-weed competition, light-mediated plant responses, and the ecological roles of lianas in tropical forests. Anten has supervised 21 PhD candidates, including studies on potato stress responses, spatial crop diversification, and cocoa agroecology. His work integrates field experiments, functional-structural plant modeling, and big data analysis to address global food security challenges.

Recent articles highlight breakthroughs in understanding CO2-driven photosynthetic efficiency, drought effects on cocoa yields, and far-red light influences on root systems. His datasets and collaborations span institutions globally, addressing topics like coffee genetic adaptation and arid ecosystem root dynamics. Anten frequently engages in media discussions on climate impacts on agriculture and sustainable farming practices.