Wopke van der Werf

Dr. Wopke van der Werf is an Associate Professor in the Crop and Weed Ecology group at Wageningen University & Research's Centre for Crop Systems Analysis. His research focuses on mixed cropping systems, agricultural landscape ecology, and invasion ecology of plant pests. He holds an engineer degree in Crop Protection (1983) and a PhD on sugarbeet yellowing viruses. Currently supervising 12 PhD students (including collaborations with Chinese partners), he leads projects like EU-funded IntercropVALUES, Adopt-IPM, PHENET, and ERC-funded FRESHH. His expertise includes mathematical modeling, biological control, and agroecosystem dynamics.

Educational background: Engineer (ir.) in Crop Protection with entomology and epidemiology focus (1983), PhD on sugarbeet virus spread (19??). Teaches courses on intercropping, plant pathology, integrated pest management, and ecological modeling. Active in designing crop diversification strategies for sustainable agriculture.

Research interests span pest-natural enemy interactions in agricultural landscapes, disease suppression mechanisms in intercrops, and ecological modeling of agroecosystems. Notable projects address crop diversification in North China Plain, biological pest control in Xinjiang pear orchards, and intercropping effects on resource use efficiency.

Publications emphasize mechanistic understanding of intercropping benefits, pollinator ecology in agroecosystems, and participatory approaches to sustainable farming. No scientific awards explicitly mentioned, but maintains active international collaborations and supervises globally distributed students.