AI (Ana) Ferreira Ernst

I am studying the interactions between plants and microclimate to better understand the intersection of micrometeorology and crop ecophysiology, with the aim of explaining crop system performance. I examine various crop systems, including intercropping and monocultures. To achieve this, I collect data and develop Functional-Structural Plant Models (FSPMs) that interface with Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Transfer (SVAT) models. Additionally, I contribute to the development of the Virtual Plant Laboratory (virtualplantlab.com), a tool designed to build and simulate FSPMs using Julia.

I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering at the Faculty of Science, University of Porto (Portugal), where I developed a strong interest in understanding how crop ecophysiology connects with management practices and environmental factors across different farming systems. During my MSc degree in Plant Sciences at Wageningen University & Research, I specialized on crop modeling and different aspects of data sciences, such as statistical modeling, machine learning. I did my MSc thesis at the Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, and I focused on optimizing leaf nitrogen profiles to maximize photosynthesis in rice canopies with different architectures grown under climate change scenarions in diferent locations using a multilayer canopy model. This academic background has provided me with a solid scientific foundation and the motivation to further refine crop models to better represent field-grown plants.