Bram Bos (Wageningen Livestock Research) shows a test setup of a manure scraper for broiler chickens. Photos Resource It has become a tradition: in the week in which the academic year is opened, a number of WUR employees are present at the Wageningen weekly market. There they tell the shopping public about their projects – and some of them also do a little research: ‘Which of the two apple varieties do you like best?’ An impression.
The Wageningen Seed Science Centre allows interested market visitors to study the germinating seeds of sand rocket through a microscope. Meanwhile, they get their visitors thinking by asking intriguing questions, such as ‘how does a seed actually know whether or not it should germinate?’. It turns out to be a great conversation starter for explaining their research.
Fresh and sour or sweet?
A little further on, René Smulders and his colleagues from Plant Breeding allow market visitors to taste two new apple varieties that are not yet available on the Dutch market. What makes them special is that they are resistant to the notorious plant diseases scab and mildew, so they can be grown with considerably less use of crop protection products. Both apple varieties taste great, as a taste test reveals. The ‘Kick’ variety is a favourite among lovers of fresh, tart apples, while those with a sweet tooth are fans of the other, as yet unnamed variety.
Tastings are always popular at the market. People are also tasting carefully at Marjolein Elings’ standing table. It is the ‘Vallei sandwich’, made from purely local ingredients. The special story behind this sandwich will soon be available to read in Resource. In addition to the market visitors, chair of the board Sjoukje Heimovaara is also enjoying this sandwich.
Dog job
There is also something for the dogs of Wageningen to taste. That is, if they can successfully solve a dog puzzle – with help from their owners. In addition to explaining the behavioural research they do, animal researcher Laura Outhuis and her colleague are also at the market to recruit candidates for a dog research panel. ‘Then my dog will definitely want to be on the panel too: he has successfully completed all the training for police dogs,’ says a proud owner.
A little further on is a colourful display of different types of fruit and vegetables. ‘Eating healthily isn’t that difficult at all,’ Harry Wichers tells market visitors. ‘Eat all the colours of the rainbow, then you’ll have a sufficiently varied diet. Don’t eat too much or too little. Eat mainly plant-based foods, because plants contain a lot of fibre, which is good for your immune system. And don’t forget the Omega-3 fatty acids,’ says the emeritus professor, who is an expert in the relationship between nutrition and the immune system.
Colleague Tamara Hoppinkbrouwer, who researches the influence of nutrition on children’s immune systems, clearly enjoys chatting with market visitors. ‘I like this kind of interaction, especially with children: they ask the best questions,’ she says.
A total of 11 research projects were represented at the market.
Translated using DeepL.
