Prof. Dr.

I received my B.Sc. (Agricultural Engineering, Hons, Class one) and M.Sc. (Agricultural Engineering, Distinction) from Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Khartoum and PhD (summa cum laude) from University of Göttingen, Germany. I was an Assistant Professor of Soil-Plant Interaction at the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis from 2021-2023. As of 02/2023, I'm a Professor of Root-Soil Interaction at the School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich.

Below-ground hydraulics, the hidden half, has been an enduring interest throughout my career. Together with an interdisciplinary team, I combine advanced imaging techniques (neutron/micro-CT), lab/field experiments and models to investigate the role of below-ground hydraulics (root, soil and their interface) in climate change adaptation and mitigation both in agricultural and natural ecosystems. Current research projects include: (1) effects of root hairs/mucilage/arbuscular mycorrhiza on plant scale water relations; (2) disentangling the impact of soil/atmosphere drought and/or heat stress on stomata regulation, water status and plant water use; (3) mechanisms underlying the resilience of water transport in angiosperm leaves and roots.

Dr.

My name is Mohanned Abdalla. I received my Ph.D. degree at the Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, Germany. Before that, I studied agriculture and obtained B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in agricultural sciences from the Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, Sudan. After my Ph.D. I had a post-doctorate position at the lab of Soil-Plant Interactions, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis. Now I have a research associate position at the Chair of Root-Soil Interaction, Department of Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich.

My research interests focus on plant-soil water relations, especially water use regulations under water scarcity. I aim, through my research, to provided new fundamental knowledge concerning the links between below-ground hydraulics and stomatal regulation under drought. Understanding the effects of stress on the dynamics of plant eco-physiological processes is crucial for predicting plant performance in shifting agroecological zones in the future. I am eager to expand my knowledge on plant eco-physiological processes by using interdisciplinary approaches to identifying key traits that make it possible to improve sustainable crop production systems, especially under depleted resources.

Dr.

The primary objective of my research is to gain a comprehensive mechanistic understanding of the impact of atmospheric and edaphic drought on eco-physiological processes in crops as well as in trees. In this context, I especially aim at understanding the functionality of soil and plant hydraulic traits for improved water use under drought in various agro-ecological environments. Relevant traits include aboveground (e.g., plant canopy architecture, stomatal morphological properties) as well as belowground (e.g., root architecture and anatomy, root hairs and exudation, mycorrhization, soil hydraulic properties) properties and processes.

I received my Ph.D. degree from the ETH Zurich in the group of Physics of Soils and Terrestrial Ecosystems (title of thesis: Soil and plant properties controlling water use of crops during soil and atmospheric drying). Before that, I obtained my M.Sc. in Global Change Ecology at the University of Bayreuth/ Germany and my B.Sc. in Geography at the Freie Universität Berlin. Currently, I am a Post-Doctoral researcher and Junior Group Leader in the group of Root-Soil Interaction at TU Munich.

M. Sc.

Plants are my passion in- and outside of work and especially I am fascinated by their adaption mechanisms to extreme conditions. In my PhD, I am focusing on how sorghum plants adapt to drought conditions and how water flow and growth can be sustained. I am funded by the DBU (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt/ German Fund for the Environment). Before, I completed my master's degree in Geoecology at the University of Bayreuth.

M.Sc.

I studied "Geoecology and Environmental Sciences" in Bayreuth and specialised in biogeochemical and physical transport processes with a focus on soil and rhizosphere. During my studies I worked for the chairs of Soil Physics on the topic of root mucilage and in the Soil Ecology on carbon storage in microaggregates. I also studied abroad at the University of Bologna in Italy in the programme "Global Change Ecology and Sustainable Development Goals". As I am very interested in rhizosphere processes, I started my PhD on how AM mycorrhiza can help plants withstand drought.

M.Sc.

Hegarty Philip James is a doctoral candidate at the Chair of Root-Soil Interaction, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany. He holds a Bachelor of Agriculture in Soil Science from the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, and a Master of Science in Soil and Water Management from the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria. Philip’s research focuses on plant physiological and soil processes under environmental stresses such as drought, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and heat. His work aims to deepen understanding of plant water use mechanisms and resilience in the context of climate change. He was a visiting scholar at Michigan State University, USA, under the Feed the Future Nigeria Agricultural Policy Project, where he engaged in interdisciplinary research and policy-related activities. His broader interests include soil-plant-atmosphere interactions and sustainable resource management.

M.Sc.

I am from Guangxi, China, and hold a Bachelor's degree in Land Resource Management from China Agricultural University (CAU). After graduation, I briefly worked in industry, but my passion for research motivated me to pursue a Master’s degree at CAU. I completed my Master’s studies in Agriculture, majoring in Resource Utilization and Plant Protection. In my previous research, I focused on modeling soil erosion and nutrient runoff dynamics in agricultural regions (the Upper Mississippi River Basin and Songhua River Basin) under future climate change. During my PhD, I aim to integrate modeling with experimental approaches to investigate soil water dynamics and plant hydraulic and physiological responses under VPD and heat stress. I hope to become a researcher dedicated to promoting the sustainable development of agriculture in the future.

B.Sc.

I'm Dikshya Maharjan from Nepal, currently pursuing a Master's in Agricultural Biosciences at TUM. With a background in Horticultural Science from Tribhuvan University, my research focuses on how European beech trees respond to drought and vapor pressure deficit. I'm passionate about understanding plant resilience through ecophysiology and exploring how molecular insights can help us build more sustainable agricultural systems.