Topics for Bachelor- and Master theses

Here you can find topics we would be interested in. However, if you have a subject you're passionate about, feel free to suggest it! Simply reach out to the main supervisor listed under the relevant category. E-Mail adresses can be found on the staff page.

If you are interested in agroforestry and want to define your own thesis topic, please get in touch with Dr. Prajna Kasargodu Anebagilu and/or Dr. Marcos Jiménez Martínez.

Category Title Level Main supervisor Language Requirements Description
Agrobiodiversity Traditional uses of plant species BSc/MSc Whitney EN Traditional uses of plant species and applications for horticultural production (underutilized species, possibly in collaboration with local Slow Food groups in Bonn)
Agrobiodiversity Review on agrobiodiversity and traditional knowledge BSc/MSc Whitney EN Agrobiodiversity and traditional knowledge (literature review) - open to any geographic region or crop type etc.
Agroforestry Agroforestry in the European Union BSc/MSc Luedeling EN Describe support structures and obstacles to agroforestry in EU
Agroforestry - Literature review What works in temperate agroforestry BSc/MSc Luedeling DE/EN Literature review on what exists and what works in temperate agroforestry with horticultural crops (all data sources including grey, expert knowledge etc.)
Agroforestry - modeling Ecosystem Services model BSc/MSc Luedeling DE/EN Participation in Decision analysis module Ecosystem Services (ESS) estimation model (temperate AF vs. other Ag.). Is the relationship adequately represented in ESS related policies?
Decision Analysis SWOT and decision analysis of utilization of spent coffee ground MSc Kraska DE/EN Participation in Decision analysis module Utilization of spent coffee ground could be a sustainable alternative for other feedstock. In this thesis you will analys the strengths, weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats for using it. And you will try to generate a decision anaylsis (e.g. barriers, critical points), first contact is Thorsten Kraska
Decision Analysis Review of nutrition interventions and food evnironments BSc/MSc Whitney EN Participation in Decision analysis module Review of nutriton interventions (i.e. policy aimed at better health outcomes for populations) and food environments. You can chose a regional or health implication focus (i.e. malnutriton, obesity) or focus more generally on the relationship between interventions and food environments. Your work will contribute to a much larger work outlining the literature and to an impact pathway relating the literature to the logical connections about how interventions impact nutrition.
Decision Analysis Review of decision Analysis methods across fields BSc/MSc Whitney EN Participation in Decision analysis module Review of decision analysis methods in the language of...' (e.g. maths, economics, psychology etc.). Your work will culminate with a short paper outlining the literature.
Decision Analysis Review of decision Analysis for Agricultural Development BSc/MSc Whitney EN Participation in Decision analysis module Review of decision analysis methods applied for agricultural development. Your work will contribute to a much larger work outlining the literature.
Decision Analysis Costs, benefits and risks of planting trees on farms BSc/MSc Whitney EN Participation in Decision analysis module Farmer?s choices to implement trees on their farms and potential costs, benefits and risks (i.e. in the context of political system of EU laws, subsidies etc.)
Decision Analysis Assessment of policy frameworks for agroforestry BSc/MSc Luedeling DE/EN Participation in Decision analysis module Review of legal frameworks for agroforestry in Germany - Explore and define text in legal documents that should be changed to allow more trees on farmland, such as the possibility of adding trees as one of the official crops for greening farmland
Decision Analysis Testing and validation of models BSc/MSc Luedeling DE/EN Participation in Decision analysis module Impact pathway validation for decision models - i.e. testing the strength of observed linkages in pathways
Decision analysis Planning for irrigation investments in times of uncertain drought risks BSc/MSc Luedeling DE/EN Participation in Decision analysis module Recent summers have been dry, but it is far from certain whether this is a true trend or an anomaly. Many growers are considering irrigation measures, but decisions on such investments must be made in the face of considerable uncertainty. Using the example of a real-life walnut producer, this decision will be analyzed using a probabilistic decision model.
Decision analysis TBD MSc Luedeling DE/EN Participation in Decision analysis module Holistic modeling of a decision we agree on
Decision analysis Decision analysis: development impacts of horticultural value chains for smallholder farmers BSc/MSc Luedeling DE/EN Participation in Decision analysis module Evaluation of horticultural value chains in countries of the global South. Comparison with arable crops
Decision analysis Decision analysis: A risk-adjusting cost-benefit tool for choosing frost protection strategies for orchards BSc/MSc Luedeling DE/EN Participation in Decision analysis module Frost during flowering is a big problem in orchards, but frost protection costs money. Let's develop a probabilistic cost-benefit tool to evaluate options.
Dormancy Phenotypic plasticity in tree budbreak - concept and evidence MSc Luedeling DE/EN ideally "Tree phenology analysis with R", or otherwise some prior knowledge on tree dormancy Bloom dates of trees are driven by temperature, and they are being affected by climate change. A concept that has popped up in recent literature is "phenotypic plasticity", which implies that trees are somewhat flexible in their requirements and can therefore tolerate some climate change without adverse consequences. To what extent this is true remains unclear, as well as the extent to which this concept is supported by evidence. A literature review assembling information on the concept and the evidence, followed by a critical discussion could help clarify this matter.
Dormancy - chillR Winter chill analysis for California MSc Luedeling DE/EN Participation in Decision analysis module Fruit tree cultivation in California's Central Valley is threatened by declining winter chill. Systematic assessments of past and future changes in this region are in urgent need of an update. The analysis can be implemented with functions from the chillR package for R. Most of the procedures are well established. Good knowledge of R is required.
Ethnobotany Transdisciplinary ethnobotany BSc/MSc Whitney EN Transdisciplinary ethnobotany (i.e., assess related use and development issues for plant species or plant communities) - See the ethnobotanyR package
Ethnobotany - Literature review Probability modeling approaches in ethnobotany BSc/MSc Whitney EN Use of probability modeling approaches for synergies in ethnobotany and development (literature review)
Evidence gap map Evidence gap map for agroforestry BSc/MSc Whitney EN Participation in Decision analysis module Evidence gap mapping for tree planting on farms (agroforestry) across European countries
Horticulture "Literature review: Side-effects of frost protection measures in fruit orchards on the environment BSc/MSc Schmitz DE/EN Fruit orchards can be protected against spring frosts using various measures. This literature work aims to give an overview of the side effects of their use (within in orchard and on the environment). In addition, it should be evaluated how strong these influences are.
Horticulture Phenotyping of root-substrate-plant interactions MSc Kraska EN The candidate should have first experiences with modelling and statistical anlysis. Beneficial would be participation in "Erfassung, Analyse und Modellierung von Ph„notypen" (NPW-031) and / or "Erfassung, Analyse und Modellierung von Heterogenit„t" (NPW-030) In this experimental work hyperspectral anlysisof roots, growing medium, and the plants will be conducted in a rhizotrone system at Forschungszentrum Jlich in close cooperation ith Prof. Dr. Uwe Rascher. Thi Thesis will be part of a DPPN project on hyperspectral phenotyping. We will test for the first time, if with hyperspectral sensors the root-substrate interaction can be analysed. At the same time the shoot will be analysed too. The thesisshould show, if substrate and root can be distinguished and how this interaction develops over time. The main part of the theis will take place at Forschgungszentrum Jlich.
Horticulture Hyperspectral analysis of root-substrate interactions MSc (BSc) Kraska DE/EN Candidates should be interested in non-invasive methods and sesnors. A general understanding of hyperspectral imaging would be beneficial The work will analyse the hyperspectral features of different horticultural substrates and roots of horticultural crops. The main aim is to analse how the hyperspectral features of both will change over time. The main goal is to analyse the interaction in situ. For this aim rhizotrons will be used in an automated system at Forschungszentrum Jlich in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Uwe Rascher
Horticulture Biostimulants in ornamental production BSc Kraska DE/EN Literature Review on the utilization of biostimulants in ornamental production. Which classes of biostimulants are used, which effects can be achieved, how can plant performance and quality promoted. (Language: English or German)
Horticulture Is Phenotpying of dormancy possible by means of hyperspectral sensors BSc/MSc Kraska DE/EN In this theis first a literature search should be conducted on phentopying of dormancy in fruit trees by non-invasive techniques and sensors. In the 2nd part hyperspectral sensors should be tested
Horticulture "Open Topics" in horticultural production BSc/MSc Kraska DE/EN Participation in 'Gartenbauliche Kulturen' module You are invited to bring up an own idea for your thesis in horticultural production. We will discuss with you how such a topic could be realized.
Horticulture Hyperspectral Phenotyping in horticultural substrates MSc Kraska DE/EN Participation in 'Gartenbauliche Kulturen' module In two projects the aim is to phenotype horticultural substrates, roots, and shoots with hyperspectral sensors. The work will include not only the measurements but also way of data analysis
Horticulture Hyperspectral Phenotyping of fruit quality parameters BSc/MSc Kraska DE/EN In this literature work the aim is to analyse which quality parameters of fruit trees (apples, pears, cherries) could estimated, evaluated, and predicted by using hyperspectral imaging techniques
Horticulture Dormancy Breaking agents to stimulate seed germination of horticultural crops BSc/MSc Kraska, Milyaev DE/EN Within this theoretical & experimental work agents and substances will be screened, which could release dormancy in plants, but especially of seeds. In small germination trials the effect of DNA methylation inhibitors will be tested. In the seedling stage the growth will be evaluated. The outcome should give further insight on how dormancy in plants could be released by external factors and if the principles are of more general nature.
Modeling Carbon sequestration estimation BSc/MSc Whitney EN Carbon sequestration estimation model (agroforestry vs. other Ag.). Is the relationship adequately represented in GHG emissions policies?
R programming High dimensional data plotting BSc/MSc Whitney EN If you know some R programming we would like to work with you on different options for plotting high dimensional data (ggplot2, cowplot etc.)
R programming Workflow design BSc/MSc Whitney EN If you know some R programming we would like to work with you on figuring out optimal workflow design (tidyverse, dplyr etc.)
R programming R package developing BSc/MSc Whitney EN Participation in Decision analysis module If you know some R programming we would like to work with you on package development (devtools etc.)
R programming Interactive tools for scientific communication BSc/MSc Whitney EN If you know some R programming, knitr, markdown, pandoc we would like to work with you on application of interactive tools for scientific communication (Rmarkdown, Blogdown, Bookdown, R-Pres etc.)
Systems modeling - Literature review Complex systems modeling BSc/MSc Whitney EN Participation in Decision analysis module Methods in complex systems modeling: - Use of expert knowledge in developing qualitative and quantitative models (Theory of Change, Causal Diagram, Impact Pathways)
Transdisciplinarity - Literature review Transdisciplinary approaches BSc/MSc Whitney EN Participation in Decision analysis module Transdisciplinary approaches in development research: - Stakeholder identification and power mapping (bringing the right people to the table for assessing and generating comprehensive causal understanding [Theory of Change, Causal Diagram, Impact Pathways] of decisions) - Alternative approaches in evidence gap mapping for guiding horticulture interventions (generating evidence gap maps with uncertainty and diverse data sources, including expert and local knowledge)
Tree phenology The role of photoperiod in spring phenology - a critical review of the evidence MSc Luedeling DE/EN Tree phenology analysis with R module (or otherwise solid knowledge phenology modeling) Several studies have suggested that spring phenology of temperate-zone trees may be driven by photoperiod, yet the biological mechanisms through which this might happen are unclear. Much of the evidence for this phenomenon appears to be based on statistics rather than convincing experimentation. Such statistical evidence is prone to problems with chill and heat models, and datasets rarely contain sufficient variation in photoperiod to produce robust conclusions. The evidence needs a thorough evaluation, which could produce a powerful update to the scientific literature on this topic.