PhD in Agricultural Sciences at Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra (Slovakia)

Key details

• Host institution: Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra
• Location: Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Trieda Andreja Hlinku 2, Nitra, Slovakia
• Application deadline: May 31, 2026

Funding

Not funded by a EU programme

Funding level (from listing): partial or not via EU framework — confirm on the official call.

How to apply

• Application portal / instructions: Official application link.
• Context on Euraxess: Original listing.

About the position

PhD Position: Irrigation Management of Agricultural Crops Based on the Manifestations of Water Stress in Plants

Institution: Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra

Supervisor: prof. Ing. Viliam Bárek, CSc.

Workplace: Institute of Landscape Engineering

Field of Study: Agriculture and Landscaping

Study Program: Landscape Engineering

Form of Study: Full-time

Theses

The water regime of plants represents the management of plants with water from its intake, transport, consumption to its release. It is given by the genetic constitution of the species allowing to face the current action of environmental factors (or to use them) with targeted phenotypic adaptations. The basic condition for achieving maximum yields of agricultural crops is that the crop formation of the given plant takes place at a certain degree of balance between temperatures and precipitation, while this degree of balance is quite specific for the given crop and its stage of development. The essence of the solution lies in the optimization of the irrigation delivery date. Multispectral images allow us to monitor the state of the vegetation and the amount of vegetation on the soil surface. They use the visible and near-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. This type of images is used to obtain information about the condition of the vegetation and plant growth, as it allows obtaining information about possible nutrient deficiencies, damage by pests or other manifestations of abiotic stress on plants. The use of multispectral images in agriculture is mainly aimed at improving water management and determining the water stress of plants. In synergy with the monitoring of soil moisture and by monitoring changes in soil water potential, the results of the work can provide a basis for practical management of irrigation operations with the lowest possible economic and technological inputs. The results would thus find the widest possible scientific and practical application.

Reasoning

The presented topic deals with the issue of managing the moisture regime of the soil profile. Based on the measurement of the entire complex of hydrophysical properties of soils and multispectral imaging, the goal is to determine the basic parameter of plants’ manifestations of water stress, which should determine as accurately as possible the need to increase moisture in the soil profile in real time. This is an innovative approach, since the irrigation management methods used so far are based only on the time principle, or on the basis of soil moisture measurement, which may not correspond to the needs of the plants at all. The addressed topic will fulfill the use of the technical potential of the equipment procured within the operational program Integrated infrastructure for the project: Sustainable systems of intelligent farming taking into account the challenges of the future 313011W112, co-financed from the resources of the European Regional Development Fund (SmartFarm).

Financial Coverage

The equipment for field and laboratory experiments was purchased from the operational program Sustainable Smart Farming Systems Taking into Account the Challenges of the Future 313011W112, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (SmartFarm). The dissertation will be supported within the framework of the projects Introduction of Practical Teaching in the Subject Green Infrastructure Project No. 047SPU-4/2025 which are being solved at the Institute of Landscape Engineering.