Videos

Elia
Veirman
ILVO
KU Leuven

Capricious proteins: custom-grown faba beans

Making chocolate mousse or mayonnaise without animal proteins? It’s perfectly possible using plant-based proteins, such as those from faba beans. However, these proteins can be rather capricious: some are ideal for a light and airy mousse, whilst others are better suited to a thick mayonnaise. Nutrition scientist Elia Veirman is investigating how factors such as variety and weather conditions influence protein formation. This will enable farmers to predict what their harvest is suitable for.
Tom
Eeckhaut
ILVO

How single cells empower plant breeding

Imagine potatoes that are resistant to potato blight. Belgian witloof that tastes less bitter. Or chrysanthemums with new, innovative flower colors. ILVO researcher Tom Eeckhaut explains how protoplasts, isolated plant cells, can help us achieve these things. Watch the video

Hui
Xu
ILVO

Carbon farming: a climate solution beneath our feet

Did you know the soil beneath your feet could be one of our most powerful tools against climate change? Hui Xu explains how carbon farming, through practices like planting trees, growing cover crops, or reducing plowing, can help store 50 million tons of CO₂ per year by 2030. Farmers can even receive a reward for carbon farming. But there’s a catch: How do we measure it?
Leen
Lietaer
ILVO

Knowledge-sharing in agriculture is sometimes more effective than the best medicine

Controlling worm infections in cows - surely you simply use worming treatments, don’t you? Yes and no, says ILVO researcher Leen Lietaer. She is building a ‘community of practice’ that brings together farmers, researchers and vets. Because sometimes sharing knowledge works better than the best medicine.
Arno
Kasprzak
ILVO

Smart drones: your plants’ doctors

Did you give your mum a lovely bouquet on Mother’s Day? Behind those beautiful flowers lies a great deal of work on the part of the grower. And what is the grower's greatest fear? That a fungus or disease will spread rapidly and destroy the entire crop. Arno Kasprzak (ILVO) wants to address this using drones and AI.
Liselot
Bourgeois
ILVO
UAntwerpen

A refreshing revenue model: from leftover apples to apple juice

What if a farmer wants to change his revenue model? Like Anna, who wants to turn her surplus apples into apple juice? 🍎 In practice, there's a lot more to this than meets the eye. ILVO researcher Liselot Bourgeois explains which factors are involved and how the ILVO tool 'VerdienWijzer' helps farmers to make well-considered choices.
Marijke
Hunninck
ILVO

Innovations in food and agriculture: tested before launch

As a company, how do you test whether your smart agricultural machine, such as an autonomous weed whacker, works in any type of weather, without damaging crops? Marijke Hunninck explains how agrifood companies can test their technology at ILVO within the AgriFoodTEF project, with expert advice and guidance.
Diana
Estrella
ILVO

Quinoa in Flanders is a super choice

Did you know that quinoa, a grain from the Andes, is now being grown right here in Flanders? Diana Estrella explains why this grain might be the next big thing in Belgian fields. Protein-packed, climate-resilient — but tricky to grow here. That’s where her research comes in.
Femke
Delanglez
ILVO
UGent

How can catching laying hens be improved?

In her PhD, Femke Delanglez investigated how catching laying hens can be done better, for both humans and animals. 🙎🏻‍♂️ 🐓
Lancelot
Blondeel
ILVO

Sole fishing more sustainable thanks to data

The sole is beloved on the plate, but increasingly difficult to catch. ILVO researcher Lancelot Blondeel shows how smart data and technology help fishermen fish more efficiently and sustainably.
Broes
Laekeman
ILVO
UGent

Let's save granny's tomato soup with AI!

How can growers protect their vegetable, fruit, and flower crops from insect pests without relying on excessive harmful insecticides? With sticky tape and AI, says researcher Broes Laekeman. His video will have you glued to your screen...
Elien
De Rooze
ILVO

Can we grow protein crops in Belgium? 🌾 👨🏽‍🌾 👩🏻‍🌾

Fafalel, hummus, vegetable burgers, ... These delicacies are made from protein crops such as chickpeas and yellow peas, which unfortunately come mainly from faraway countries such as Russia or Argentina. So can't we grow protein crops in Belgium? "Yes, we can!" says ILVO researcher Elien De Rooze. She explains how farmers can grow protein crops and what exactly they should pay attention to!