Applicants seeking further information are invi...

Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact: Senior scientist Karen Koefoed Petersen, email: ****** or phone +******or Dr. Ole Callesen, email: ****** or phone: +******.   Application In order for your application to be taken into consideration you must meet the requirements stated in the application form (please find the application form here)   Please send your application by the form below. Closing date for applications is 15 August 2009 at 12.00 noon. Applications received after the closing date for applications will not be considered! The University of Aarhus encourages all, irrespective of personal background, to apply. The University of Aarhus has 35,000 students, 8,500 members of staff and a turnover of DKK 4.8 billion in 2008. The university’s strategy and development contract are available at http://www.au.dk/en/strategy PhD position - Fertilization strategies to improve the quality of greenhouse grown strawberries. Applications are invited for a PhD position at the University of Aarhus, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (DJF), Department of Horticulture. The position is available for three years beginning as soon as possible. Research area and project description Strawberries grown out of season in plastic tunnels or greenhouses may have a poor eating quality compared with fruit harvested outdoors, due to  a reduced content of sugars, acids and aroma compounds. The overall aim of this project is to increase the contents  of sugar and acid in strawberry fruit by optimizing the concentration of specific nutrients in the root zone.  Physiological effects of deficit irrigation and salt stress using NaCl have been exploited to some extent. Whereas increased salt concentration by an increase in all nutrients or in a single nutrient salt such as KNO3 or K2SO4  is less investigated. The project will examine the influence of increased nutrient salt concentration on photosynthesis, plant water status, chemical signalling, carbohydrate distribution and fruit yield and quality in strawberries. The PhD student will be introduced to methods whereby the following can be measured: berry size, yield and quality, leaf size, specific leaf weight, leaf conductance, photosynthesis, leaf water potential and its components, osmotic adjustment, ABA content in xylem sap by ELISA and a 14 C labelling technique to trace photo-assimilates into  different plant organs. The PhD study will be part of a large 4 year project focusing on sustainable production of apple, pear and strawberries. The PhD student will be part of a group of 3 PhD students working closely  together and supported by a team of supervisors and co-advisers. Qualifications and specific competences Applicants to the PhD positions must have a relevant Master’s degree (or graduate in the very near future – documentation for final thesis and date of examination must be enclosed in the application) or equivalent.  Place of Employment and Place of Work  The place of employment is the University of Aarhus, and the place of work is the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. Part of the work will take place at University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Agriculture and Ecology, Højbakkegård Allé 9, DK-2630 Taastrup. Salary and Terms of Employment Salary and terms of employment are according to current agreement for state-employed academics and government circular from the Ministry of Finance regarding PhD students as well as the appointment structure of 2007 for scientific personnel at universities.  The salary level for PhD students with qualifications corresponding to a Danish Master degree is approx. DKK 288,000 per year excluding pension (corresponding to USD 48,600 / EUR 38,600 per year - depending on the rate of exchange at the actual time of employment). Matriculation as a PhD student will be in accordance with Ministerial Order no. 18 of 14 January 2008 on the PhD Programme at Universities, and matriculation at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences is a prerequisite for employment as a PhD student.