Sophia Philadelphi

Sophia Philadelphi is a doctoral researcher at the Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany. Sophia holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Sao Paulo (ESALQ/USP - Brazil). In 2023, she successfully applied for a doctoral position as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions “LegumeLegacy” Doctoral Network, in which she is currently engaged.

Her principal research interests lie in farm-scale crop production, plant breeding, and biological control of plant diseases, with a particular enthusiasm for sustainable agriculture. Throughout her academic journey, she developed a deeper understanding in the fields of crop production and crop protection, with emphasis on the topic of biological control of plant parasitic nematodes. During her professional experience at the global company Corteva Agriscience Inc., she was able to enhance her practical experience in soybean and maize plant breeding research and seed production.

Her current PhD research, as part of the MSCA “LegumeLegacy” Doctoral Network, aims to investigate the impact of multispecies grassland mixtures on the yield and quality of a subsequent cereal crop. Furthermore, in the context of ongoing global climate changes, the project will focus on developing multi-species grassland mixtures that are adapted to extreme climatic events, such as heat stress.

Project Title

Effects of ley composition on cereal grain quality/ potential of cultivar choice to improve mixture composition and heat stress tolerance.

Supervisors

Prof. Petra Högy (Primary Supervisor)
Prof. Piotr Goliński
Dr. Roland Kölliker