Albert Soenen Award
In 2027, the Professor Albert Soenen Foundation will award its triennial prize of €5,000 for an outstanding PhD thesis in agricultural and applied biological sciences that makes a significant contribution to fruit production. How to apply? Please consult the regulations below.
About Professor Albert Soenen
Under the impulse of Paul Nicolaï (1907-2001) the Research Station of Gorsem (Opzoekingsstation van Gorsem) was founded in 1943 and its management was entrusted to professor Soenen. Under his leadership, the Research Station of Gorsem (now known as Proefcentrum Fruitteelt – pcfruit) grew into a nationally and internationally renowned research institute for fruit cultivation.
During his career, professor Soenen held several positions, including research director at I.W.O.N.L. (institute to stimulate scientific research in Industry and Agriculture), lecturer at the Higher Institute of Chemistry and Horticulture (Hoger Instituut voor Scheikunde en Tuinbouw) in Sint-Truiden, and from 1969 lecturer in Phytopharmacy and Descriptive and Applied Entomology at the Faculty of Agriculutral Sciences of the Université Catholique de Louvain. In 1979, he was appointed Special Professor and in 1984 he became Professor Emeritus at the Université Catholique de Louvain.
Alongside these activities, he also served as board member of numerous associations and scientific research organizations. Furthermore, Professor Soenen made many study tours, including to the United Nations, Zaire, Canada, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy and Israel. In Belgium, Professor Soenen gave more than 200 lectures in universities, symposia, study days, seminars for pomological associations, horticultural schools and radio lectures. In addition, he shared his knowledge and experience in entomology, phytopathology, phytopharmacy and ecology in nearly a hundred publications.
Previous winners
2024
- Michaela Jung - Identification of marker-trait associations using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to characterize genetic architecture of traits with major importance for apple breeding.
- Honorary mention by City of Sint-Truiden: Hanne Claessen - Self-incompatibility in pear.
2021
- Vanderzande Stijn - Insights into the genetic control of plant architecture in apple.
- Honorary mention by City of Sint-Truiden: Diels Elien - Modelling fruit bruise damage from the macro- to the microscale using the Discrete Element Method.
- 2018 Di Guardo Mario - Investigating the fruit texture genetic control in apple and its interplay with the production of volatile compounds using multi-family based analysis and genome wide association mapping.
- 2016 Björn Kristian Klatt - Bee Pollination of Strawberries on different spatial Scales – from Crop varieties to Landscapes.
- 2013 Le Roux P.-M. - Molecular breeding for fire blight resistance in apple (Malus spp.)
- 2009 Ho Q. T. - Multiscale modelling of gas transport in fruit during controlled atmosphere storage.
- 2006 Van Leeuwen T. - Acaricide resistance mechanisms in laboratory selected and field collected resistant strains of Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Prostigmata).
- Honorary mention by City of Sint-Truiden: Van Zeebroeck M. - The Discrete Element Method (DEM) to Simulate Fruit Impact Damage during Transport and Handling.
2003 Abdel-Ghani Awad M.- The apple skin: colourful healthiness. Developmental and environmental regulations of flavonoids and chlorogenic acid in apples.
2000 Jijakli M. - Etude des propriétés antagonistes de deux souches de levures vis-à-vis de Botrytis cinerea Pers. sur pommes en conservation. Study of antagonist properties of two strains of yeast versus Botrytis cinerea Pers. on stored apples.
1995 Wagenmakers P. - Light relations in orchard systems.
1993 Vantieghem H.- Insectensexferomonen en Fytiatrie: Algemeen en mogelijkheden in de Belgische fruitteelt met de sexferomonen RAK34 in de verwarringstechniek. Insect sex pheromones and physiatry: genera land possibilities in Belgian fruit production with the sex pheromones RAK3+4 in confusion technique.
1991 Van der Straeten D. - Molecular genetics of ethylene biosysthesis and mode of action in higher plants.
1989 Leprince O. - Etude physiologique et cytologique de l’installation de la résistance à la déshydratation dans l’embryon de Brassica Campestris au cours de la maturation. Physiological and cytological study of the installation of resistance against dehydration in the embryo of Brassica Campestris during maturation.
1987 Viseur J. - L’utilisation des techniques de culture in vitro pour l’obtention et la sélection de variants somaclonaux de poiriers et de pommiers résistants au feu bactérien. The use of in vitro cultural techniques to obtain and select somaclonal variants of apple and pear trees which are resistant to fire blight.
1985 Degheele D. - Onderzoek naar de toxiciteit en werkingswijze van chitinesynthese inhibitoren. Research on toxicity and mode of action of chitine synthesis inhibitors
Sponsoring
- Supporting member: annual membership contribution of € 100. You will be invited to the award ceremony.
- Bronze: annual membership contribution of € 250. You will be invited to the award ceremony as well as all other events.
- Silver: triennial membership contribution of € 2.500. You will be invited to the award ceremony and all other events. You will be mentioned on this website and your logo will appear on the invitations.
- Gold: one-time membership contribution of € 25.000. You will be invited to the award ceremony and all other events. You will be mentioned on this website and your logo will appear on the invitations. You become a member of the Executive Board of the Albert Soenen Foundation.
Executive Board
- Chairman: Roland Valcke
- Secretary-Treasurer: Conny Doumen
- Directors: Bylemans Dany, Creemers Piet, Cuypers Ann, De Coninck Barbara, Deckers Thomas, Deroose André, Herman Lieve, Moors Inge and Soenen Emmanuel
- Honorary Chairman: Soenen Albert † en Schoonheydt Robert
- Honorary Directors: Aerts Firmin, Clijsters Herman, Keulemans Wannes and Weerts Joseph
- External auditor: Deroose André
