Program Overview

Online Course Greenhouse Horticulture

Wageningen University & Research is the "knowledge heart" of the Dutch Greenhouse Horticulture, which is the most advanced and productive in the world. This course provides an in-depth overview of Greenhouse Horticulture and all aspects that create the greenhouse production system. Participants will learn the basis and apply them directly in their own country and situation.

Organised by

• Wageningen Academy
• Date: Thu 1 January 2026 until Thu 31 December 2026
• Duration: 60 hours (over 6 months) + optional 10 Q&A sessions in March - May 2026
• Number of students: 20 - 40
• Price: EUR 1,495.00
• Price description: Price self-paced: EUR 1,095.00

This course is offered as a fully interactive course, running once a year with Q&A sessions scheduled from February – July (dates updated yearly). It is also offered as a self-paced course which is continuously running, allowing participants to start anytime and study at their own pace.

Target Audience

This excellent online course on Greenhouse Horticulture is meant for professionals working in this field, (junior) scientists, post-docs, and PhD students from all over the world. Particular attention has been given to develop a programme that also relates to and is interesting for protected cultivation with less technology than is usual in the Netherlands. Basics will be learned to apply directly in the participant's own country/situation.

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this programme, participants will be able to:

• Understand the most relevant processes in protected cultivation ranging from plant physiology to economics.
• Understand how technology affects climate management, crop production, and resource use efficiency.
• Apply this knowledge to quantitatively address decisions about climate management, crop cultivation, and nutrition.

Programme

This course gives an in-depth view on the following topics:

• Introduction to protected horticulture
• Basic principles of crop physiology
• Passive greenhouse (light and functions of the cover)
• Water quality, growing systems, and nutrient solutions
• Plant nutrition and its management
• Potential crop yield
• Lighting in protected cultivation
• Crop protection and integrated pest management
• Climate management
• Overview of protected horticulture and wrap-up

Fully Interactive Course

The online course on Greenhouse Horticulture offers an attractive mix of self-paced pre-recorded lectures from international renowned experts, quizzes to test knowledge, discussion forums to ask questions and interact with peers, and 10 live online Q&A sessions, scheduled between March and May 2026. The course fee for the full interactive course is €1,495.-. Participants will have access to the online course environment from the 16th of February until the 31st of July.

Self-Paced Course

Participants can also take this online course as a self-paced course and have access to an attractive mix of self-paced pre-recorded lectures from international renowned experts and quizzes to test knowledge via the online learning environment BrightSpace. The course fee for the self-paced course is €1,095.-. Extension with Q&A sessions is possible for €500.

Certification

After completing the programme, participants will be awarded a certificate.

Coordinated by

• ir. JJ (Janine) Quist, Programme manager Sustainable Environment
• prof.dr.ir. LFM (Leo) Marcelis, Professor/Chairholder Horticulture and Product Physiology Group
• dr. S (Silke) Hemming, Head scientific research team Greenhouse Technology

Related Courses

• Summer School Greenhouse Horticulture
• Fresh Food Quality: Hands-on Experiments with Postharvest Technology
• Vertical Farming
• Masterclass Soilless Culture