Ixchel Hernandez-Ochoa
PostDoctoral researcher
Dr. Ixchel Hernandez Ochoa
2.003
Katzenburgweg 5
53115 Bonn
I received my bachelor’s degree in Agronomy in 2010 from the Escuela Agricola Panamericana, Zamorano in Honduras, my master’s degree in Horticultural Sciences in 2014 and Ph.D. degree in Agricultural and Biological Engineering in 2018 at the University of Florida, USA. In the past, I have worked with dynamic crop simulation models to explore climate change impacts and adaptation strategies such as management and new genetic traits for cereal production. Im part of the DFG Cluster of Excellence PhenoRob, within the Core project 5 “New Field Arrangements”, which focuses on combining field experimentation and agroecosystem modelling to optimize spatio-temporal crop diversification to develop multifunctional agroecosystems with improved delivery of ecosystem services, to maintain or improve crop productivity and with more efficient use of resources, but that also promote biodiversity. For this task, we apply and further develop an agro-ecosystem simulation model by using the SIMPLACE modeling framework. Additionally, I work on the effects of fertilization on crop productivity, grain quality and bellow ground dynamics of root growth and architecture, as well as fertilizer effects on gaseous nitrate emissions.
PhenoRob Core Project 5: New field arrangements
1. Demie, D.T., Seidel, S.J., Wallach, D., Döring, T., Ewert, F., Gaiser, T., Paul, M., & Hernández-Ochoa, I.M. 2025. Resource Acquisition and Interactions in Spring Wheat / Faba bean Intercropping under Diverse Environments. Field Crops Research. 325, 109817. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109817
2. Hernández-Ochoa, I.M., Gaiser, T., Engels, A., Grahmann, K. & Ewert, F. 2025. Within-Field Temporal and Spatial Variability in Crop Productivity for Diverse Crops—A 30-Year Model-Based Assessment. MDPI Agronomy. 15(3), 661. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15030661.
3. Ahmadi, S.H., Seidel, S.J., Lopez, G., Kamali, B., Gaiser, T., Hadir, S., Demie, D.T., Andersen, M.N., Ewert, F., & Hernandez-Ochoa, I. 2025. Root:shoot ratio of field crops under conventional and conservation tillage: A meta-analysis. Soil Use and Management. 41, e70026. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.70026.
4. Engels, A., Gaiser, T., Ewert, F., Grahmann, K., & Hernández-Ochoa, I. 2025. Simulating Soil Moisture Dynamics in a Diversified Cropping System under Heterogeneous Soil Conditions. MDPI Agronomy. 15, 407. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15020407
5. Seidel, S.J., Ahmadi, S.H., Weihermüller, L., Couëdel, A., Lopez, G., Behrend, D., Kamali, B., Gaiser, T., & Hernandez-Ochoa, I.M. 2024. The Overlooked Effects of Environmental Impacts on Root:Shoot Ratio in Experiments and Soil-Crop Models. Science of the Total Environment. 955, 176738. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176738
6. Demie, D.T., Wallach, D., Döring, T., Ewert, F., Gaiser, T. Hadir, F., Kraus, G., Paul, M., & Hernández-Ochoa, I.M., Vezy, R., & Seidel, S.J. 2024. Evaluating a new intercrop model for capturing mixture effects with an extensive intercrop dataset. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 378, 109302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2024.109302
7. Scholz, H., Lischeid, G., Ribbe, L., Hernandez-Ochoa, I.M. & Grahmann, K. 2023. Differentiating Between Crop and Soil Effects on Soil Moisture Dynamics. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 28, 2401–2419. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-2401-2024
8. Grahmann, K., Reckling, M., Hernández-Ochoa, I., Donat, M., Bellingrath-Kimura, S., & Ewert, F. 2024. Co-designing a Landscape Experiment to Investigate Diversified Cropping Systems. Agricultural Systems. 217, 103950. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2024.103950
9. Hernandez-Ochoa, I. M., Gaiser, T., Engels, A., Kersebaum, C., Seidel, S. J., & Ewert, F. 2024. Cross Model Validation for a Diversified Cropping System. European Journal of Agronomy. 157, 127181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2023.109094
10. Hernández-Ochoa, I., Gaiser, T., Hüging, H. & Ewert, F. 2023. Yield Components and Yield Quality of Old and Modern Wheat Cultivars as Affected the by Cultivar Release Date, N fertilization and environment in Germany. Field Crops Research. 109094. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2023.109094
11. Hernández-Ochoa, Gaiser, T., Kersebaum, K.C., Webber, H., Seidel, S., Grahmann, K., & Ewert, F. 2022. Model-Based Design of Crop Diversification Through New Field
Arrangements in Spatially Heterogeneous Landscapes: A Review. Agronomy for sustainable Development. 42, 25 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-022-00805-4
Aufklapp-Text
· Cropping system simulation for climate risk assessments (3-h credits). Lecturer.
· Crop and Ecosystem Analysis and Modelling. Guest lecturer. Crop model structure: Photosynthesis and crop partitioning.
· Climatic Conditions and Climate Change. Guest Lecturer. Anthropogenic reasons for climate change and Climate change scenarios.
· Advanced Scientific Writing and Communication. Guest lecturer. Manuscript structure and how to analyze a manuscript?