**About the Editors**

#### **Nazim S. Gruda**

Nazim S. Gruda, University of Bonn, Germany, is a globally renowned authority in horticulture. He is Vice-Chair of the Division of Vegetables, Roots, and Tubers within the International Society for Horticultural Science. With a primary focus on innovative and sustainable horticultural food production systems, his research has significantly contributed to scientific understanding and practical applications. Recently, Burleigh Dodds Science published the book "Advances in Horticultural Soilless Culture" edited by him. According to Stanford University, his influential research places him in the top 2% of global scientists. He is a Member, an Honorary, or a Correspondent Member of three European Academies and a "Distinguished Scientist" of the Academy of Science of China. Additionally, Professor Gruda has actively participated as a consultant for international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and as an expert evaluator for entities including The European Commission.

#### **Rui Manuel Almeida Machado**

Rui Manuel Almeida Machado is a Professor in the Department of Crop Science at the School of Sciences and Technology of the University of Evora and a member of the Mediterranean Institute ´ for Agriculture, Environment, and Development (MED). His research area focuses on the fertigation, irrigation, rooting, nutrition, and fertilization of horticultural plants. Current research is focused on creating more sustainable growing media and improving the fertility of poor soils. Throughout his teaching career, he has taught various undergraduate, master's, and postgraduate courses in the scientific field of crop science and agricultural sciences. He has taught curricular units such as herbaceous horticulture, forced crops, plant nutrition, soil fertility and crop fertilization, fertigation, foliar fertilization, and soil-plant relationships.

#### **Erik van Os**

Erik van Os was more than 40 years researcher at Wageningen University and Research, dept Greenhouse Horticulture on soilless cultivation systems, approaching the crop from a technical point of view. Research topics were saving water and fertilizers, disinfecting the recirculating nutrient solution, minimizing the emission of fertilizers and pesticides to the environment, choosing substrate and materials and controlling the composition of the nutrient solution. During the last 10 years, the exchange of knowledge to farmers became necessary for high-tech greenhouses in the Netherlands and middle- and low-tech growing systems for farmers with less money to invest. He is currently employed by multiple international organizations, primarily working on the development and implementation of soilless agriculture systems in underdeveloped and developing countries.
