Food waste is a global issue, as almost one third of food produced is lost before it is consumed (Ishangulyyev et al., 2019). Simultaneously, the resources such as water, energy, land and fuel, used in the food production supply chain are also wasted during this process. When discarded into landfill, both the plant biowaste and food waste impact the environment by the emission of greenhouse gases (Benyam et al., 2018). Fruits and vegetables contribute only 20% to the total food purchased, but they are responsible for half of the food waste (AUSVEG, 2013).

The project aims to test and pilot fast detection procedures with the aim of giving growers a suite of options to test for the presence of the pathogen prior to disease being evident. The project also aims to test a range of commercially available control measures and create management recommendations.

This project will test how environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, impact pollen viability, pollen tube development and stigma receptivity to better understand the factors limiting the pollination success of raspberries.

The project aims to explore rhizosphere microbiome engineering to manage Fusarium wilt of tomatoes, and to evaluate changes in the rhizosphere microbiome in response to application of bio-organic products. Firstly, the rhizosphere microbial community associated with healthy and fol-infected tomatoes in Western Australia will be assessed. This will identify core microbial taxa critical to plant health and to provide insights into managing the Fusarium wilt disease by modifying the core taxa. Field trials on the long-term contribution of three commercial bio-organic products will be conducted to assess their impact on tomato crop performance, yield, and the rhizosphere microbiome. The rhizosphere soils from the field trial sites will be used as ‘donor material’ for the microbiome engineering experiment.

Crop production systems in large controlled environment facilities are traditionally high-input, resource and capital-intensive. Optimising input parameters is a major avenue for increasing yield and quality whilst reducing waste of precious resources. The aim of the project is to define the optimum CO2 levels for tomato production in controlled environments.

This four-year innovation project is led by WBS Project H, manufacturers of state-of-the-art LED technology for vertical farms and greenhouses, with AI and protected-cropping experts at UNSW and WSU respectively.

The objective of this project is to develop and deploy new products that increase the yield and therefore profitability of annual and perennial Australian horticultural crops. The products will be developed by analysing the microbiomes associated with the life cycle of the crop, from seed to harvest.

This research program seeks to reduce energy use and increase resource use efficiency by employing new light-blocking (Smart Glass; SG) and existing light-shifting (LLEAF) films in glasshouses operated by the protected cropping industry.

This project will provide industry with novel solutions to control key root pathogens, increase farm profitability of horticulture crops and significantly advance economic and technological growth of Australian agribusiness industries.

The aim of this PhD project is to identify novel fertigation, nutrient delivery, and management approaches of growing vegetables to increase both yield and quality of produce in both Australia and Qatar.