Using less land better - manipulating growth of individual plants, synchronising maturity and reducing crop wastage

The aim of this PhD is to reduce crop wastage by developing robust technologies to decrease environment-derived growth heterogeneity in lettuce production. With the development of precision agriculture technology, such as plant-scale UAV imaging, sensor networks and plant-scale spraying applications, it is possible to monitor growing microclimates and crop development at the individual plant level and respond by applying treatments to specific plants. This opens up the possibility of manipulating the growth of individual plants through localised treatments that mitigate the response to underlying environmental factors, at a crop or planting scale; reducing variability and increasing the offtake from the field, reducing in-field waste and maximising crop production per unit of CO2e.
This project will study whole head lettuce as an example of a transplanted, high value leafy vegetable crop. The hypothesis underpinning this studentship is that plants identified as developing significantly faster than the crop population average could have their growth delayed or held by treatments to reduce variation of plant size at harvest. The student will apply their knowledge of plant science to investigate the underlying physiology that may be manipulated to limit individual plant growth through transient environmental stress treatments, or the application of hormones and/or anti-transpirants that temporarily reduce photosynthesis.
The objectives of this project are to:
1. Identify and optimise stress treatments that alter relative growth rates of lettuce plants.
2. Establish the relationship between rates of photosynthesis and lettuce growth
3. Identify and optimise photosynthesis reducing treatments that alter relative growth rates of lettuce plants.
4. Demonstrate and quantify the practical application of growth rate manipulation in lettuce crops.