Making food sustainable: Reducing the water footprint of potted herbs

Thirty to forty percent of global food crop production occurs on artificially irrigated land and uses 70% of freshwater abstractions worldwide. Sustainable intensification has been suggested as a way to maintain production with fewer inputs including water, but in highly intensely managed systems. In order to improve water sustainability, improvements must be made to both irrigation scheduling and crop varieties. Our aim is to reduce the water footprint of potted (glasshouse) and cut (field-grown) leafy herb crops and to use our approach as an exemplar to apply more widely to other leafy cropping systems. We will investigate the potential of both agronomic management and genetics of plant crop as effective routes to reduce water use. The project captures the whole value chain, from crop scientist/molecular breeder, glasshouse and field grower-suppliers (Vitacress) and Sainsbury’s as the retailer. Firstly we will improve irrigation scheduling practices in the glasshouse, at commercial scale by applying remote thermal imaging of leafy crops to establish plant water need, whilst at the same time increasing leaf quality through biophysical and chemical characteristics The aim of this PhD is to increase water use efficiency and eliminate excess irrigation which leads to soft, pathogen susceptible and deterioration prone crops. Secondly, we aim to use these findings to implement deficit irrigation, at commercial scale in herb crops in the UK, to improve the quality of the leafy crop thus reducing waste throughout the supply chain. This sustainable intensification of field herb production has the potential to reduce irrigation water by up to 20%, whilst improving quality and maintaining yield.

Training: The project provides an outstanding opportunity to undertake a plant science PhD of relevance to sustainable food production. The student will gain excellent training in plant environmental physiology, remote sensing, water relations, crop production alongside skills in molecular biology, DNA/RNA based analysis. Working with our commercial partners the student will also gain valuable insight into the potted and cut herb businesses both under glass and in the field.

Due to funding restrictions, the studentship is available to UK candidates with the equivalent of a first class or upper second class degree in a relevant discipline. An interest in Plant Biology, Genetics, Functional Genomics, Bioinformatics and Agronomy/field work would all be welcome, but training will be given for an appropriate candidate. The PhD will include field work in Sussex, Spain and Portugal, depending on project developments, for which funding is available and on-farm support from the commercial partner.