AHR conducted agronomic and postharvest research on commercial suppliers' properties over three years at four major lettuce growing areas in Australia: Gatton, Toowoomba, East Gippsland and Robinvale, and processing facilities. The project investigated irrigation management,planting density, variety evaluation, crop scheduling, postharvest temperature control, harvesting time, packaging and processing.

What we found

The work identified optimum production times by region, new varieties, growth stage for harvest; the effect of trimming and pre-processing storage on shelf life; and the benefits of trickle irrigation and rapid cooling post harvest.

Resources

The results are summarized in the following best practice guide:

Best practice guide: Optimising yield and shelf life of iceberg and cos lettuce