Cauliflower has tended to decline as a major vegetable crop, with a total production value of $49.8 million in 2009. Annual production is now estimated at 75kt/year. It is a cool season crop grown mainly in Victoria and Queensland, with smaller amounts grown in other states. The optimal range for cauliflower growth is 15-18C, under [...]
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Sweet corn is a major warm-season vegetable crop in Australia, with an annual value of production around $480million. Sweet corn is sown by direct seeding and is unusual among vegetables in that it is a monocotyledon plant (grass) rather than dicotyledon (broadleaf). It also uses a different form of photosynthesis to most vegetables – C4 [...]
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In most plants, increased CO2 reduces water use or transpiration. This is because the pores in the leaves – stomata – partially close, reducing water loss. The effect can be significant. For example, a free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) study on wheat showed that water-use efficiency was 19% higher under elevated CO2. This may be particularly important [...]
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