Adapting to Water Scarcity in Agriculture: Investigating Industrial Hemp and Dry Farming for Future Cropping in Drier Environments

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dc.contributor.advisorBurton, Rachel
dc.contributor.advisorLoveys, Beth
dc.contributor.advisorCavagnaro, Timothy (Flinders University)
dc.contributor.authorGill, Alison Rose
dc.contributor.schoolSchool of Agriculture, Food and Wineen
dc.date.issued2023
dc.description.abstractAs climate change triggers increasingly sporadic precipitation patterns, drought events are expected to increase in intensity and frequency globally. Coupled with the need to provide more food and fibre for growing global populations, agricultural researchers and producers must search for innovative crop and management options that will support cropping in future, drier climates. While, historically, agriculture has relied on traditional breeding methods or exploited genetically modified (GM) crops to maximise drought resistance in plants, these methods will not withstand the speed at which significant changes are required, nor enable rapid enough societal uptake. In pursuit of transformative advances in agricultural production under drier conditions, underutilised drought resistant crops and drought resilient management practices offer promising opportunities. Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) shows great potential for both edible seed and strong natural fibre production using relatively little water, but the mechanistic basis of its drought resistance is unknown. This thesis addresses this knowledge gap by presenting the results of several novel phenotyping studies, utilising state-of-the-art high throughput imaging and automated watering methods to resolve questions of drought resistance in multiple varieties of industrial hemp. In addition to drought resistant crops, novel methods of agricultural management that minimise irrigation use will be vital to reduce freshwater demands in agriculture. Dry farming, defined as dry-season crop production with little to no irrigation, offers advantages as a water-smart management option, but little scientific research has investigated factors that maximise dry farming yields and quality. Here, contemporary physiological techniques were used in a field study to investigate how soil disturbance and varietal choices impact dry farming outcomes in tomato. This thesis fills considerable knowledge gaps in both industrial hemp and dry farming research, setting the stage for future studies to capitalise on their inherent benefits.en
dc.description.dissertationThesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, 2024en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/140631
dc.language.isoenen
dc.provenanceThis electronic version is made publicly available by the University of Adelaide in accordance with its open access policy for student theses. Copyright in this thesis remains with the author. This thesis may incorporate third party material which has been used by the author pursuant to Fair Dealing exceptions. If you are the owner of any included third party copyright material you wish to be removed from this electronic version, please complete the take down form located at: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/legalsen
dc.subjectIndustrial Hemp (Cannabis Sativa)en
dc.subjectdroughten
dc.subjectphysiologyen
dc.subjectphotosynthesisen
dc.subjectwater stressen
dc.subjectwater use efficiencyen
dc.subjecttomatoen
dc.subjectdry farmingen
dc.titleAdapting to Water Scarcity in Agriculture: Investigating Industrial Hemp and Dry Farming for Future Cropping in Drier Environmentsen
dc.typeThesisen

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