How do you prevent the next big lettuce shortage? Growing plants in disguise could be the answer

When the price of lettuce jumped to $10 due to extreme weather in New South Wales and Queensland, it caused a shockwave across the country, but some farmers in the flood zone were left relatively unscathed – as they grew in the shade.

Key points:

• Protected crops have seen significant growth in Australia over the last 10 years
• Two Lockyer Valley farmers say protected plantings reduce flood damage on their property
• Experts say farming under cover is inevitable with more extreme and varied weather events

Now experts say protected plantings could be key to keeping cabbages away from burgers and spring rolls in their place and getting farmers back to planting after extreme weather.

What are protected plants?

Protected crops are the production of horticultural crops under or within structures.

It’s more than just a greenhouse according to Paul Gauthier, who is professor of protected plants with the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation.

He said there are three types of protective plants.

“It could be a tall tunnel that protects plants from the weather, it could be inside a greenhouse, or it could be in a structure that is completely indoors and the plants never see sunlight,” he said.

Professor Paul Gauthier said protected planting would be an inevitable outcome for many Australian farmers.(Provided: University of Queensland)

Protected cropping patterns allow farmers to control the environment of the crops they grow, including temperature, water and soil in some systems that use hydroponics.

Professor Gauthier says it can protect plants from the negative effects of weather.

“By putting everything indoors and controlling your inputs, you can start predicting what the outcome will be and your crops are protected,” he says.

“In the event of a storm, as long as your building can withstand the storm, then all your crops will be safe and you can continue to produce food.”

Protected planted structures can come in a variety of forms such as greenhouses, shipping containers, and plastic film-based structures.(Rural ABC: Lucy Cooper)

Skyrocketing demand

This system has been popular in Europe for years but it seems that demand is also increasing in Australia.

Protected Cropping Australia is the industry body that represents farmers using hydroponics or greenhouses.

Chief executive Sam Turner said it was one of the fastest growing production systems in the world.

“Internationally we are seeing growth rates of up to 10 per cent and in Australia we are seeing adoption rates around that five per cent mark,” he said.

“There has been significant growth in this industry over the last five to 10 years and it appears to be accelerating in Australia.”

Mr Turner said along with the weather protection, the explosion was driven by the efficiency provided by the protected plants.

“Some systems use up to 90 percent less water for the same results [and] Yields are much higher because the plants are in a much more conducive environment,” he said.

“It’s easier for labor because there are crops that are much more consistent, crop quality is much higher and it’s much easier to manage pest and disease problems.”

Sam Turner of Protected Cropping Australia said the number of farms using this form of crop protection was growing rapidly.(Provided: Sam Turner)

Can protected plantings reduce the incidence of flooding?

Tommy Vo and Michael Nguyen grow vegetables such as eggplant and cucumber in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley.

When two floods in 11 weeks hit the area a few months ago, Nguyen said he suffered crop losses, but they were nothing compared to the traditional farmers around him.

“Cultivating disguises means we can reduce losses better because we are well protected,” he said.

“With the recent flooding this year, we have avoided the rain and protected ourselves quite well given the situation.”

Farmers in the Lockyer Valley have faced two major floods this year.(Provided: Lockyer Valley Regional Council)

Mr Vo said growing undercover meant not only his crops were protected from the rain but agriculture was also recovering from flooding more quickly.

“I was hit by a flood, heavy rain came and within a week I immediately got a new harvest,” he said.

“I just cleaned, put in new weed mats, new coco peats, all within a week.

“Even if you lose your crop, your turnaround time is much faster than a farmer in the open field.”

Control the weather instead of relying on it

Professor Gauthier said with more extreme and varied weather events undermining traditional agriculture, protected cultivation was bound to become more common.

“This will allow us to predict in the future what we can develop,” he said.

“If the weather gets too warm, some crops won’t be able to grow in some areas of the world so we should be able to start controlling the environment instead of depending on it.”

Crops grown under protection can be produced without the influence of environmental factors.(Provided: Sam Turner)

In the past, good growing conditions and available land prevented Australian farmers from investing in crop protection. Mr Turner said that is likely to change.

“With the recent flooding across the country, we’re seeing a lot of farmers who wouldn’t have traditionally seen cover crops move to some kind of protected system just as an insurance policy against some of the wild weather we’re seeing,” he said.

Mr Nguyen and Mr Vo hope to inspire more farmers in the Lockyer Valley to take part in protected cultivation.

“Sharing knowledge is power and the more we can share, the more we can build a thriving industry,” said Nguyen.

“With the growing demand and population of Australia, I think the future will be brighter if we announce it there.”

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