Western Sydney University

The APPN node at Western Sydney University operates as part of the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment. The node is host to the National Vegetable Protected Cropping Centre (NVPCC) and the Future Food Systems CRC and highly controlled environment field facilities, including the Whole Tree Chambers and Pastures and Climate Extremes facility. Western’s unique controlled-environment infrastructure in glasshouses and the field enable robust multi-factor experiments involving temperature, water availability, carbon dioxide to explore crop phenotypes under a range of climate change scenarios. The research outcomes arising from fundamental plant biology and its application to crop health and production provide critical knowledge to advance Australia’s options to ensure food security and inform policy choices in the agricultural and horticultural sector in the context of sustainability, climate change and net zero emissions initiatives at the state and national level.

Infrastructure & Services