Dr Robyn Cave

Lecturer in Horticulture

School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability
Faculty of Science
r.cave@uq.edu.au
+61 7 54601 240

Overview

Dr Robyn Cave is a horticulturalist with research experience in plant reproductive biology and the control of plant development and flowering. Robyn completed her doctorate in 2011 at UQ, where she developed a model to predict the duration of vegetative and reproductive phases of herbs in response to temperature, vernalisation and daylength. Since commencing her teaching and research position in 2014, she has worked on tree crop projects such as, pollination of macadamia, leaf nutrient sampling in macadamia, and seed germination for rootstock development of macadamia and pecan. Robyn has also worked on photosynthetic activity, grafting and the use of plant growth regulators in herbaceous crops.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
  • Bachelor (Honours) of Applied Science, The University of Queensland
  • Bachelor of Applied Science, The University of Queensland

Publications

View all Publications

Supervision

  • (2023) Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • (2022) Doctor Philosophy

View all Supervision

Available Projects

  • This project forms part of a prestigious Australian Research Council-funded project "A Deadly Solution:Towards an Indigenous-led bush food industry". The project focuses on several indigenous communities and the native plants on their country. The overall project aim is to select promising native plants for the expanding bushfood and ornamental horticulture industries in support of economic development of Indigenous communities, but also with a view of restoration of degraded land in the communities and biodiversity gains.

    The candidate will have a strong interest in native plants and their propagation, and in collaborating with First Nation people and the interdisciplinary researcher team. The project is based at Gatton campus and involves travel to communities in Queensland from where plants are selected and will be grown. A current drivers license is highly recommended.

  • This project aims to open up new applications for plants of the Australian genus Eremophila and enhance the viability of existing, currently underutilised applications, by acquiring fundamental biomolecular understanding of the genetic and environmental determinants of seed germination. This understanding will then be used to develop rational design of effective, controlled methods for stimulating seed germination and thereby make plants of this important genus available to large-scale usage in revegetation, horticulture, and seed banking, while ensuring genetic diversity.

    The candidate will have a strong interest in Australian native plants and their propagation, and in collaborating with the Eremophila Study Group ( Australian Native Plants Society of Australia), Kersbrook, Australian Genome Research Facility and the interdisciplinary research team. The project is based at Gatton campus and may involve travel within Australia to source plant material and conduct growth trials. A current drivers license is essential.

  • Consumer demand for tree nuts, such as pecan and macadamia, is increasing. In this project we are investigating 1) seed germination and rootstock development, incuding the use of plant growth regulators, and 2) nut quality, including the influence of variety, fertigation, light interception, and harvest techniques on nut colour and defects.

View all Available Projects

Publications

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

Completed Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.

  • This project forms part of a prestigious Australian Research Council-funded project "A Deadly Solution:Towards an Indigenous-led bush food industry". The project focuses on several indigenous communities and the native plants on their country. The overall project aim is to select promising native plants for the expanding bushfood and ornamental horticulture industries in support of economic development of Indigenous communities, but also with a view of restoration of degraded land in the communities and biodiversity gains.

    The candidate will have a strong interest in native plants and their propagation, and in collaborating with First Nation people and the interdisciplinary researcher team. The project is based at Gatton campus and involves travel to communities in Queensland from where plants are selected and will be grown. A current drivers license is highly recommended.

  • This project aims to open up new applications for plants of the Australian genus Eremophila and enhance the viability of existing, currently underutilised applications, by acquiring fundamental biomolecular understanding of the genetic and environmental determinants of seed germination. This understanding will then be used to develop rational design of effective, controlled methods for stimulating seed germination and thereby make plants of this important genus available to large-scale usage in revegetation, horticulture, and seed banking, while ensuring genetic diversity.

    The candidate will have a strong interest in Australian native plants and their propagation, and in collaborating with the Eremophila Study Group ( Australian Native Plants Society of Australia), Kersbrook, Australian Genome Research Facility and the interdisciplinary research team. The project is based at Gatton campus and may involve travel within Australia to source plant material and conduct growth trials. A current drivers license is essential.

  • Consumer demand for tree nuts, such as pecan and macadamia, is increasing. In this project we are investigating 1) seed germination and rootstock development, incuding the use of plant growth regulators, and 2) nut quality, including the influence of variety, fertigation, light interception, and harvest techniques on nut colour and defects.