This project identifies varieties, agronomic factors and processing and handling issues that influence shelf life, ultimately seeking to develop and ‘best practice’ approach to ensure a quality product with extended shelf life of lettuce. This included investigations into crop scheduling, Harvest Maturity, Variety Selection, Crop Nutrition, Crop Establishment Soil Moisture Management and Post harvest handling considerations such as storing and trimming, Reducing moisture in bags, postharvest temperature management and the physical impacts of processing.