I'm currently working on a short story in a world where most of the time there are only very low levels of light, with occasional breaks to full sunlight. I was wondering if anyone could help me in finding crop plants that would thrive or survive in a low-light environment?
Sounds a bit like the weather in Scotland ... I suppose most forms of grass-based crops would be ABLE to survive, but if this low-light thing occurs over long periods of time then the resulting produce would not be in either, any abundance or quality. I'm willing to bet that grass based crops, such as corn and barely and the like, would evolve to suit the unusual conditions more adequately; as they are often found in places like Greenland still growing after long periods of heavy snowfall.
They grow wheat far up into the Prairie Provinces of Canada and in Russia. I wonder what's stopping agriculture any farther north than about 100 miles beyond Edmonton? Is it the mushy icy ground or something else? There is a farming area outside Wasilla, Alaska, in the Mat-Su Valley. Looks like it is on delta soil and the climate moderated by the water so that's probably how it works.
Banzai. Now I know for a fact that UoR has a dept of Biological Sciences, my friend! Help is but an internal phone call away!
Also, just as a thought. In warmer, humid climates plants with large leaves are generally the plants which are evolved for low light conditions. Beneath a dense forest canopy where little light reaches the plants are actually few. Those plants to be found on the rainforest floor have large leaves. Also, here there are also root crops where the upper portion of the plant is a vine which makes its way up neighboring trees. Batata de palo is one of them.
