The cotton plant has two main sets of traits that contribute to its resistance to pests: (1) chemical (e.g. gossypol) and morphological defences (e.g. okra-leaf) and (2) compensatory mechanisms for regrowth (e.g.

Thrips are important pests in Australian cotton and are also key predators of spider mites.

Aims: *Use data which relates mite numbers to yield loss in order to derive and test action thresholds.

Summary of results: A 30hp Kubota tractor fitted with an air conditioned safety cab was purchased from the government contract supplier in Sydney.