Achieving reliable, even crop establishment has been identified through the Dryland Cotton Research Association (DCRA) project meetings as one of the major concerns dryland cotton growers face. This issue has gained significant importance with the current commercial varieties available which typically have poorer seed vigour than their predecessors due to the small seed size. Planting, particularly in marginal moisture conditions, is therefore a crucial process in dryland cotton production.

There are various manufacturers producing cotton planters incorporating a range of styles from older style tine planters to single and double disc planters. The goal behind this construction project was to mount different styles of commercial cotton planting units onto a single bar so that the establishment achieved could be compared between units while planting into exactly the same conditions at the same time over a range of soil types and moisture levels.