As there was a considerable contingent of Australian delegates to this conference, this report will focus on the past harvest sessions with a particular emphasis on fibre quality and ginning.

Thielaviopsis basicola, a phytopathogenic filamentous fungus, is the causative agent of black root rot in a variety of host plants, including the economically important crop, cotton.

If Australia is to maintain its reputation as a consistent supplier of high quality cotton it will need to ensure that the entire cotton pipeline from growing to ginning and warehousing to transportation and shipping

The Field to Fibre course, which is a formal three 3 day course, is presented in Geelong at

CSME. It gives participants an opportunity to interact with leading researchers

Cotton aphid and two-spotted mite have the potential to cause dramatic reductions in the yield and fibre quality of cotton. Management of these pests is strongly dependent on insecticides and acaricides.