The good and the bad of an amazing season

The new century began a decade ago with what was then a record production of 3.6 million bales of cotton in the 2000–01 season. This was followed by a devastating decade-long drought but we in the business of R&D learned a lot in that decade. We learned how to make the most of the water that was available, using plant breeding and new, improved farming systems that maximised the crop’s potential.

And then came the 2010–11 season. We saw an end to the long drought and the cotton harvest produced an all-time Australian record of just under four million bales, almost triple the previous season and expected to contribute around $2.4 billion in export earnings. At the same time, cotton prices rose, peaking at around $1,000 per bale, allowing growers to repair some of the financial damage of previous years. There is little doubt the R&D ‘learnings’ of the previous decade contributed to the excellent yields.

Unfortunately, the news was not good for all growers. Some in central Queensland and on the Darling Downs lost their entire crops – an estimated 10 per cent of total planted area – and suffered damage to their properties. Others in the northern regions suffered ongoing problems with waterlogged crops.

From an R&D perspective, these conditions ‘reality tested’ our new R&D Adoption Framework, which began delivering industry-wide extension in a more targeted and commercial-like manner in 2010. We are delighted to say the new cotton industry Development and Delivery team, and the scientists who worked with them, were well set up to provide timely post-flood advice to growers and consultants on how to manage flood-affected crops. Importantly, this included recovering seemingly lost yield potential through management strategies gained in years of research into growing cotton in tropical climates. To aid with such challenges in the future, CRDC is investing in a project in central Queensland to assess the response of flood- affected cotton crops to various management techniques.

The 2010–11 season also saw the launch of the new best management practices system, myBMP, which evolved the previous program into a responsive, interactive online portal designed to allow individual growers’ to assess and manage risks. Following myBMP’s launch in August 2010, the year’s task has been to inform growers about the program and encourage them to participate. While the first growers have now been fully accredited under myBMP, the program’s strength is that it allows growers to choose the level and type of involvement that suits their own circumstances. None of this would be possible or as productive without the engagement of industry and our research partners. Cotton growers and ginners continue to provide valuable guidance through Cotton Australia on research priorities, critical review of project design and impact. Equally, these close linkages support strong levels of R&D adoption by industry and a responsive research community.

In February 2011, the Productivity Commission handed the Australian Government the final report of its inquiry into the return on its investments in the Rural R&D Corporations. The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator the Hon Joe Ludwig, subsequently announced that he would not be changing funding arrangements for RDCs, including CRDC, despite a recommendation contained in the report. CRDC is committed to working with both the Australian Government and cotton industry to ensure the continuing effectiveness and efficiency of our stakeholders’ investment in rural R&D.