At the 1982 Australian Cotton Growers' Research Conference the effects of land preparation at different soi1 water contents on soil structure and cotton growth was reported. In summary, land preparation on 'wet' rather than 'dry' soil led to (1) a significant reduction in the amount of water available to cotton plants, (ii) strong changes in soil structure visible in the soil profile, and (iii) smaller cotton plants with up to 50% fewer green bolls.