Management of soil organic carbon (SOC) is necessary for sustainable agricultural development. Increases in SOC are associated with improved soil productivity and structure, and may provide a mitigation strategy for the issues of rising greenhouse gas emissions and dispersive sodic soils. Soil fungi may alter SOC levels through: (1) the stabilisation of soil aggregates, within which SOC may be protected from aerobic degradation, and (2) the transformation and translocation of carbon compounds via microbial growth. Some melanised root-associated fungi (MRAF) isolated from the Sydney Basin Region have been shown to increase SOC in Alfisol (Mukasa Mugerwa and McGee, 2017). The broad aim of this project was to explore whether some MRAF have the capacity to increase SOC within an irrigated cotton system. To address this aim, I (1) isolated a number of MRAF endemic to the site where the Australian Cotton Research Institute is located, (2) conducted a small laboratory incubation experiment to trial a potential method to screen local MRAF isolates, and (3) conducted a glasshouse experiment to test the effect of some MRAF isolates on SOC levels using cotton as the host plant.

A glasshouse, pot experiment was conducted from October 2016 to January 2017. Briefly, pots were inoculated with one of 6 inoculum treatments: Control (wheat seed based), Control (millet seed based), 83017, 83019, C004.2, and NV016.17. These treatments are described in Table 1. Cotton, Gossypium hirstutum, cultivar (Sicot 74683F) was used as the host plant. Soil samples were taken at 25, 50 and 75 days after seed germination. Part of the soil sample (approximately 10 g) was used to measure the extent of hyphal growth through the soil (Shen et al., 2016). Hyphal growth was separated into fungi with melanised hyphae and fungi with non-melanised hyphae. The remainder of the sample was then dried at 40°C, and a two subsamples taken. The first (approximately 10 g) was used for total SOC analysis. The second subsample (approximately 25 g) was separated into four different soil aggregate classes using dry sieving. These four aggregate classes were: large macro-aggregates (> 2 mm diameter), macro-aggregates (2 - 0.84 mm), small macro-aggregates (0.84 - 0.25 mm diameter) and micro-aggregates and silt and clay fractions (< 0.25mm) (Zhang et al., 2013). SOC was measured for each aggregate class.

Three Mental and Physical Health Empowerment Days were held. Dirranbandi was held on the 9th of May 2014, St George on the 30th of May 2014 and Mungindi was held on the 13th of June 2014. 172 people attended the 3 days. We had 20 speakers who empowered, encouraged, informed and inspired the participants. Subjects covered were mental health, breast care, community supports, work and life balances, chronic disease, holistic supports and chemist supports. We identified, through engaging with the community, the needs of the community and sourced someone to speak in these areas. These days pulled together Government, Private, Community and Not for Profit organisations through speakers, presenters and stall holders. The morning tea and lunch breaks created time to network and to peruse the stalls and take part in some of the relaxation and health promotion stands. Our speakers, presenters, stands and gift bags with information inserted covered resources such as.

Medicare Local representatives

Queensland Health

Rural community nurses

Local community groups such as CWA, schools, Rotary etc.

Angel Flight, Flying Doctors, Local Doctors and other health services locally

Agriculture is facing current productivity challenges in terms of managing pests and diseases, which will significantly increase within the next decade. With a general decline in productivity growth and changes to external factors in managing weed, pest and disease risk, Australia more than ever requires access to new and safer pesticide and veterinary medicines. The plant and animal industries are all facing significant emerging biosecurity threats and being impacted on by pesticide resistance. Australia is no longer on the global priority list for pesticide and veterinary medicine commercialisation as it was 20 years ago.

Australia more than ever requires access to new, safer pesticides and veterinary medicines. Australian agriculture is experiencing increasing market failure regarding investment in agricultural pesticides and veterinary medicines as the case for commercial investment is not always sufficient given the regulatory cost for chemical registration and the relatively small market size.

Some industries in Australia are currently missing out on up to 50% of the potential new technologies which key competitors in Europe and the USA have access to, putting those industries at a competitive disadvantage. Australian agriculture is experiencing increasing market failure regarding investment in agricultural pesticides and veterinary medicines as the case for commercial investment is not always sufficient given the current high level of regulatory cost for chemical registration and the relatively small market size.

Without significant change, Australian agricultural productivity will increasingly decline, as will the ability of new and emerging industries to deliver a more diverse range of foods due to increasing market failure, even though demand for these products continues to grow.

The RIRDC project PRJ-009981 Delivery of Access to AgVet Chemicals Collaborative System, was contracted to establish a forum to develop a sustainable approach for collaboration regarding AgVet chemicals, building on recent cross industry discussions on AgVet chemical access that were supported by industry and government stakeholders. It could include establishing a collaboration and co-investment framework to more efficiently improve AgVet technology access for agricultural industries at reduced cost.

The joint RDC funded project through PRJ-10406 – AgVet Collaborative Forum project has delivered the second phase of activity of the Forum established in 2014. This project has continued to deliver a sustainable approach for collaboration regarding improved access to AgVet chemicals. The project has continued to make further improvement to a collaboration and co-investment framework to more efficiently improve AgVet technology access for agricultural industries at reduced cost. The project has continued to demonstrate potential value of collaboration and cost savings from investment in the collaborative framework, delivering increased Agvet tools to Australian agriculture

The CRDC Grassroots Grants program encourages Cotton Grower Associations (CGAs) to apply for funding to support capacity building projects in their region.

Since the Grassroots Grants program commenced in 2011, CRDC has invested over $466,000 in 52 projects across the cotton growing valleys – from weather stations to crop nutrition workshops.Up to $10,000 in funding is available for CGAs to help fund a project aimed at increasing the engagement of growers in the industry, solving specific regional issues and improving their skills, knowledge base and networks.

Given the incidence of non-target spray drift having a very significant impact across the cotton industry and particularly in the Macquaire Valley over the last two seasons the Macquaire Cotton Growers Association (MCGA) thought action needed to be taken to try and reduce the incidence across the valley.

Discovery Ag had recently installed an extensive weather station network (every 25km across our region). The MCGA wanted to use grass roots funding to install or access weather stations that could be fitted with 10m inversion towers. We discussed the potential for accessing an existing network that could be fitted with the towers as this would be more economical.

The MCGA approached Discovery Ag and Goanna Telemetry and they were happy to collaborate on this project with the shared aim of reducing the incidence of off target spray drift in the valley. Goanna Telemetry has an existing network of weather station with a web and app-based viewing platform that we were able to access as part of the project.

How the weather stations work

Surface temperature inversions are formed when a layer of cool air at the surface is overlain by a layer of warmer air. (Under normal conditions air temperature usually decreases with height.) The weather stations monitor the Air temperature at 2m and 10m.The network can flag in our app when an Inversion risk occurs.

(Inversion risk = When 10m Air Temperature is 0.1deg C greater than the Air Temperature at 2m).

The weather stations then report any inversion risk that occurred between the 10min period reporting interval.

During the ten minutes the weather station is not reporting it measures and median filters air temperature every 12 seconds. The network will identify good spraying conditions and alert when inversion conditions exist.

myBMP is a voluntary farm and environmental management system which provides self- assessment mechanisms, practical tools and auditing processes to ensure that Australian cotton is produced according to best management practice (myBMP, n.d.). Growers can also choose to be professionally audited and certified as myBMP accredited cotton growers. Adoption of myBMP supports the risk management and social licence requirements of the cotton industry. This is particularly so as cotton production involves the use of significant amounts of water and chemicals. Thus, the production process needs to be efficiently managed to moderate detrimental environmental impacts which if not curbed may lead to loss of grower incomes and/or loss of industry social licence.

In using myBMP information and tools, cotton growers can improve on-farm performance through:

• Better managing business and production risk, through use of up-to-date effective solutions to deal with pests, weeds, water use efficiency, and legal requirements, among others.

• Maximising potential market advantages, such as access to premium cotton prices afforded by the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI).

• Demonstrating responsible and sustainable natural resource management to the community, through myBMP certification, BCI and/or Cotton LEADS TM certification.

The myBMP information is categorised into 10 key modules for growers, these are:

• Biosecurity - for avoidance, management and control of pests and diseases

• Energy and Input Efficiency - for more efficient energy inputs such as electricity, fuel

and fertilisers

• Fibre Quality - for growing the best quality cotton possible

• Human Resources and Workplace Health and Safety - helps growers manage

employees and contractors whilst providing a safe and compliant workplace

• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - for management of pests, weeds and diseases

• Sustainable Natural Landscape - for managing the vegetative and riparian assets on

the farm

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• Pesticide Management - for all aspects of pesticide management, storage and use on farm

• Petrochemical Storage and Handling - for managing fuels and lubricants on farm

• Soil Health - for maintaining and/or improving soil quality and fertility

• Water Management - covering water quality, efficiency of storage and distribution for

both dryland and irrigated farming practices.

The reason for travel is to attend the 2014 Beltwide Cotton Conference to be held from the 6 – 8 January at the Marriott Hotel in New Orleans, LA, USA. Coordinated by the National Cotton Council (NCC) and its cooperating partners, this annual forum is recognised as the global champion for cotton technology transfer. The purpose for attending is to form collaborative relationships and gain the latest information on management of diseases and pests that are relevant to Australian cotton production.

Current nutrient management strategies are based primarily on the concept of cost effective nutrient management (i.e. deriving an economic return from fertilizer investment), unless managers have consciously embarked on a nutrient replacement approach to balance crop nutrient removal. The consequence of cost effective strategies is that soil fertility reserves of (originally) non-limiting nutrients will decline until fertilizer applications become warranted. Soil testing has shown that reserves of P, K and S have been gradually declining but there is little definitive evidence of the threshold soil test values which indicate when fertilizer application becomes warranted. This is particularly so for the alkaline cracking clay soils that support the Australian cotton industry. In addition to the lack of clear guidelines to identify fertilizer responsive field sites, there is also uncertainty surrounding the most effective fertilizer application strategies (rates, placement and timing) to allow efficient crop recovery and use. These issues are particularly important for immobile nutrients which don’t redistribute down the soil profile as moisture profiles refill.

This project undertook an extensive field research program to improve the soil testing guidelines for defining P and K responsiveness in irrigated and dryland cotton systems and to evaluate fertilizer application strategies (soil or foliar applications, fertilizer banding or incorporation) in terms of crop recovery and crop response. Both these nutrients already figure prominently in cotton fertilizer programs.

Help innovators, and by doing so learn how to evolve the culture of CRDC towards entrepreneurial impact.

Digital technologies are currently underpinning revolutions in business and society. In particular, digital technologies have driven major efficiency gains in almost all industries since the late 1970s. Digital technologies, and the complex infrastructures such as the Internet created by them, have opened up entirely new business models and opportunities. Whole industries can and have been disrupted. New industries can arise where none existed before.

Agricultural industries have long been innovators in the use of technology. Mechanisation, industrial production of fertilisers and pesticides, and dramatic improvements in crop varieties and breeds have led to substantial productivity improvements over the previous century. Digital technologies have been part of this increase in efficiency.

That Australia could miss out on the benefits of digital technologies because of gaps and deficiencies in our data infrastructure is a significant concern. This report explores these issues. In particular, it considers whether the lack of available data in Australia will limit the benefit that can be derived from the adoption of digital technologies. It surveys currently available data sources and decision-support tools. Based on interviews with producers and industry representatives as well as independent research, it considers where future investment may give economic returns. The review will serve as a resource for producers, policy makers and commercial technology suppliers to guide their decisions for future investment and planning.

The key objective of this project is a review of the current and future state of agricultural data, rules communication and systems in Australia to identify the high-value information data sets and tools that agricultural producers need in decision making in their farming and fisheries. The review will serve as a resource that producers, policy makers and commercial technology suppliers will use to guide their decisions for future investment and planning. Also a review of the current and future state of agricultural data, rules communication and systems in Australia and identify the high-value information data sets and tools that agricultural producers need in decision making in their framing and fisheries. The review will serve as a resource that producers, policy makers and commercial technology suppliers will use to guide their decisions for future investment and planning.

This project used workshops and interviews with key stakeholders to identify which datasets and decision-support tools were currently being used across different agriculture sectors and explore where future investment opportunities may exist. Based on these interviews we identified five main cross-sectoral data types that warranted further analysis. These were soils, weather, imagery, land use and property boundaries. For each of these data types we have documented the key existing datasets, discussed the trends and opportunities and made recommendations about a desired future state.

A key finding from this study is that thinking purely in terms of data is anachronistic. While data will always be the foundation of information products, digital technologies and advanced analytics will facilitate a much broader suite of services and products.

In reviewing cross-sectoral data it has become apparent how haphazard the development of data and knowledge assets has been in some cases. While the value of information and knowledge about Australia has been recognised, there has not been a fully coordinated strategy around its prioritisation and collection. The current data and assets reflect needs, decisions and priorities that have changed over time. But whether this is efficient going forward, as the opportunities for predictive analytics in the agricultural sector increase, is questionable. We thus recommend that there is a strategic plan around cross-sectoral data assets, and that the draft version of this plan come from this document. The report proposes thirteen recommendations that address issues such as investment in a national agriculture data infrastructure, targeted investment for the development of data-driven decision support systems, the development of ‘ready-to-go’ data based on existing data holdings, the promotion of findable accessible interoperable and reusable storage system by rural development corporations, agriculture data exchange platforms supported by an appropriate business model, sector based alliances committed to leverage investment in common data, increased university training in agricultural digital technologies and the development of business models to improve the quality and density of digital soil information. The report also recommends support for the assimilation of increasing sensor and informally collected weather data with existing forecasts aimed at improving the forecast information at finer spatial and temporal scales, the development of bespoke weather and climate metrics tailored to the farming community and increased efforts to translate sub-seasonal forecasts into decision-support tools.

Remotely sensed (RS) information products have the capacity to generate geographically extensive and cost-effective data and will be crucial to the full implementation of digital agriculture. The report recommends making RS data being made more available and in formats accessible and interpretable by developers of agricultural applications. The final recommendation focuses on the development of interfaces between the existing ACLUMP partnership and new data streams to enable opportunities in biosecurity and industry planning.

In Early July 2013, CRDC released their 2013-2018 Strategic R&D Plan. A key strategy outlined in the plan is “Responsible Landscape Management” with the industry aiming to be recognised for its leadership in environmental performance. Supporting the development and delivery of research outcomes from CRDC past and present strategic plans, is the CottonInfo team, a joint venture between Cotton Australia, Cotton Research and Development Corporation and Cotton Seed Distributors. The CottonInfo Team identified a NRM knowledge gap within the team, this project addreessed that knowledge gap by providing a NRM technical specialist 3 days a week who provided the technical NRM skills and knowledge required to co-ordinate the National Cotton NRM campaign and lead the industries continuous improvements of its best practice recommendations for NRM.

Through this project the latest industry lead NRM research has been synthesised into publications and products that provide growers, consultants and the CottonInfo team with the latest best practice recommendations for natural resource on cotton farms. These include but are not limited to, the revised Natural Assets Module of myBMP, 2014 Cotton Production Manual & the 2015 Cotton Calendar.

Working with the CottonInfo team, partnerships where formed with other industry organisations such as Wincott which has lead to better engagement and knowledge transfer to cotton growers, examples include the “Summertime Fun workshop series” and the 2015 Cotton Calendar.

A key outcome of the project has been the development of the Australian cotton Industries NRM campaign which has a focus on Riverine condition and providing the capacity, resources and tools for growers to manage these areas according to best practice. As part of this campaign the industry will be implementing nationally over the next 3 years a riparian monitoring program which was developed through this project.