This travel scholarship enable one researcher from the University of Queensland to attend the bi-annual Australian Cotton Research Conference to present the final results of the researchers study of the green vegetable bug (Nezara viridula or QVB) PhD to other cotton researchers, whilst maintaining a collaborative network of relationships with other Australian cotton researchers and remain familiar with cotton industry research on completion of the PhD. Additional extension of the project will be funded by the CRDC. Attendance at this conference allowed discussion aspects of this project with other researchers and a further experience with aspects of the cotton industry.

The incidence of chemical spray applications hitting non-target areas including crops in broadacre agriculture continues to be too-regular issue for agricultural producers. The ability of regulators to monitor, investigate incidents and prosecute offenders is limited by difficulty in proving the source of incidents thus the threat of restricted conditions of use and withdrawal of product has become more likely. This has resulted in a need for pro-active measures from affected industries to improve spray application techniques to reduce off-target spray incidents along with other benefits. To this end, spray training workshops have become more regular industry activities as have localised organisations and groups focusing on promoting improved spray application awareness and training.

This report documents the outcomes of the Australian Cotton Industry Sustainability Stakeholder Forum and is very insightful into the perceptions and perspectives of peak industry bodies and cotton growers, with some discussion around future challenges for the Australian cotton industry.

The Australian cotton industry was acknowledged and recognised for:

- Its transformation from an industry in crisis, to a world leader in sustainable cotton production

-Being innovative, brave, forward looking and inclusive

Brands, retailers and NGOs were more focused on the global social challenges for cotton such

as child labour, the provision of living wages and safe working conditions. Other stakeholders

identified issues such as water, climate change, biodiversity and innovation. Growers were interested in how to use the Australian cotton sustainability story to drive market access, profitability and consumer awareness.

The results of this forum will be used to inform the industry’s sustainability targets and the development of an overall industry sustainability strategy to bring cohesion to all of the industry’s related activities.

Smarter Irrigation for Profit was funded via Round 1 of the Rural Research and Development for Profit Program.

The project aimed to improve the profit of cotton, dairy, rice and sugar irrigators with the support of 16 research and development partners and 19 farmer irrigation technology learning sites. Grower led irrigation research and extension aimed to collect commercially relevant comparative data on different irrigation systems and technologies. The intention was to provide growers improved understanding of the implications for capital investment, management and the resource requirements (water, energy and labour) associated with different irrigation systems and the adoption of automation technology and different approaches to farming systems.

The project consisted of three components.

1. Practical, reliable irrigation scheduling technologies

2. Precise, low cost automated control systems for a range of irrigation systems

3. A network of 19 farmer managed learning sites located around Australia.

The project found participating farmers from the dairy, cotton, sugar and rice industries could achieve a 10-20 percent improvement in water productivity through adoption of new and existing precision irrigation technologies. The project also identified significant energy savings which also enhanced profitability.

National Plant Biosecurity RD&E Strategy

• Endorsed by PIMC December 2013

• Implementation Committee formed August 2014

• Cross sectorial strategy so no direct RDC to report to

• PHA provides Chair, Strategy Leader and Executive

Officer

Plant Biosecurity RD&E Strategy links to:

• Other AGSOC National Primary Industries RD&E

Framework

sector & cross sectoral strategies

• National Plant Biosecurity Strategy

• Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity Schedule 8

• Environmental Biosecurity Strategy – links with weeds

and environmental pests

• National Fruit Fly Strategy

• Other relevant plant RD&E committees

A cross sectoral approach to biosecurity has led to collaborative funding and quarterly meetings by the Implementation Committee to develop a Strategic and Annual Operating Plan, reporting status of biosecurity concerns, activities and actions within Australia agricultureThe recent announcement relating to the seven plant RDCs provides an opportunity for the RDCs to better manage collaborative cross sectorial arrangements in plant biosecurity RD&E. In 2016/17, the appointment of an independent chair and a program director employed by the RDCs, and PHA will enable focused development and coordination of plant biosecurity research, development and extension activities. In addition, this role will provide a coordination link between the RDCs committee, the AGSOC R&I committee and the work undertaken by the National Biosecurity Committee who have now established a focus on plant biosecurity RD&E. The new RDC committee provides a single point of contact for the AGSOC Plant Biosecurity Committee and will enable cross sectorial opportunities to be considered by all RDCs. Examples of this include the outcomes of the whitefly and transmitted viruses and diagnostic workshop outputs.

The cotton mealybug (CMB), Phenacoccus solenopsis, also known as the solenopsis mealybug, is a highly polyphagous and invasive global insect pest of cotton. Damage to cotton by this pest includes limiting yield potential (plant stunting and/or mortality) and marketability through effects on lint quality (boll characteristics and lint contamination). This project was designed to continue the lines of investigation commenced in DAQ1204 and provide research outcomes to underpin the successful implementation of

IPM in cotton production systems with CMB as an important and recurring element of the pest spectrum.

CMB is believed to be native to North America and was first reported from cotton growing areas in Texas in the early 90s. CMB has since been recognised as a globally invasive species, and poses a significant threat to the world’s major cotton industries in Asia (India, Pakistan), Brazil and China. In Australia, economically damaging outbreaks of CMB on cotton were reported from the Burdekin and Emerald region of Central Queensland in 2010.

It is well established from research done overseas and in Australia that CMB is easily controlled by naturally occurring predators (lacewings, various coccinellid beetles) and a parasitic wasp in agroecosystems where beneficial arthropod populations are not exposed to the detrimental effects of disruptive agents such as broad-spectrum insecticides. In Australian cotton production systems where a number of key insect pests often require chemical control, anecdotal reports from growers and consultants indicate a potential link between control of other sucking pests (e.g. mirids, aphids) using broad-spectrum insecticides, and the severity of CMB infestations, presumably mediated through the effects of the insecticides used on beneficial arthropod communities. Such a putative cause-effect relationship is consistent with the rising pest status of CMB since 2010, as evidenced by the recurrence of infestations and expansion of its distribution into southern Queensland and New South Wales in 2017.

The Cotton Australia grower RD&E Advisory Panels provide a critical role within the cotton industry by providing practical advice on research, development and extension needs and priorities. This advice is important guidance to CRDC in its formation of five-year Strategic R&D Plans, Annual Operational Plans, Expressions of Interest for RD&E and resultant CRDC decisions as to project investments.

Cotton Australia facilitates 4 advisory panels that are aligned with the CRDC strategic plan priorities. The panels consist of up to 40 grower, consultant and ginners members from every cotton growing region.

The TIMS Committee is facilitated by Cotton Australia and the TIMS Technical Panels are facilitated by CRDC. TIMS functions as a cotton industry stewardship group, with broad representation from growers, research organisations, crop consultants and members of the pulse and grains industries. The agricultural chemical, biotechnology and planting seed companies that provide crop protection tools to Australian cotton growers approach the TIMS Committee for advice on issues associated with developing or amending resistance management plans for new or existing technologies. Cotton Australia is represented by 6 grower representatives, the TIMS Committee Chair, the Chairs of the three technical panels and the Executive Officer.

The Cotton Australia-facilitated Industry Biosecurity Group (IBG) has traditionally met annually to ensure that the cotton industry’s responsibilities under the Emergency Plant Pest Response (EPPR) Deed are met. Development of an implementation plan through recent revision of the Industry Biosecurity Plan has led to a need to formalise this group to address key biosecurity needs of the industry. The IBG includes one grower and one staff representative of Cotton Australia as well as representatives from CRDC, CottonInfo, CSIRO, NSW DPI, QDAF.

The National Working Party on Pesticide Applications (NWPPA) has been working since 2010 to bring a national, coordinated technical approach to spray drift issues.

Our vision is that the regulatory system is science based and recognises the use of drift reduction technologies, better education and practice to enable the use of smaller, practical buffer zones.

With most of the research commissioned by the NWPPA either finished or nearing completion, and the delay in the release of the APVMA consultation paper, the Working Party reduced activities in 2016-17. However, dialogue with the APVMA and other stakeholders was maintained and operation of the TWG supported.

At a meeting with Stakeholders held in Canberra on 12 April 2017, the APVMA confirmed and acknowledged that work facilitated by the NWPPA has delivered science that has provided significant support for the proposed framework.

However, as a result of reorganisation, relocation and other business factors, the APVMA is currently prioritising activities to improve on its overall core KPIs https://apvma.gov.au/node/26841

Consequently, as of June 2017, the APVMA has not yet released the final spray drift draft consultation paper and although “the science has been done”, the APVMA has indicated that it does not currently have the resources to “roll out” and implement the new spray drift framework.

The APVMA’s current approach for addressing the risk of spray drift was established in March 2010. Following implementation, it was found that:

• The scheme lacked flexibility and an ability to adopt DRTs

• Assessments were based on worst case scenarios

• There was little incentive to adopt best practice

• There were deterrents to including some types of applications when registering products

Consequently, in step with the NWPPA, the APVMA commenced an internal project to develop a new spray drift regulatory framework in 2013. This new approach proposed a set of on-line tools that could be made publicly available on APVMA’s website for calculating spray drift and setting buffers. A draft consultation document was sent to the NWPPA in September 2015 for review and comment. Comments were received by the APVMA and draft documentation updated in accordance with submissions made during the ground truthing exercise.

The new approach proposes to make use of a new Spray Drift Management Tool (SDMT) to generate scientifically justifiable deposit curves. This initiative would enable:

• Simplified and consistent label statements.

• Quicker assessment by APVMA through use of a Spray Drift Risk Assessment Tool, (SDRAT).

• Increased flexibility by end users (SDMT).

• Greater use of drift reducing technologies (DRTs).

Sustainable weed management in cotton farming systems is critical to the long-term production of profitable, high yielding cotton crops. The introduction of Roundup® Ready cotton in 2000 has seen a major shift in weed management in cotton, with greatly increased reliance on glyphosate for weed control, frequently at the expense of diversity in the cotton weed management program.

Roundup Ready cotton provides growers with a number of advantages, including:

– Earlier planting opportunity, with less time dedicated to weed management between spring weed emergence and planting

– Control of weeds which were previously more ‘difficult’ to control e.g. nutgrass

– Less crop yield impact from residual herbicides

– Reduction in the use of chipping and interrow cultivation

– More simple and ‘easy’ weed management program.

In parallel with and prior to the adoption of Roundup Ready crops, many cotton and adjoining paddocks and farms were also increasing their reliance on glyphosate with the conversion to zero till management in the non-cotton phase and/or prior to establishing cotton.

The high reliance of glyphosate has seen three major trends:

– Species shift towards surface germinating weeds in no-till farming

– Species shift towards weeds with higher levels of tolerance to glyphosate

– Selection of weeds resistant to glyphosate.

An increasing number of cotton growers are experiencing glyphosate control ‘failures’ on certain weeds on parts of their farms. Through travel, some growers have also been exposed to the glyphosate resistance issues (Palmer Amaranth in particular) currently being experienced in North American cotton systems.

This has increased the level of urgency to address the lack of diversity in weed management. As a reflection of this demand, ICAN has recently been approached by a number of cotton advisers to assist them in facilitating discussions on increasing diversity in weed management processes with their cotton grower clients.

IN support of women in agriculture, a cotton industry contingent attended the AgriFutures Australia Rural Women’s Award at Parliament House in September.

CRDC has long been a supporter of projects and initiatives designed to support rural women, such as the Rural Women’s Award. This year it was women who inspire the ambition of country kids who took out the top awards. Winner Tanya Dupagne was chosen for her work in supporting the wellbeing of young rural Australians through her role as director of Camp Kulin in WA’s wheatbelt region. Runner-up was Simone Kain, recognised for her work in educating children about farming and encouraging them to consider a career in agricultural industries through her ‘George the Farmer’ and soon to launch ‘Dr Ruby’ characters.

“CRDC continues to support the award, as it recognises, inspires and connects women in our agricultural industries,” CRDC Executive Director Bruce Finney said.

“Along with the many personal development programs we support, our new Cotton Industry On-Farm Workforce Development Strategy has further committed to supporting women through business skills planning courses, including business planning, business performance, risk management (including climate), human resources and WHS.”