This project was jointly funded by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation and the Grains Research and Development Corporation. The training activities delivered within this project resulted in a positive practice change towards improved by more than 80% of the participants.

Over the three year funding period 114 training activities were delivered to growers, advisors and machinery dealers in the Northern GRDC region and Cotton Growing areas This output exceeded the project milestones by 75% ( the milestones required a minimum of 65 workshops to be completed). The training activities alone contributed over $400,000 value to this project through in-kind and cash contributions from the industry and participants.

A total of 8 replicated trials were completed to demonstrate equivalent efficacy and potential limitations with drift reduction technologies. Results were widely reported to industry via field days, industry updates and inclusion in training materials.

Bill Gordon Consulting prepared 15 articles for industry journals, and contributed to a further 12 regional newspaper articles, and gave radio and television interviews related to spray drift management.

The outputs of this project, in combination with other industry initiatives, have seen a significant change in the types of nozzles that applicators are using. In 2005 at the commencement of this project only 43% of the nozzles supplied by the leading distributor in Australia would be considered as drift reducing, in 2008 this figure had increased to 72% of all nozzle sales through this supplier.Project outputs have also seen an increased awareness of the meteorological conditions that contribute increased risk of spray drift occurring. Chemical user accreditations now include to the materials developed in this project by Bill Gordon Consulting.

This project has worked in conjunction with industry to develop the capacity to continually improve the management of spraying operations and to minimise the risk of spray drift events adversely impacting on the industry.

Based on the data that emerged from a Human resources project undertaken earlier in 2012 and reported on in March 2012, the objectives of this project were to investigate the likely level of support for a Strategic Program that would address key succession and professional development issues in the cotton agribusiness sector, in terms of:

 What would be the key issues for attention?

 What would be the key factors affecting how to address these key issues?

 What level of support would the sector be prepared to supply – and how?

 How would such a program best be run?

 To what extent would the sector be prepared to assist / buy in?

Drawing on the findings of the original review reported in March 2012 and drawing on the results of this project, the following projected numbers and roles of cotton agribusiness personnel required by 2016 has been updated. This report recognises that making predictions about likely staff numbers in the cotton industry has a high degree of uncertainty and that there is no allowance made for key non-operational roles and for retiring or departing industry personnel.

The key elements of implementing the Program appear to be best focussed on - an independent

panel, board of management or reference group to guide the project;the input of CRDC and Cotton Australia; an

independent contracted project manager who could be initial panel chair to manage the project in

accordance with the panel's needs and interests; a regular process of engaging with the agribusiness

sector -to brief it on progress and obtain input regarding future plans; plus varied engagement

processes focused on personal interaction with the sector at key events and also electronically .

The engagement processes would seek input and outline progress, while also outlining success

stories that other cotton agribusinesses could use.

The panel could represent the various cotton agribusiness sectors, commencing with representatives

of the project respondents. They would be varied I confirmed at the proposed round table

discussion in first quarter 2013, which would meet potentially quarterly thereafter. Initially the

panel would need to ensure a defined longer term vision is scoped out, so the annual activities have

some context in which to operate and the evaluation process has some outcomes to monitor to

demonstrate the panel/ project effectiveness.

The following industry take home messages are a summary of practical findings pertinent

to growers and industry personnel:

• Growers should continue to delay sowing to avoid cool conditions that favour

seedling disease and black root rot, and treat seed with both fungicide and

insecticide to minimise the risk of stand loss from seedling disease and wireworm.

• Incidence and severity of black root rot may increase under overhead irrigation, so

growers should avoid installing overhead irrigation systems in fields with a history

of the disease and take active steps to suppress the disease in overhead irrigated

fields.

• Seedling disease is caused by a large and variable group of fungi.

• Varietal resistance and farm hygiene are key tools in continuing to reduce the

impact of Verticillium and Fusarium wilt on cotton production. However growers

should practice all aspects of integrated disease management for these diseases as

varietal resistance can break down in cool seasons.

• Boll rot fungi have the potential to wipe out yield. Always manage the crop to

avoid rank growth.

• Industry awareness of biosecurity threats is crucial in preventing and/or

successfully eradicating incursions of exotic plant pathogens. On-farm biosecurity

and farm hygiene measures underlie whole of industry biosecurity awareness and

preparedness.

• Dynasty CST continues to be the most effective fungicide seed treatment for

seedling disease.

• Several fungicides have shown promise as seed treatments for black root rot

although further research is required. Bion continues to be the most effective seed

treatment against black root rot.

• Rotation with wheat does not appear to reduce levels of black root rot.

• Biofumigation is an effective means of reducing the impact of black root rot,

although benefits may be masked when conditions do not favour disease.

• Growers should test plant growth in fields suspected of being deficient in VAM by

growing test strips of chick pea, linseed or cotton and comparing to growth in

recently cropped soil.

These take home messages are a best bet approach to minimising the impacts of cotton

diseases on sustainable cotton production and compliment existing Integrated Disease

Management guidelines. Adoption of these take home messages will improve industry

biosecurity and reduce the risk posed by exotic and endemic threats to Australian cotton

production.

The intention of this report is to provide the Australian Cotton Industry with information on the performance of the 2008 crop in regard to content and short fibre content as tested by the AFIS PRO instrument, fineness as tested by the Cottonscan™ and calculated maturity. These results represent results for the second year of this survey with samples for the 2009 crop still to be tested and evaluated.

Nine hundred and eighty two samples from 32 varieties, 9 growing locations and ginned at 23 gins were collected by classing facilities and forwarded to and tested by CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering (CMSE) in the Cotton Testing Laboratory situated in Geelong. The results show that the 2008 crop had an average nep content of 355 neps/gram, an average of 26 seed coat neps/gram, and an average short fibre content of 9.6%. When comparing these results to the results from the 2007 1crop we note that the average nep content has increased by 85 neps/gram and that the average seed coat neps/gram, and short fibre content were similar.

When comparing the 2008 results to the current Uster Statistics and requirements by

international spinners2, one will note that the average results for seed coat neps and short fibre content are within standard and acceptable. However the nep content of 355 neps/gram is above the preferred 250 neps/gram. As was the case in 2007, there are large variations in nep, seed coat nep and short fibre content, which needs to be investigated further once all the samples for the three years have been tested and analysed.

The 2008 crop had an average fineness of 191 mtex, which can still be considered to be fairly coarse although it is slightly finer than the 2007 crop, which had an average fineness of 204 mtex. The average maturity was 0.78, which is less mature than the 2007 crop which had an average maturity of 0.85. As was the case in 2007, there are also large variations in the fineness and maturity values that need to be investigated further.

This report presents the experimental work and outcomes of the project that commenced in 2006 and was completed on 30 June 2010 (03DAN001). The aim of the project was to develop and commercialize two new fungal insecticides viz; BC667 (Beauveria spp) and BC 639 (Aspergillus sp.) for control of Helicoverpa spp. and sucking pests on cotton. In achieving the project’s aim various studies were conducted in the laboratory, mesh house and field. The study objectives were (1) assess BC667 and BC639 for efficacy against green mirids and aphids (2) evaluate the efficacy of lower rates (below 50g spore/ha) of BC667 and BC639 against green mirids and aphids on cotton; (3) determine the oviposition and feeding responses of green mirids and aphids to BC 667 and BC639 treated plants; (4) evaluate the efficacy of different rates of BC667 and BC639 fungal insecticides and identify the optimum rate effective against green mirids, aphids and beneficial insects and (5) identify the best method for the manufacture and formulation of large quantities of BC 667 and BC 639 spores for commercial use.

In 2005 - 2007, a commercial formulation of BC 667 and BC 639 that incorporates horticultural oil and emulsifiers was developed. Several laboratory, mesh house and field studies were undertaken to determine the efficacy of the formulated fungal products against Helicoverpa spp, sucking pests and beneficial insects on cotton plants. The results of the studies showed that both BC 667 and BC 639 were pathogenic to H. armigera eggs, larvae, and sucking pests including silverleaf whitefly but not pathogenic against predatory insects. The two fungi were also found to be pathogenic to Helicoverpa spp. first to third instar larvae within 3-4 days after treatment. In contrast, the fungus was found ineffective against medium to large Helicoverpa spp. larvae.

In 2008 - 2010, field trials concentrated on BC 639 to generate more efficacy data to support registration of the BC 639 fungus upon the advice of the commercial partner (Becker Underwood Pty Ltd). Overall, the efficacy of the fungal insecticides particularly BC639 was tested at 14 different sites on commercial cotton crops against Helicoverpa spp eggs, very small and small larvae, medium and large larvae, green mirid adults and nymphs, gereen vegetable bugs, apple dimpling bugs, cotton aphids, silverleaf whiteflies (b-type). A total of 65 experiments were conducted on commercial cotton crops in terms of individual insects assessed. In each experiment, different rates of BC 639 was assessed and compared with commercial insecticides used against these pests on commercial cotton crops.

The results showed that BC 639 applied at the following rates: 125ml/ha, 250ml/ha, 500ml/ha, 750ml/ha and 1.0L/ha were found to be efficacious against all the test insects. No significant difference in efficacy was found when the product was applied at 1.0 L/ha, 750ml/ha and 500ml/ha against all the test insects. However, application of lower rates of BC 639 at 250ml/ha and 125ml/ha were efficacious at low pest pressure situations but at high pest pressure it will require paired application of the product especially sucking pests such as green mirids, green vegetable bug, aphids and whiteflies.

The optimum rate of application of BC 639 was identified as 500ml/ha. The 500ml/ha rate was as effective as 1.0 L/ha, 0.75L/ha BC 639 and also the recommended rates of commercial insecticides used in controlling green mirids, green vegetable bugs, silverleaf whiteflies, aphids, apple dimpling bugs and Helicoverpa spp. Application of BC 639 rates was done at the recommended thresholds for each of the targeted pests. For example, application of BC 639 against green mirids was done when the number of green mirids per metre row of cotton was equal or greater than 0.5 per metre (recommended visual counts threshold). It should be noted that when green mirid nymphs and adults reached a threshold of 0.5 per metre, there may be eggs already laid in the crop that have not hatched. Therefore, application of BC 639 will control the green mirid adults and the nymphs already on the plants not unhatched nymphs. Thus, any nymphs hatching from eggs after BC639 application may not be infected and killed due to lack of residual effect and low number of BC 639 spores after initial application. In this situation, pair applications of BC 639 irrespective of the rate will be required.

In general, the efficacy of BC 639 rates against the test insects was found to be similar and in most instances better than the commercial insecticides especially green mirids and silverleaf whiteflies. Additionally, the studies found that both BC 667 and BC 639 were more selective to beneficial insects especially predatory insects than the commercial insecticides used by the cotton industry to manage Helicoverpa and sucking pests on cotton. The product was also found not to be phyto-toxic to the cotton plant itself nor squares and bolls of the plant. The yield recorded on plots treated with conventional insecticide and BC 639 was not significantly different. Thus the application of BC 639 did not have any detrimental effect on yield relative to commercial conventional treated plots. In terms of quality, there was no difference between the BC 639 treatments and conventional insecticides for the characteristics of length, strength or micronaire.

In conclusion, application of entomopathogenic fungus to manage cotton pests will enhance conservational biological control, support IPM and reduce pest control costs on both Bollgard and conventional cotton.

As a by product of more valuable cotton fibre, cottonseed oil (CSO) in its current form is widely used in its current form in various food applications around the world. In order to maintain and expand the market use of CSO, CRDC and CSIRO has co-invested in the genetic modification of CSO in previous years and this has led to the development of MonoCott, the worlds first nutritionally improved and value-added CSO. The distinct feature of the novel germplasm is its radically altered seed oil composition containing a five-fold increase in oxidative stable and heart healthy oleic acid, and concomitant major reductions in nutritionally undesirable fatty acids, including palmitic and cyclopropenoid fatty acids. MonoCott is the ultimate outcome of several previous CRDC, CRC/CSIRO projects on genetic modification of CSO. The radical re-design of fatty acid composition which has been successfully modified to address the consumer concerns over the saturated and trans fatty acids should enable CSO to compete more effectively with rival vegetable oils such as canola and soybean oils.

This project concerns OCTR approved seed increase under field conditions including the evaluation of MonoCott for its physiological and agronomic performance under typical Australian cotton farming conditions. The information and data collected through this project is pivotal for potential commercialisation of this germoplasm. The seeds increased through the trial can also provide necessary raw materials for functional evaluations by various industries including the food, feed and biodiesel industries.

Developed as part of the ‘Promoting Science and Agriculture in schools’ project, it was recognised that there was an opportunity to more actively involve students that study textile and design. After the initial pilot study in 2008 a number of teachers have continually requested the course be run again. René van der Sluijs travelled to Narrabri and presented an ‘Introduction to Textile Processing’ course from the 12th to the 13th of October 2010, with fellow presenters Rose Brodrick, and Geoff Dunlop, to teachers and senior high school students across the Namoi valley. This year saw three schools participate with another two showing great interest but unable to attend at that time. This course is a shortened version of the Cotton Field to Fabric course presented in Geelong and the course educated teachers of science, agriculture, and textiles in all aspects of cotton production from field to fabric. It assisted in the dissemination and integration of cotton examples into the high school curriculum. Undertaking the course in an accessible, central cotton growing area gave students practical, hands-on experience of the entire cotton production system and increased interactions between the broader community and the cotton industry. The course also exposed students to the range of science and agricultural careers available through the industry along with assisting with the adoption of new technologies and industry knowledge. The general feedback from participants is that the course was well presented, informative, well organised, interesting and they hoped that it will be run again in the future.

During 2002 and 2003 the Australian Cotton Industry through the then CSIRO Textile and Fibre Technology Division with the support of the Australian Cotton Co-operative Research Centre (CRC) and the Australian Cotton Shippers Association (ACSA) conducted a survey of 31 international and domestic spinning mills to determine what their needs and perceptions were of Australian cotton. Spinning mills in Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Korea and Australia were surveyed. This survey [1] found that Australian cotton was generally well received with all countries rating neps and Micronaire, along with short fibre content as properties that needed improvement. The low level of contamination, colour, grade, spinning ability and staple length of Australian cotton created the best impressions.

The information collected by the survey was very valuable from a marketing perspective and assisted in shaping directions in research from breeding and growing through to ginning and classing.

In 2007 a further survey was carried out by Technopak (a management consulting firm in India) on behalf of the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) and ACSA. Thirty four companies in China, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, India and Pakistan were surveyed. This survey’s [2] findings were similar to the findings made in the previous survey conducted in 2002/03.

The aims of the current survey described in this report were to:

1. Review / benchmark the perceptions of Australian cotton against baseline data collected in the

2002/03 survey.

2. Identify / quantify potential emerging trends with regards to raw fibre / textile demand.

3. Quantify mills’ value perception of various licensing / branding programmes (e.g. Cotton USA/BMP

Cotton / Supima etc.)

4. Identify points of differentiation / value perception of Australian cotton versus other cotton

origins and fibres.

5. Establish the demand potential for higher quality Australian cotton.

Thirty five companies that purchase Australian cotton and a management consulting firm were interviewed, during 2009 and 2010, in regard to its quality in yarn production. A survey-interview approach, which entails person-to-person interviews conducted around a set of scripted questions, was used. Spinning companies from Japan, Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong/China, India and Indonesia were surveyed as well as the last remaining cotton spinning company in Australia. The survey consisted of a series of background questions about each spinning company’s production, raw fibre use and spinning facilities followed by a series of more open-end questions about the quality of Australian cotton fibre. Information gathered during the survey interviews was enhanced by objective measurement of fibre samples gathered from bale lay-downs in mills of more than half the spinning companies surveyed.

The Gwydir Valley Cotton Growers Association (CGA) committee identified the need and the opportunities to extend our information and industry advocacy services to a broader audience of growers and the community. This included the need to educate new growers and re-educate growers returning to the industry following a hiatus. There was also the opportunity to enhance our industry awareness programme within the broader community.

The project enabled the Gwydir Valley CGA to formalise a partnership with the Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association staff and committee, which became the foundation and driver for the project’s implementation, allowing for broader collaboration between industry groups, growers, agribusiness and advisors and ensuring the project remain relevant due to the grower-led focus.

The project aimed to:

1. Engage with new growers and returning growers;

2. Establish conduits for extension material and information on the industry, focussing on improvements;

3. Improve collaboration with other industry projects in the region and form partnerships; and 4. Host industry awareness events.

Resulting in the:

Establishment and facilitation of five grower networks for information sharing and

communication with growers, agronomists and researchers;

Coordination of a ‘Considering Cotton’ workshop with NSW DPI for growers wanting to know the basic principles of growing cotton with more than 40 in attendance;

Organisation of the ‘Innovation in Irrigation’ field day, promoting innovative irrigation technologies in the Gwydir with a predominately grower audience of 90;

Planning and implementation of two ‘Evening with Cotton’ events that tour cotton farms and a working cotton gin with 100 non-cotton industry people attending;

Development of information packs for all events, including each grower group meeting (containing, myBMP information, cotton production guides, beneficial insects, local trial results, flood recovery ideas, how to grow a pair of jeans booklets etc.); and

Maintenance of the Gwydir Valley Cotton Growers Association website for media and promotional material for activities.

The project was highly successful with growers receiving relevant and up-to-date information on issues they considered important and the broader community having a greater understanding and appreciation of the cotton industry’s advancements and achievements.

An open hydroponics system aims to increase productivity by high frequency application of irrigation water and nutrients to the soil. Such a system is sometimes also called advanced fertigation.

Conventional involves adding a balanced amount of nutrient in the irrigation water, approximately once a month. This management system can be intensified by more sophisticated monitoring of water and nutrient use, and increasing the frequency of water and nutrient application. Systems where applications may be daily, or several times a day, are known as open hydroponics. A wide range of intensity of fertigation management has been adopted by irrigators.

Under open hydroponics the root-zone is kept restricted by increasing the number of drippers and using low application rates per tree. The root-zone volume may be only 0.5 m3 compared to 6-10 m3 for conventional fertigation. This concentrates the applied nutrients and potentially increases fertilizer use efficiency. Soil moisture content is maintained close to field capacity.

The benefits of open hydroponics may include some or all of the following:

earlier fruit production from establishing trees;

higher fruit production from mature trees;

a higher percentage of fruit suitable for the fresh fruit market (pack-out percentage).

Globally 46,500 ha of permanent horticulture are grown under open hydroponics. In Australia it has been estimated there are a total of 3,800 ha under citrus, avocados, almonds, table and wine grapes, mango, banana, blue berries, olives and stone fruits.

With funding from Horticulture Australia Ltd (HAL), and the former Land and Water Australia (LWA) through the National Program for Sustainable Irrigation (NPSI), the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) has carried out preliminary investigations. These have included an economic analysis, and some field observations of plantings under conventional fertigation and open hydroponics. The work has been done in collaboration the , and NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSWPDI) officers at Dareton Agricultural Research and Advisory Station.

In assessing any new technology it can be difficult to substantiate assumptions or claims made for the new systems being investigated. In the case of open hydroponics SARDI did not have the background data to rigorously test these assumptions, for example increased yield or a higher pack-out percentage. The assumptions used were based on field anecdotal evidence and research done outside Australia.

Other local anecdotal evidence suggests that with current lower juice prices, the advantage for open hydroponics may be almost entirely from increased pack-out percentage rather than any yield increase.