Technological innovations in the cotton industry are advancing mechanisation and seeking to create improved efficiencies of labour and energy inputs. These innovations are often adopted rapidly without specific knowledge to support the adoption. That is to say, innovations are often adopted on the face value of a proclaimed efficiency. Thus, the farming system impact of these innovations is not well understood in the majority of cases. While the cotton industry has developed and endeavours to use best management practices (BMP) for farming system components (including soils and water), an impact assessment framework for evaluating the impacts of these new technologies on the whole farming system does not exist. The rapid adoption of the round bale (RB) picker presents an opportunity to investigate the specific effects of this new technology, and in doing so, inform development of an impact assessment framework applicable to other technological innovations for cotton.

Of particular concern is the potential for delayed impact of RB pickers on sustainable management and production, particularly from a soils perspective. These machines are designed to provide energy/labour efficiencies (the current driving force), but impacts such as increased compaction resulting in increased soil-bed preparation costs may emerge in subsequent seasons. The major impact of machinery on the soil is compaction, and not surprisingly ‘SOILpak For Cotton Growers’ declares compaction as a yield limiting factor in cotton production. Compaction has historically been managed through various techniques, such as controlled traffic farming (CTF) and minimum tillage. In the case of the RB picking system, these machines eliminate the need for the boll buggy by preparing round bales on-the-go, but the trade off is an increase in total machine weight. This raises concerns of increased soil compaction, especially under moist soil conditions generally experienced in irrigated fields, or during wet cotton seasons. The ability of the soil to carry the increased weight under marginal traction conditions may narrow the harvest windows. Furthermore, given the adoption rate, it is unlikely that optimisation of machine performance within individual farming systems has occurred. The potential to provide further impact offset capability is real and should be optimised. The question is then raised: “Is this machine being utilised optimally and do the economic efficiencies offset potential field impacts?”

As the uptake of the RB picking system has been widespread and rapid, it is not a matter of whether or not the industry should adopt this technology, rather a process of determining its impacts, evaluating impacts against previous harvesting systems, and developing strategies to optimise operating performance. By engaging the industry in discussion and reviewing current information on harvesting system implementation and performance, this project seeks to determine a series of indicators that can be measured in-field to assess field impacts and machine performance. In doing so, the basis of an impact assessment framework will be constructed and refined over several cotton seasons of in-field monitoring of RB picking systems.

Wallangra Eastern Dryland Trial , Irrigation Field Day , Bollgard III Crop Walk, Big Days Out in St George and Gunnedah, Dryland Crop Wal, Dr Oliver Knox (UNE) has been investigating different methods for recovering nematodes, with the purpose of identifying type and presence.

The travel allowance was used to pay part of the cost for Ms. Julie Piquee, a student from Arts & Métiers graduate school of engineering (France). Ms Piquee applied in early 2011 for an internship with CSIRO to work on a project investigating cotton fibre and yarn tensile properties.

The travel subsidy of $3500 from the CRDC was used to cover around half of her living allowance for the six month internship.

RDO Nitrogen Program, Nitrous Oxide Emissions Project, Quinny's trial program, Irrigation, Dryland tyre kick Dalby, Insect Research, Gwydir Bug Check, Finance Update with Justin Barnes

The Cotton export market is highly competitive and when it comes to quality Australia needs to be the world's best. To realise this goal, the whole of the Australian Cotton supply chain must continuously improve its supply of premium upland cotton. Cotton spinning mills already recognise that Australian cotton has desirable fibre characteristics and low contamination. These attributes increase efficiency for spinners and they actively seek Australian cotton and are sometimes prepared to pay a premium. To maintain this reputation continuous improvement across the whole supply chain is essential. The Australian cotton industry and CSIRO have expanded investment in post-harvest cotton processing research. The aim is to discover ways of maintaining and enhancing the quality of cotton produced by Australian growers. In July 2008 Rene van der SIuijs and the CSIRO team in Geelong opened the doors of their facility and hosted the 10th 'Cotton Field to Fabric Course'. This was the 7th course run in Geelong and it has been attended by participants from the length and breadth of the supply chain. They have included Agronomists, Growers, Researchers, Ginners and even students studying design. The course provided participants with an opportunity to see firsthand how cotton is processed from a bale into fabric. At Geelong they have both full scale and miniature versions of the equipment used in cotton processing factories used overseas including drawing and carding machines, spinning frame, weaving machines, and dyeing facilities. Understanding how these processes occur helps participants understand the importance quality standards and how our actions impact on the chain. The Australian cotton industry will benefit from a focus on its customer's needs and a desire to exceed their expectations. The' field to fabric 'course is one activity that the industry is undertaking to increase knowledge of cotton quality. It comes highly recommended by all who have participated.

Investigation allowing for means of better processing long fine Australian cotton and further

improving ginning efficiency was accomplished. Research was conducted in New South

Wales, Australia. Research trials were conducted using Australian cotton of 30.9 mm and

31.8 mm together with a micronaire value of 3.85. Typical production rates were used

during the research and ranged between 3 200 and 3 800 kg mass lint output per hour.

The feed and discharge of seed cotton was thoroughly investigated. Results show that the

gin stand motor load continually fluctuates as a result of a constantly varying mass input of

seed cotton. Further to this, the distribution of seed cotton presented to the gin stand is in a

non uniform lateral manner. It is probable that the non uniform vertical feed of seed cotton

is further increasing nep and seed coat nep. The cause of the uneven lateral feed of seed

cotton to the gin stand lies within the distributor conveyor design. The conveyor distributor

feeds at rates that allow for a constant feed of seed cotton to three or four gin stands. As a

result of the high speed required to transport seed cotton, the drop zone of seed cotton to

each hopper above the gin stand pre-cleaner is over shot. The trailing edge of the hopper is

also incomplete of seed cotton. The trailing edge incompletion of seed cotton is occurring as

a result of the conveyor distributor auger producing a nip point and dragging the seed cotton

back out of the hopper. The blade of the auger together with the housing of the auger “bite”

the seed cotton and pull the seed cotton back out of the hopper. Methods of overcoming the

problem were trialed. The trials involved methods of redirecting the seed cotton once the

seed cotton was on the gin stand apron. Conveyor distributor modifications were trialed and

involved increasing the seed cotton delivery in the affected areas, in turn, allowing for

greater uniformity.

Fuzzy seed output distribution from the gin stand breast was found to be greatly uneven.

The side of the gin stand most significantly affected was the side seed cotton was delivered

from by the conveyor distributor. This side expels up to four times more fuzzy seed than

other areas of expulsion across the gin stand. The reason that the expulsion of fuzzy seed

occurs at such significant levels can be attributed to the seed roll density. The roll box of the

gin stand is unevenly loaded with incoming seed cotton. The uneven loading of seed cotton

creates areas within the roll box that experience a reduction in density. This reduction in

density creates a movement of fuzzy seed from high density areas to the lower density

neighboring areas. Therefore, high levels of fuzzy seed expulsion occur in areas of lesser

density. The output of fuzzy seed approximates to the inverse of the input of seed cotton.

Latest weather and climate news, By Jon Welsh, Season Summary, Work is underway within CRDC for future R&D investments specifically, those in the 2016-17 financial year, 60 Seconds with a grower Bill Tyrwhitt, Trial Booklet

This project aimed to improve cotton irrigation WUE using dynamic deficits to (i) avoid plant stress and maximize yield and (ii) make the most effective use of in-crop rainfall. Our analysis of a large data set of soil water x plant stress (using as a measure) x climate experienced by the crop confirmed that atmospheric vapour pressure or evapotranspiration (ETo) can alter the plant stress response at the same soil moisture content. That is, if ETo is high a plant will may experience higher stress at higher soil moisture levels, and conversely if ETo is low a plant might not be stressed despite lower soil moisture availability. This analysis includes six experiments from three previous projects and three further experiments from the current project.

Two years of large scale field experiments have found that there is considerable utility in delaying irrigation timing and extending opportunities to capture rainfall when ETo

was low. This allows for more flexibility in cotton systems that require a significant number of fields to be irrigated at a point in time, and potential irrigation water savings. In both years there was no detrimental effect on yield or water use efficiency. In 2009/10 there was no difference despite considerable delays (up to 6 days) in one irrigation, and in 2010/11 the forecasted low ETo period also allowed an opportunity to capture rainfall event resulting in water savings of 0.8 ML over the season in one treatment. Periods of low ETo are often associated with a depression or low pressure weather front which may bring an opportunity to capture rainfall. Yeates found that delaying irrigations without taking into account ETo during flowering could have significant impacts on yield with a yield loss of 2.7% for every day that an irrigation was delayed.

Results from the past two experiments have indicated the need for a measure of plant stress used with soil water measurement to assist with a dynamic deficit irrigation approach. The results are showing that even when there are instances of high ETo, crops are not as stressed based on current understanding. We could continue to approach further analysis of the dynamic deficit approach without a measure of plant stress, changing the deficit accounting for crop stage, crop size, and boll load. This was similar to the approach used by HydroLOGIC to assist timing of irrigation.

The outcomes of the experiments in this project showed that there was considerable utility in delaying irrigation timing and extending opportunities to capture rainfall when ETo was low. This allows for more flexibility in cotton systems that require a significant number of fields to be irrigated at a point in time, and potential irrigation water savings.

The continuation of the research will involve determining a framework to provide a method to predict plant stress (based on a continuous measure) which couples current and future soil water with short term ETo forecast along with crop stage. This would allow the dynamic deficit approach to be used confidently and will accommodate local conditions. The approach used presently uses an average response of soil water, plant stress and ETo. There is also an opportunity to continually and directly measure plant stress directly using canopy temperature easily and being able to couple this with both soil water and forecast ETo would establish the value/risk of bringing forward and delaying irrigation.

The N trial at Milo, an impromptu field day at Boolooroo in April. Agro Update with Rob Holmes, Time of Planting - Some Interesting Results

Irrigated vineyards in Australia have seen extensive adoption of drip irrigation. At the start of this project there was concern about the sustainability of drip irrigation based on previous field observations. Drip irrigation conserves water but the concentrated nature of its application was believed to cause serious soil structural decline directly under drippers. This project aimed to identify such decline under drippers in Barossa Valley vineyards, to establish the causes of the decline and to suggest management and monitoring strategies to deal with the problem.

To identify such decline we adopted a “paired site” approach and examined subsoil structural problems, at depths of 30-50 cm, directly under drippers, midway between well-spaced drippers (>2 m) and at nearby non-irrigated control points. While we were encouraged to find no evidence of any preferential subsoil structural decline under drippers, we were surprised to find that all the subsoils we examined were of such generally poor structure that there was little prospect of further decline. However, we also realized that application rates in the Barossa Valley are dwarfed by those used elsewhere and proceeded to extend our investigation to the finer-textured soils of Sunraysia and the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (M.I.A.). The story here was no different and it became clear that the structural status of subsoils in vineyards is generally poor and is probably undermining good water use efficiency by vines. In 22 distinct soils air-filled porosities were universally very low, resistance to root penetration was high and infiltration rates were frequently poor. A comparison of root length density with subsoil structural properties strongly suggests that poor aeration poses the chief limitation on root proliferation and water use efficiency.

There are few strategies available for subsoil structural improvement in the vine row. We confirmed that gypsum alone has no significant benefit in improving poor structure at depth when applied to a red-brown earth. An attempt to induce subsoil cracking by drying soil in an extended partial root zone drying experiment also failed to improve subsoil structure.

These are inherently poor subsoils and there is a clear need for greatly improved preparation procedures ahead of new plantings. There is also need for changes in the management of existing vineyards if efficiency of water use is to be improved. We believe these will necessarily include modified traffic, soil mounding and the use of calcium, mulching and cover crops in the vine row. Indeed, the recommendations of Cockroft for the stone fruit industry (Murray, 2007) seem just as relevant to viticulture but have not been demonstrated or adopted. In their review of soil properties in relation to vine performance, Lanyon et al. (2004) have also recommended that much closer attention be paid to soil preparation and management in vineyards.