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. Field to Fabric is a formal three day course run in Geelong, Victoria and 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. . Participants receive the opportunity to interact with leading researchers on all aspects of the cotton production pipeline including global perspective, fibre properties, agronomy, picking, ginning, classing, marketing, yarn formation, fabric formation and dyeing and finishing. A strong emphasis is placed on the impacts of fibre quality on textile processing. Information is

presented by way of lectures and practical demonstrations using the modem commercial cotton spinning and processing equipment available at Geelong Facility. The course is constantly updated with all practical suggestions considered, to ensure that the course stays relevant and current.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.

The cotton industry relies on HVI measurements of cotton fibre quality for commercial trading. The current scoping study has confirmed the influence of cotton fibre length on the HVI Strength measurement i.e. cottons with longer fibre length characteristics appear to be artificially stronger in the HVI test than similar shorter cottons.

The methodology for this study utilised one cotton parent cut to produce a range of samples with different fibre length characteristics. Detailed single fibre testing confirmed that fibre strength and elongation values for the samples prepared at different lengths were the same i.e. the sample preparation technique of cutting the cotton sliver did not introduce any other unexpected damage of the cotton. The HVI measured strength values did vary between samples exhibiting a clear dependence on fibre length. Combining these two observations, it was concluded that the observed variation in the HVI strength values must be an artefact of the instrument test method.

The source of this error has been identified. The natural variation is the individual lengths of fibres with a cotton samples is such that in the HVI test some of the fibres will not fully span the distance between the two sets of breaking jaws. Thus the instrument will always have a tendance to slightly underestimate the breaking strength of the beard. Existing protocols to account of this through the current general calibration processes has been shown to be inadequate as the effect is dependent on the specific fibre length properties of individual cottons.

A first principle approach for correcting for this error was developed based on a detailed examination of both the internal operation of the HVI Strength Module and knowledge of the shape of the fibre length distribution. This resulted in the identification of a simple correction factor. Application of this correction factor removed the effect of fibre length on the corrected strength values.

This study also identified that the HVI Fibre Elongation values also contain a significant bias due to fibre length.

Adoption of the outcomes of this work will allow a more accurate determination of fibre strength and elongation which are important fibre quality parameters.

A newly identified defoliating strain of Verticillium wilt has been detected in Queensland and NSW. In this special CottonInfo ealert, we bring you the key things you need to know and do about this strain.

The objective of this project was to further investigate the relationship between cotton cellulose’s crystalline structure and the fibre’s tensile properties, as affected by chemical, genetic and/or environmental effects. In the end, because of time constraints, the variation in tensile properties as a result of these effects was not explored. Instead a select, well described group of fibre samples, controlled for micronaire, but with a wide range of tensile properties, in particular elongation, was selected for examination.

Whilst the application of IR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to analyse the structure of cellulose is not new, this study utilised techniques not previously applied in the examination of cotton’s crystallite structure. These included the application of the Australian Synchrotron SAXS/WAX beamline to aligned arrays of single mature and immature fibres and the use of a confocal micro-Raman microscope with a polarizing lens to identify and measure different areas within single fibres. More routine measurements of fibre bundles using Fourier Transform Infrared Attenuated Transmission Reflectance (FTIR-ATR) and Raman spectroscopy were also made.

This project has identified new analytical techniques to survey the structural properties of single cotton fibres. Investigations using these techniques revealed that the cellulose unit cell ‘a’ and 002 lattice dimensions correlate closely with fibre tenacity and elongation as measured by Favimat, and that the 040 and 101 lattice dimensions correlate closely with fibre maturity as measured by Cottonscope. The clarity of these relationships was clear and surprising given that work by other researchers has previously not been able to separate mature, commercial samples on the basis of these structural properties.

Further survey work is required to confirm these relationships. Understanding the extent and variation of these structural properties in new cultivars and in relation to the biochemistry and genetics driving maturation of the cotton fibre cell wall will be important in developing better quality cotton fibre, particularly in terms of tenacity (strength) and elongation.

The summer edition of CRDC's magazine, Spotlight, reports on the achievements of research and innovation, and takes a look at the future direction of cotton RD&E. This edition includes the outomes of recent assessments undertaken to measure the economic impact of research, which show high returns to growers: such as the CRDC-supported QDAF planting date trial in Central QLD, which is found to have delivered a benefit cost ratio as high as 17:1 (a $17 return to growers for every $1 invested).

Also in this edition, we shine the spotlight on the three CRDC-led projects under the Australian Government's Rural R&D for Profit programme - Smarter Irrigation for Profit; More Profit from Nitrogen; and Accelerating Precision Agriculture to Decision Agriculture - and the key outcomes that they have acheived thus far. These include: the implementation of automated irrigation on farms, greater knowledge around N use and efficiency, and an understanding of the efficiency gains that could be achieved through the update of digital agricultural technologies.

Additionally, we provide an update on the continuing development of CRDC's Strategic Plan for 2018-23, and share the stories of the cotton growers and entrepreneurs who have taken part in our series of innovation and start-up science workshops and programs.

Refuge crops are used in the cotton industry to dampen the expression of resistance in Helicoverpa moths, and are an integral part in the use of transgenic cotton varieties; as such it is important to confirm refuge assumptions. This experiment sampled 11 Conventional Cotton and 11 Pigeon Pea fields in January and February to compare the survivorship of Helicoverpa spp. It was found that both the attractiveness and productivity of Pigeon Pea and Conventional Cotton refuges were highly variable. Pigeon pea was more attractive for egg lays when flowering, but this attractiveness did not translate into more moths. Conventional Cotton Fields which were attractive in January, remained attractive throughout the sampling period, and were more reliable at producing moths than other fields; however there were many fields that were consistently unattractive. Overall there was no difference in Helicoverpa productivity between Conventional Cotton and Pigeon Pea refuges, contrary to the established notion that Pigeon Pea is twice as effective as unsprayed conventional cotton.

CRDC’s role is to invest in RD&E on behalf of cotton growers and the government, with the outcomes boosting the productivity and profitability of our industry. RD&E, and its resulting innovations, are a key driving force behind the Australian cotton industry’s continued success.

In 2016-17, CRDC invested $24.1 million into 350 RD&E projects in collaboration with 122 research partners and growers who conducted on-farm trials, across five key program areas: farmers, industry, customers, people and performance.

The findings from these research projects continue to be extended through a range of methods, including the industry’s joint extension program CottonInfo. The adoption of best management practices is also encouraged via the industry program myBMP. CRDC is a founding partner of both programs.

These investments achieved real impact for cotton growers, the industry and the wider community during 2016-17, as detailed within this report.

The autumn edition of CRDC's magazine, Spotlight, looks at important risk issues related to picking.

Firstly, the issue of compaction, its impact on yield and the long-term effect it has on soil health. Grower Ian Hayllor provides insight into what he found below the surface on his farm, and what some industry researchers are saying about compaction and its effect on water use and plant growth. Research since the 1980s continues to demonstrate that wet picking conditions and decisions on rotations, tillage, equipment and row configurations will have significant impact on subsequent yield potential and profitability. The challenge is: what more can be done to reduce compaction?

Secondly, this edition highlights biosecurity and the new industry biosecurity campaign, ‘be a good mate and stop it at the gate’. The campaign focuses on best practice management to stop many issues at the front gate, from rising herbicide resistance to the spread of disease. A single incursion of a pest to cotton could have devastating and long-term impact. Hence CRDC is supporting research into the high priority pests to ready the industry for incursions, should they happen. Right now at harvest there are many risks that can impact farms, a region or the industry. Have you put actions in place to protect your farm and your mates?

This edition of Spotlight also tackles weed management. Participants in a CRDC supported US study tour provide their learnings about the introduction and management of new herbicide tolerance traits. In light of the most recent spray drift impacts in Australia they equally implore growers and their staff, consultants and contractors to be aware of the information and tools available to them to help manage spray drift. The next edition of Spotlight will feature more on CRDC's work to deliver a robust solution to spray drift, integrating effective policy, regulation, technology, research and training responses across agriculture.

Cotton growers spend thousands of dollars annually monitoring insect pests and beneficials. The information generated from monitoring is used to make pest control decisions. However, insect monitoring is costly, information and labour intensive, and time dependent. Technology is making automated pest monitoring feasible. Automated wireless pest monitoring has the potential to deliver innovative solutions for pest management by reducing pest monitoring costs and labour requirements, and increasing the accuracy of information, in turn leading to targeted insecticide application and sound decision making. CSIRO holds a PCT patent application (PCT AU/AU2011/001396) on a novel insect monitoring device. This wireless device enables capture of real-time, geo-referenced insect images of broad species type, which is communicated to end users as the basis for pest control decisions, and bio-security alerts.

The objective of this project is to determine the feasibility of using the CSIRO Automated Insect Monitoring (AIM) trap for cotton pest management and bio-security monitoring. The project will: firstly fit the AIM device to different insect traps suitable for cotton systems (eg. interception, lure-based), and compare the accuracy of automated image collection to insect specimen collection; secondly compare the data captured using the AIM trap with the current best-practice pest monitoring using beat-sheet sampling, and relate the information to thresholds used for pest control decision making; thirdly provide estimates of price points suitable for adoption of the AIM trap by the cotton industry; and fourthly assess the AIM trap for potential to monitor novel insect threats to Australian cotton.

Although many research facilities around the globe are developing methodologies to automate insect pest and beneficial monitoring, the CSIRO patent applications is specific for image capture. Automated pest monitoring has the potential to revolutionize crop protection because cost-efficient and accurate information capture can lead to better targeting of insecticide application, and less reliance on already short supply of labour for crop scouting. Similarly, the AIM may also capture images of Emergency Plant Pests (EPPs), which in turn may be automated through image algorithms that are linked to bio-security alerts. Such alerts would allow for a rapid response, and reduced harm to the industry. Depending on the outcome of this proposed project, the AIM trap has the potential for commercialization, and global market application.

The program was full of significant experiences, but the Kimberley was the most significant for me. The Kimberley session laid the foundations for the test of the course. In isolation the Kimberley would have been fantastic but once combined with the other sessions, it reached its full potential as a learning experience.

It is very rare that one gets the opportunity for continuity in a self-development course; they are usually I-2 day intensive programs that are largely forgotten within months of attendance. ARLP provides the opportuniy for learning iri the Kimberly to be built upon through the other sessions. The constant reinforcement of lessons learnt from session to session is a great strenght of the ARLP and this is made largely possible by the group structure and the diversity within the group.

It is the interaction within the group and the facilitation of group discussion that eventually makes the "penny drop" on what leadership is really about and what the Kimberley session taught us. India was beautiful and interesting, but learning came from the group interaction, not from seeing the Taj Mahal.

From a leadership perspective the case study was a very good week. The Murray Darling Basin (MDB), is a

contentious issue that sparks a lot of emotion. Leadership and emotion are a very

challenging mix and I am Iearning that controlling emotions is very important when in a

leadership role. To everybody, their issues are usually the most important ones and are

therefore their priority.

One of the challenges in leadership is to get people to have an appreciation of the other

side of the argument, "to walk in other people's shoes" and get an appreciation for the

impact of their decisions. The case study was a very good example of this when you

consider the environment v's industry/communities debate.

This is an area that I need to work on. Indeed, to get better at considering how my actions

impact on others and make others feel. Once I do this I will become a much more

effective leader.