The main weeds and effectiveness of weed management practices used in dryland cotton cropping systems were identified using information collected in a postal and a field survey in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. Forty-eight completed questionnaires were returned, and 32 paddocks were monitored in early and late summer for weed species and density.

The introduction of Roundup Ready@ cotton and the future release of other herbicide tolerant cotton varieties will allow more flexible weed management with greater emphasis on postemergence herbicides for weed control. To optimize the use of these herbicides and to minimize the risks associated with herbicide resistance and species shift, these technologies need to be introduced as part of an integrated weed management(IWM) program. The critical period for weed control is an important component of IWM and provides growers with information on when weeds are likely to interfere with crop growth, and when weed management strategies should be targeted to avoid yield reductions. Mimic weeds are plants that have similar biomass and leaf area to actual weeds encountered in the field and allow the development of critical periods for weed control that are applicable to a range of species, based on their competitive impact on cotton. The critical period for weed control allows for more flexible and effective management packages to be developed for a range of weeds and is similar conceptualIy to that already established for insect control using IPM in the Australian cotton industry.

Making the transition from theory to field practices, that reflect an IPM system is not simply the changing a management operation. It involves a holistic management approach, which only comes from you developing personal confidence and belief in the system. Changing to a soft chemistry approach is an aspect of IPM. However, it is not the only aspect. Growers should understand the principles behind IPM and then start to develop the system that is suitable for your operation gradually. An understanding of the principles of IPM is essential. As the principles of the system do not change; it is how you blend the components that give you the best results

Macintyre Downs is a 3500 hectare irrigation property along 15km of the northern side the Macintyre River, bordering NSW, west of Goondiwindi. As a family cotton growing business, our goals have always been to maximise profit with the best management we knew to employ. We have, as a result found ourselves now developing a system of management which takes us towards our goals for healthy profitable fanning, which could be labelled as 'Biological'. Becoming Biological Farmers was certainly not on our To Do list, whereas finding better ways to farm certainly was after some disappointing results with traditional management systems. The catalyst for us, in terms of investigating alternatives practices, was the aftermath of a particularly torrid cotton season in the late 90's, in which we were forced to re-evaluate practices after what we would consider unsustainable insect pressures and associated chemical use.

The Early Season Diagnostic (ESD) tool has been developed by the cotton management support systems team based at the Cotton CRC's Technology Resource Centre. The tool was released on the Australian Cotton CRC web site (cotton.crc.org.au) during the 2003 - 04 season, and has been developed to help growers identify growth problems in their cotton crop. By identifying potential problems sooner, the ESD tool can help growers achieve optimal crop growth, maturity and yield. The system is based on graphically comparing the observed crop development data with an optimum or target line. This target development rate has been generated from data over many years of research conducted by Dr. Greg Constable and colleagues

As with the introduction of any new technology, when it occurs rapidly, there is likely to be mixed views from users unless it is self-evident that its advantages out-weigh its disadvantages. The rapid change being experienced by the Australian cotton industry at present with the transition from Ingard to Bollgard U technology is a good example

Biotechnology has been practiced in agriculture for millennia, including through traditional selection for pest resistant crop varieties. Marker assisted selection, where molecular Genetic markers are used to accelerate the breeding process for key traits, is now widely used. Biotechnology is also being use to understand the basic genetic machinery of crops. The entire genome of the small weedy cabbage relative Arabidopsis has been sequenced, a major success which rivals the human genome project in scope and importance, and allows a much deeper understanding of plant function. Modern techniques in genetics and biochemistry have been applied to unravel everything from the effects of introduction practices on the genetic variability of insects and diseases brought from Europe for the biocontrol of weeds, to the characterisation of pesticide resistance mechanisms. The detection and diagnosis of pests and diseases has also been dramatically improved by molecular means, often through antibody systems, similar to home pregnancy test kits, and some can be used in the field. An example was the Lepton test kit to distinguish species of cotton bollworms (Helicoverpa armigera vs H. punctigera)

The Australian Cotton Industry has enjoyed a reputation as a reliable supplier of high quality cotton. This reputation is underpinned by a progressive, effective and responsible industry. A new and emerging challenge to the industry is to maintain its reputation as a quality supplier of cotton. The industry has demonstrated in the past its ability to meet and effectively deal with changes, this has never been more important than today. As Australia continues to produce good quality cottons and meet spinners needs, so now are many other foreign growths. Today spinning mills are demanding and requiring superior fibre characteristics to meet their needs. The specifications are becoming tighter and tighter as it is reflected in the premium and discount schedules for growers. The challenge has been laid down before us, we must continue to raise the quality bar and differentiate Australian cotton from the rest of the world

The aim of this report was to evaluate the economic value of the provision of whitefly management guidelines in the industries response to the southerly movement of this pest.

Final - Evaluating flush sampling for Helicoverpa moths