Revisions to the second edition of the cotton industry's Best Management Practices Manual have been made with an emphasis on improving the useability of the document. A general release to cotton growers is planned in October 2000. A short summary of the changes made to the original Manual follows, including the proposed further new modules and developments.

This document provides a brief outline of the projects CRDC invested in for 2017-18 (current as of May 2017).

It has been accepted for many years that there is an interaction between plants and the microbiological life that exists in soil. This interaction is particularly important in the rhizosphere (Hiltner, 1904), where plant exudates directly feed the microbial population, which in turn is responsible for nutrient cycling, production of growth promoters, and occasionally development of pathogenicity. These factors are important to plant health. However, the difficulties of studying such interactions in the soil and the inability to grow the majority of soil microorganisms in the laboratory have resulted in limited research in this area.

Come Clean Go Clean is one of the simplest yet most effective strategies for minimising the spread of weeds, diseases and pests. With the increase in prevalence of glyphosate resistant weeds, the spread of mealy bug and the constant threats from disease it is important that we all pay particular attention to ensuring vehicles and equipment entering farms are thoroughly washed down prior to gaining access.

A major aim of the Australian Cotton industry is to maintain its position as global leader in cotton quality and yield through sustained improvements in productivity and profitability in all areas of operation, while equipping the industry to handle emerging challenges. Critical to achieving this aim is the development of human capital that is capable and connected, and with the knowledge and skills necessary to drive the industry. In this respect, the industry has focused on building a skilled, educated and progressive workforce in all areas of its operations, requiring attention to workforce planning and management in all areas of cotton production.

It is recognised that while the processes involved in planning and managing workforce are similar across industries, they tend to be more complex for farmers, especially where farmers grow a mix of crops with or without livestock and undertake other farm-related operations. Workforce management on farms involves planning for and obtaining the variety of skills necessary to handle the diverse operations, taking into account the seasonal nature of work, cyclical variations in output emanating from climatic conditions and availability of water, changing skill requirements from continuous automation of operations, and competing demand for the needed skills from other industries.

In pursuit of the objective of building a skilled, educated and progressive workforce and taking into account the challenges that farmers face in sourcing and managing their workforce, this project investigated current and future trends in workforce needs and supply of labour on cotton farms. Specifically, it examined farmers' perceptions of future labour needs, the skills required to meet these needs, adeqacy and sources of skills supply to meet current and future needs, management of skills on farms, and strategies used to retain good performing employees.

The intent of the project was to travel to the 2003 Beltwide cotton conference in Nashville, USA. The Beltwide presents a unique opportunity to interact with many of the World's leading cotton researchers at one time. It also allowed me to present some of the novel and informative research that is originating from the northern Australian cotton project.

The Australian cotton industry is one of the Australian's major agricultural

exporters and provides a significant export income for Australia. A wide range of

pests however, attacks the cotton crop. To sustain production, the industry relies

heavily on the use of synthetic insecticides for the control of the major pests such

as Helicoverpa spp. , green mirids, aphids and mites. The over-reliance on synthetic

insecticides threatens the future sustainability and survival of the cotton industry.

As a result, there is a strong push by the cotton industry to adopt an IPM

program that places much more emphasis on the natural enemies of the pest and

minimises the use of synthetic insecticides.

The World Cotton Research Conference (WCRC) is an initiative of the

International Cotton Advisory Council, which is aimed at gathering cotton

researchers, extension officers, agro-chemical companies, administrators,

marketers etc around the world for a symposium covering all aspects of cotton

production. WCRC is held every four years in different cotton producing

countries in the world. It serves as a forum where those involved in all facets of

cotton production can interact and learn from each other. Scientists, particularly

renowned entomologists working in cotton, normally attend WCRC to present

the papers in their area of specialty. Thus this provides an opportunity for cotton

researchers to address pertinent research problems in cotton production.

Therefore, it is crucial for cotton scientists to attend WCRC to update their

knowledge in their specialty area of research. The venue for the 2003 WCRC was

in Cape Town in South Africa. The conference was well organised and provided

an excellent forumfor the participants to exchange ideas, update knowledge and

discuss subjects of particular interest.

The good and the bad of an amazing season

The new century began a decade ago with what was then a record production of 3.6 million bales of cotton in the 2000–01 season. This was followed by a devastating decade-long drought but we in the business of R&D learned a lot in that decade. We learned how to make the most of the water that was available, using plant breeding and new, improved farming systems that maximised the crop’s potential.

And then came the 2010–11 season. We saw an end to the long drought and the cotton harvest produced an all-time Australian record of just under four million bales, almost triple the previous season and expected to contribute around $2.4 billion in export earnings. At the same time, cotton prices rose, peaking at around $1,000 per bale, allowing growers to repair some of the financial damage of previous years. There is little doubt the R&D ‘learnings’ of the previous decade contributed to the excellent yields.

Unfortunately, the news was not good for all growers. Some in central Queensland and on the Darling Downs lost their entire crops – an estimated 10 per cent of total planted area – and suffered damage to their properties. Others in the northern regions suffered ongoing problems with waterlogged crops.

From an R&D perspective, these conditions ‘reality tested’ our new R&D Adoption Framework, which began delivering industry-wide extension in a more targeted and commercial-like manner in 2010. We are delighted to say the new cotton industry Development and Delivery team, and the scientists who worked with them, were well set up to provide timely post-flood advice to growers and consultants on how to manage flood-affected crops. Importantly, this included recovering seemingly lost yield potential through management strategies gained in years of research into growing cotton in tropical climates. To aid with such challenges in the future, CRDC is investing in a project in central Queensland to assess the response of flood- affected cotton crops to various management techniques.

The 2010–11 season also saw the launch of the new best management practices system, myBMP, which evolved the previous program into a responsive, interactive online portal designed to allow individual growers’ to assess and manage risks. Following myBMP’s launch in August 2010, the year’s task has been to inform growers about the program and encourage them to participate. While the first growers have now been fully accredited under myBMP, the program’s strength is that it allows growers to choose the level and type of involvement that suits their own circumstances. None of this would be possible or as productive without the engagement of industry and our research partners. Cotton growers and ginners continue to provide valuable guidance through Cotton Australia on research priorities, critical review of project design and impact. Equally, these close linkages support strong levels of R&D adoption by industry and a responsive research community.

In February 2011, the Productivity Commission handed the Australian Government the final report of its inquiry into the return on its investments in the Rural R&D Corporations. The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator the Hon Joe Ludwig, subsequently announced that he would not be changing funding arrangements for RDCs, including CRDC, despite a recommendation contained in the report. CRDC is committed to working with both the Australian Government and cotton industry to ensure the continuing effectiveness and efficiency of our stakeholders’ investment in rural R&D.

A remarkable year

The 2011–12 season is set to exceed the previous season’s record of four million bales with industry forecasting production will surpass five million bales.

Whilst prices dropped from record levels in the prior season the harvest is still expected to contribute over $2.7 billion in export earnings before considering

the flow on benefits to rural, regional, state and national economies.

This achievement reflects the commitment and capability of the people in the industry, as 2011–12 was another challenging season of climate impacts and

production levels that exposed the constraints of industry infrastructure.

The season saw another series of disastrous flood events across cotton producing regions in NSW and south western Queensland. This season’s crop

losses may well have exceeded 600,000 bales, which was the total annual crop production only four years ago during the worst of the drought. The industry

ginning, classing and shipment infrastructure is designed to nominally handle an annual production of up to three million bales. It has been stretched to new

levels of operation that have depended upon understanding of growers, the ingenuity and resilience of the industry personnel involved.

The capacity of the industry’s Development & Delivery team to meet the R&D information needs of new growers was again tested. The support of

industry researchers, agribusiness, commercial crop consultants and natural resource management groups for targeted extension campaigns continued to be

of great importance. Post-flood advice to growers and consultants on how to manage flood-affected crops was aided by the experiences of the prior year’s

flooding and research initiated in central Queensland to assess the response of flood-affected cotton crops to various management techniques.

Beyond the immediacy of R&D information needs the CRDC continued to invest in the development and communication of contemporary market and

product knowledge. This work is assisting the industry to strengthen its current competitive advantages, consider the future sustainability of that position and

the potential for new approaches to maximising the value for Australian cotton. At the farm level R&D successfully supported ongoing productivity growth

and protection against biosecurity threats. Of particular note was the summation of the impact of industry water research and the commencement of a third

assessment of industry environmental performance. CRDC’s strategic investment in human capacity effectively assisted the development of individuals

throughout the industry and research community. Importantly CRDC was able to support the industry to consider workforce challenges and solutions

collectively.

During 2011–12, the industry was advised that the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC would cease at 30 June 2012. CRDC has been a major partner

within three consecutive Cotton CRCs that commenced in 1993. The cessation of the Cotton CRC will be a substantive change to the industry’s RD&E

collaborative arrangements and resourcing. That this change should occur during a remarkable upturn in cotton production is opportune, as CRDC’s

capacity for funding R&D is once again strong and the key industry and research organisations collectively commenced implementing the Cotton Sector

R,D&E Plan that will guide the future direction and foster collaboration in research.

Changes to the cotton farming system over the last decade have caused a change in the weed spectrum, favouring glyphosate tolerant, smallseeded, biannual and perennial weeds. Management of these weeds in a minimum tillage system relying increasingly on glyphosate is problematic. Adoption of a proactive, integrated weed management system that focuses on reducing the weed seed bank by using a variety of tools will be necessary to maintain the system and ensure the future value of glyphosate in the farming system.