With the introduction of Transgenic Bollgard II cotton Australian populations of green mirid have required targeted insecticidal control, which may select for insecticide resistance in this pest. Unfortunately, no methods are available in Australia to detect resistance or to establish the baseline data used to confirm resistance. To achieve that a simple method is required to culture and maintain a reference strain(s) of mirids. Here we describe a method to breed and culture green mirids, which is a first step toward development of a resistance monitoring program

Discussion with Darling Downs growers and consultants identified a lack of local quantitative results on the response of current Bollgard varieties to different irrigation deficits. The aim of this trial was to demonstrate the value of agronomic management to improve crop water use productivity. The assessment of current furrow irrigation performance, enabled a comparison of irrigation and varietal performance, and demonstrated the relative benefits in water use productivity through improved agronomic and/or furrow irrigation management.

I am going to talk about the changes in the global textile industry over the past few years. The topic will be explored in a few areas:, (i) Current States of Textile Industry, (ii) Recent Changes in China, (iii) Challenges and Opportunities Ahead, (iv) Mega-Trends in the Apparel Market, (v) Changes in Spinning Technology,

The current global food crisis mainly affects the poorest billion citizens on Earth. Yet it is a wake-up call to everyone, because of the risk of further famines, refugee crises and wars., We must all be aware of the position, and if possible, alarmed. Then, we must act - as individuals, as communities, as industries, as countries and as a species., Australia was a leader in the last Green Revolution and we need to rediscover that spirit and that determination to make a difference. We need to replenish both our science and our generosity as a people., The cotton industry is at the forefront of knowledge-based farming in Australia., The challenge that I wish to leave you with is to lead by your example the world's next great farming revolution, whose need is now hard upon us.,

The Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Programme was established in 1990 to improve the effectiveness of Australia's research and development effort. It links researchers with industry to focus R&D efforts on progress towards utilisation and commercialisation. It involves collaboration and cooperation across a wide range of organisations, focusing their researchers and extension people towards key strategic outcomes for the industry. The cotton industry has been one of two agricultural industries to have enjoyed the benefits of the CRC program almost since its inception and currently we are around mid-term in our third cotton related CRC. The current funding for the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC ("Cotton CRC") ends in June 2012.

The rise of ground water and salinity persist as potential challenging issues across irrigated agricultural landscapes. Additional water from irrigation may cause mobilisation of stored salts with subsequent local and off-site salinisation problems. Shallow root systems (<2 m) of irrigated annual crops such as cotton result in less extraction from deeper soil layers (than the original native vegetation). Also, unlike perennial native vegetation, annual crops generally do not utilize rainfall ex-growing season (Williamson 1973). Deep drainage (DD) - water that passes beyond the root zone - can be an important contributor in terms of recharging ground water as well as leaching salts from the root zone. However, DD may also contribute to rising ground water tables with increased solute concentrations. Although cotton is generally regarded as a salt tolerant plant, yield decline commences with electrical conductivity values above 7.7 dS/m with a 50% reduction in yield at 17.0 dS/m (Lin et al., 1997; Ahmad et al. 2002). In the past, water balance studies have focused mainly on infiltration, run-off and soil conservation (Freebairn et al. 1996). However, agricultural industries such as the Australian cotton industry have become increasingly aware of water losses due to DD in the furrow irrigated, heavy textured soils (Vertosols) where furrow lengths often exceed 800 m (Silburn et al. 2004). While the prime aim of the project was to directly quantify DD, a secondary aim was to monitor irrigation application efficiencies in terms of current irrigation methods. To this end, the study has been investigating the comparative efficiency of a lateral move irrigator vs furrow irrigation, in terms of lessened water applied and DD. Lateral moves (LM) are considered by many in the cotton industry as having great potential for positive impacts on water savings. More generally, Wiggington (2008) discusses the different influences on irrigation performance that will also impact quantities and temporal changes in DD, including infiltration characteristics, inflow rate, field length, soil water deficit and field slope.

What do consumers want from Textiles & how does this relate to cotton? Textiles contribute to almost every part of our daily lives, from the most obvious clothing and interior decorations (drape and carpet) and not so obvious medical, marine and the aerospace industry. I will be covering the following today *What consumers want from textiles & some current textile advancements *What consumers are wanting from cotton * And then finish off with where BMP cotton fits into this market.

It is increasingly recognised that the future of the Australian Cotton Industry is inextricably linked to parameters of 'permissible practice' as defined by the broader community. The Australian Cotton Industry's Best Management Practices (BMP) Program is a proactive initiative designed to help maintain this 'social licence' to farm

Presentation powerpoint - Introduction & Agenda:* *ICE Futures US *Cotton #2 Futures & Options *Volatility *Price Discovery & Risk Management *Conclusions and Observations

Many cotton growers are concerned that relying too heavily on Roundup (glyphosate) will lead to future problems with weeds becoming resistant to this herbicide. The potential for resistance is very real, as shown by the increasing resistance problems with Roundup Ready crops in the US, and emerging problems with glyphosate resistant ryegrass and awnless barnyard grass in the Australian cotton growing area. This paper discusses these issues and explains the value of the approach used in the Crop Management Plans of Roundup Ready and Liberty Link cotton for managing the development of resistance