My attending the conference and visit to Texas has provided an opportunity to update on recent US research and experience and has enabled me to meet a number of US cotton researchers. This will lead to continued networking and future collaboration and enhance the effectiveness of my research activities.

OBJECTIVES OF TRAVEL: * To examine ways in which plant pathologists and practitioners control black root rot in cotton in the USA, including the use of biofumigation crops such as onion or hairy vetch, disinfestation of fields using summer flooding, protective fungicides used as seed dressings etc. * To gain information and a better understanding of the epidemiology of black root rot and the biology of the pathogen. * To develop collaborative research links with plant pathologists working on black root rot and other diseases of cotton in the USA.

Research in this project was conducted over 3 years to investigate a range of issues related to improving the management of pests in cotton, especially through the early season. Experiments investigated * the efficacy and non-target effects of new insecticides * the response of cotton to early pest damage from thrips and other pests * resistance in spider mites to insecticides * the effects of spider mites on yield of dry land cotton * plant resistance in cotton to spider mites * rotation crops and mite overwintering. * effects of aphids on cotton yield

Plants in Action ADAPTATION IN NATURE, PERFORMANCE IN CULTIVATION

This project was designed to: * Review all available sources of analytical and research data regarding the binding and potential for remobilisation of endosulfan on bottom sediments * Based on the results of the review and data analysis, make recommendations regarding future research requirements Based on the survey the following conclusions can be made: * Contamination of sediments by endosulfan is a normal occurrence where significant residues are transported from sites of application to rivers in runoff. However, there is no compelling evidence available of widespread ecological hazards from storage of endosulfan at high concentrations in sediments. No such cases of long~term storage have been reported. * Contamination of sediments does occur at a moderate level near application points, with transient ecotoxicological effects, but there are no reports in the literature of major contamination of water resulting from subsequent mobilisation of endosulfan stored in sediments. * The current concern regarding possible storage of endosulfan in sediments would most effectively be countered if carefully targeted research were conducted. * It is recommended that research should be conducted to determine the probable size of the pool of residues present in sediments and to measure the rate and extent of partitioning of endosulfan residues in sediments into the water column. This study would best be achieved in farm reservoirs because of the uncertainty of riverine systems.

There were at least ten commercial fields of Ingard in the 1996/97 season with low efficacy pre flowering and requiring up to three insecticide sprays. Most other commercial Ingard fields required none or one insecticide when adjacent conventional cotton has been sprayed for Helicoverpa five times. Variability was also evident in 1997 /98 although with lower pest pressure in some districts that year, performance of Ingard was relatively better This project set up pilot studies to investigate physiological causes of variation in Ingard efficacy. The information will assist with crop management to minimise efficacy problems and plant breeders may utilise the findings to breed for improved stability of efficacy. It was found that shade and low temperature could affect Bt levels and efficacy against Helicoverpa.

This study used molecular biology approaches to investigate the biosynthesis of gossypol at the genetic level. Our objectives were to isolate some of the genes involved in gossypol biosynthesis, to characterise their expression and importance in the pathway, and to use these genes to generate transgenic cotton plants with altered levels of gossypol or other terpenoid aldehydes

Project Aims: Purchase a new portable photosynthesis system to support projects investigating cotton responses to waterlogging, heat tolerance, insect damage, nutrient supply and exogenous hormones

Original aims of the project are listed below: (i) To continue evaluation of the insect resistance of a range of cotton genotypes, including lines derived from crosses of promising HPR varieties with high yielding commercial varieties, including combinations with transgenic Bt lines (ii) To evaluate levels of aphid and mirid resistance in a broad range of genotypes under conditions where high densities of these pests will be induced (iii) To quantify biochemical changes in cotton genotypes associated with efficacy of transgenic cotton and the compensatory ability of different genotypes (iv) To identify the potential for induced defensive response to be used in selective breeding or to interfere with the efficacy of IPM tools such as virus sprays.

The commonly used Micronaire value for cotton is related to both fibre fineness and maturity. There is a need for a new measurement technique to separate these. This is of particular importance to the Australian industry where varieties of fine, mature cotton have the potential to be wrongfully discounted commercially by misinterpreting a low Micronaire value as indicating immaturity in a coarser fibre. A recent CRDC funded preliminary project (CRDC Project CSWT IC) demonstrated that the Sirolan-Laserscan, in a novel mode of operation, is able to measure the fineness of cotton fibres independent of fibre maturity. Following this successful preliminary study, the next stage in this research will be to undertake more exhaustive testing and trials of the approach and to examine (a) possibilities for also obtaining fibre maturity information using the Sirolan-Laserscan and (b) the scope for scaling up the technique from the laboratory to become a useful commercial measurement technique. Before embarking on this more major research phase, the current trip was designed to obtain an assessment of the commercial potential of the project. A paper on our preliminary results was presented to the US Beltwide meeting and also I visited and had indepth discussions with the other key researchers in this area at the USDA in New Orleans. This was an ideal opportunity as cotton fibre quality is currently assessed commercially using the HVI system manufactured by Uster Zellweger in USA with significant input from the USDA