I would like to focus on what I believe to be some of the most important issues now and in the future for the irrigation industry and, in this particular instance, the cotton industry - - whilst however keeping in mind that I don't differentiate between cotton, com or crossbred lambs -- but more of that later.

The good news is that nutgrass can be controlled. The bad news is that successful control is a long-term venture. Nutgrass control requires good management over a number of seasons, and will be expensive, but the alternative is far worse.

Agriculture can change the hydrologic balance of a landscape either through a change from native vegetation or the addition of water by irrigation or both. Since salts move with water, a change in hydrology will mean a change in the salt balance which may cause land and water degradation. The basic principles of water and salt movement can be applied to cotton growing areas to identify potential salinity hazards both on the fann and in the catchment Salinity problems are due to the presence of a high concentration of salts in soils or waters. A sodicity problem occurs where there is a high proportion of sodium compared to other ions resulting in degraded soil.

Black root rot is caused by the fungus Thielaviopsis basicola (Berk. & Broome) Ferraris. It infects over 137 species of plants from a wide range of families including cotton (Gossypium hirsutum Linn.), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum Linn.) and many legumes (Otani, 1962; cited in Meyer, Shew and Shoemaker, 1989). Infected plants are usually stunted during the seedling stages, leading to delayed maturity and loss of production (Young and Allen, 1991 ). Seedlings and older plants pulled from the soil often have shriveled and blackened root tissues. Survival in the soil is by thick-walled resting spores (called chlamydospores) which may remain viable in the soil for many years (Hillocks, 1992).

HOW IT RELATES TO THE CONCEPT OF BEST PRACTICE, WHAT ARE THE FEATURES OF THE TOP PERFORMERS

During the past two seasons, cotton crops growing in Queensland have been surveyed for diseases. In March 1993 specimens of wilted cotton were collected from the Brookstead area of the Darling Downs. Specimens from the same area were also supplied by local cotton consultants. Verticillium wilt is common in this area but the symptoms shown by these plants were not typical of that disease. The symptoms were: wilting; extensive dark brown discolouration of the vascular system and; leaf and stem death often from the top down. Some affected plants were re-shooting from the base. Hence these specimens were examined in the laboratory to determine the cause of these symptoms. The fungus Fusarium was consistently isolated from the vascular systems of these specimens. When this fungus was used to inoculate cotton seedlings they started to wilt after about two weeks. The fungus was re-isolated from the apical region of the wilted seedlings, indicating that it was a true vascular wilt pathogen

During the 1970s and 1980s organophosphates (OPs), particularly monocrotophos (first tested 1969-70, registered 1972-73) and profenofos (first tested 1973-74, registered 1978-79), were the mainstay of mite control for the Australian cotton industry until propargite (first tested 1989-90, registered 1993-94) was released. Control problems with monocrotophos were reported as early as 1976 and NSW Agriculture has carried out a resistance monitoring program at Rydalmere since then. The results of those investigations are reported in this paper.

In common with about 80% of all plants, cotton forms VAM (vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas). VAM are associations of soil-borne fungi with the roots of plants. Presence of the fungi in the roots increases the uptake of mineral nutrients that diffuse slowly through soil, such as phosphate, zinc, copper, potassium and ammonium. The fungus spreads beyond the nutrient depletion zone surrounding the root and accesses the pool of nutrients in the soil. VAM fungi also influence the resistance of plants to drought stress and pathogens. V AM are mutually beneficial because the plant supplies the fungus with organic food.

One of the few aspects of our industry that is controllable is injury to people. A goal for "The Australian Cotton Growers11 is to aim at a reduction in the insurance rate and to apply for a separate rate classification for the Cotton Industry based on performance. This performance must be demonstrated by reduced cost of Workers' Compensation

Agriculture is now recognised to be among the highest risk industry groups for occupational injury and disease. Action to improve the safety and well being of farmers, their families and workers is not only a responsible move for primary producers to make , it also makes good business sense. Farmsafe Australia Inc, the national organisation with a mission to assist the farming community to improve health and safety on fanns, has produced a package titled "Managing Fann Safety" as a management tool for primary producers to assist in the management of farm health and safety