Techniques to Improve Profitability of Growing Cotton

As a result of a major fall in world cotton prices, the Namoi Cotton Co-operative has been actively looking at ways of reducing costs on cotton farms.

A set of Environmental Performance Indicators (EPls) have been developed that provide

a means of scoring soil health; water quality; biodiversity, industry health; and carbon

emission performance of an enterprise.

The soil and water indicators can be used to translate changes in practice to changes in

soil and water resource conditions while biodiversity indicators provide a semi quantitative

indication of vegetation and riparian condition. The carbon emission

indicators are included in recognition of greenhouse gas emissions being a new issue that requires development of understanding. Industry health has been included to provide a gauge of an industries commitment to environmental management.

The proposed EPls have been compared to and are consistent with those being

proposed by the beef and grains industries in their respective NRM programs. In

addition, the proposed EPls reflect the objectives of several NRM bodies.

Initial assessment of the EPls and the use of indicators in general has indicated that

even simple indicators (e. g. soil cover) are much harder to use in the real world due to spatial and temporal variability. It is evident and growers do not regularly collect

quantitative estimates of inputs or outputs. From a grower's perspective the primary

measure of NRM performance is based on maintaining farm productivity and profitability.

This knowledge gives an indication that it will be difficult to establish new orfonnal

indicators unless there is a) a direct and immediate benefit to the grower; by the process is simple and rapid and c)training and support is available to demonstrate benefits.

A system for collation and spatial aggregation of EPls is required for reporting at

catchment, region and industry scales. Currently there are several related activities

involving electronic capture of performance indicators. This dispersion of effort across industries will require some rationalisation if there is to be wide spread adoption of environmental performance measurement and reporting.

Web based Cotton Greenhouse Gas and Irrigation WUE calculators have been proposed as simple tools for estimating carbon emissions and WUE. These tools need to be further developed to be more educative. Currently, the logic behind calculations is not readily accessible, and the ability to learn about management options to improve on-farm management is limited as a result.

While a set of EPls has been developed, a range of approaches is required to

demonstrate NRM credentials including; random stratified surveys, establishment of

reference sites as benchmarks, monitoring of sentinel sites, remote sensing and

publication of case studies. A range of approaches is required to support communication of an industry's environmental management, with different audiences requiring different styles of information.

A review of overseas literature shows that several approaches have been recommended for the control of bacterial blight of cotton . These methods include resistant cultivars, destruction or avoidance of infested crop debris, seed treatments, bactericide sprays and clean seed schemes . For various reasons not all of these methods are applicable to the Australian cotton growing situation.

Bacterial blight of cotton is a major disease in most cotton growing countries of the world. It was first recorded in Australia in 1923 in Queensland and since then has been present in most crops in varying degrees of severity. This disease is caused by the bacterium. Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvaceum

The cotton bollworm, Heliothis armigera Hubner, is the most serious pest of cotton in Thailand. A programme of screening chemicals for this insect in the field has been conducted since 1965 to discover the most effective insecticides and to establish a control strategy. This report gives a brief account of the history of insecticide use, beginning with endrin plus DDT, and toxaphene plus DDT during 1966-1983. Details of recent findings include some organophosphate compounds, one carbamate compound, one organic hydrocarbon, many synthetic pyrethroid compounds and some interesting insecticide tank mixtures. Insect resistance to the synthetic pyrethroids and some side-effects of certain insecticides are also discussed in the text. Alternate sprays between 2 different groups of chemical compounds is proposed for as one control measure.

Three species of pest mites are found in cotton in NSW and Qld: the two spotted mite, Tetranychus urticae, the bean mite, T. ludenli, and the strawberry mite, T. lambi. Of these T. urticae is the major pest, and has a level of resistance to the two organo-phosphate miticides currently used in cotton. Most growers apply between 1-3 expensive sprays ($20 - $40/ha) specifically to control mites each season. Mites can often be found in seedling cotton, but as the cotton undergoes a phase of rapid growth in November and December mites usually become scarce until mid-late January when mite numbers again increase.

Currently our district relies on weather data from St. George Queensland (4487), which is 95kms north of our town, Mungindi in New South Wales (110kms away) or alternatively Walgett, which is 205kms from our district. We have irrigated cotton growers in the district who rely on this information to make critical business decisions. Often the data from St. George, Mungindi or Walgett is not indicative of our district weather conditions or local historical data. A local weather station unit would solve this.

The scouting of cotton for eggs and larvae of Heliothis spp is a labour intensive and therefore expensive undertaking. The question arises whether cost savings could be made by using semi-automatic monitoring devices to partially replace crop scouting. This paper describes the advantages and disadvantages of light and pheromone traps and the information they can be expected to give, from experience gained in progressively developing trapping systems over the past eight years.

Early crop protection is a controversial subject in modern pest management. Grower magazines in Australia and the U.S. carry articles expressing firm opinions both for and against. Australian cotton growers remain divided on the issue. Two opposite philosophies have developed: the early strategists and the plant compensationists. Who should growers believe? What are the facts?