By now most people in the cotton industry have formed an opinion about Siratac as a concept and Siratac as a Company. The range of opinion varies from those who are strongly against both the concept and operation of the Company to those who are current users and strong supporters. Inevitably the majority are neither convinced one way or the other and.remain to be sold on the idea. In order to come to grips with Siratac it is necessary to develop a philosophical attitude toward cotton growing based on a common objective, giving due consideration to the consequences of our actions both past and present.

The overall aim of this project was to develop systems for targeting transgene expression in plants to enhance their defence responses.

We were investigating two methods for the regulation of the expression of transgenes in transgenic cotton. One method involved limiting gene function by insertion of the transposable element Ac. Transposition of the Ac element (where the Ac element “jumps out” of the gene) can cause localised re-activation of the target gene. This could be used to give small areas of localised gene expression in instances where constitutive expression of the gene in all cells would have a detrimental effect. This could be useful in the case of avirulence genes, for example. The use of transposable elements has other potential uses for gene tagging and we wished to demonstrate its feasibility in cotton. The second method involved an investigation of the behaviour of some potentially pathogen-inducible promoters as drivers of transgene expression. In this study our focus was on the PR10 gene family. Members of this gene family are highly induced by Fusarium infection of cotton – in fact they constitute a significant component of cotton’s responses to Fusarium.

For more than a century, petroleum-derived spray oils have been used to kill

susceptible pests, principalIy scales and wites through anoxia (suffocation). This

mode of action, and the use of oils as adjuvants, has severely limited their use alone

as biorational products in integrated crop management(ICM) programs. Significant

effects of oil deposits on arthropod behaviour, and opportunities for using products

to simultaneously control a range of pests and diseases, have been overlooked.

Recent research has demonstrated that the range of pests that can be controlled

through behavioural effects of contemporary products is far greater than the range

that can be controlled by anoxia. This research includes University of Western

Sydney and NSW Agriculture studies that indicated significant potential for use of

petroleum-derived spray oils (specifically horticultural and agricultural mineral oils)

to control Helicoverpa spp. in cotton and other crops.

The Australian Cotton Shippers Association (ACSA) invited CSIRO to give presentations on new CSIRO varieties and spin and dye trials as part of Export Market Development (EMD) seminars in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Thailand held between 29/5/2016 and 3/6/2016.

11th ACGRA Cotton Conference Programme, media coverage and survey results.

Hibiscus trionum L. (bladder ketmia) is one of the most common weeds throughout the Australian cotton industry. There are two varieties of the weed, the narrow leaf introduced variety Hibiscus trionum var. trionum and the native variety Hibiscus trionum var. vesicarius (Hochr.). There are two types of the wide leaf variety, commonly differentiated by their yellow and red centre flowers. Both Anoda cristata (L.) Schltr. (anoda weed) and Abutilon theophrasti Medik. (velvetleaf or swamp Chinese lantern) are less common but increasingly problematic weeds from the same plant family, Malvaceae.

Narrow leaf bladder ketmia is common in many ‘cooler’ and eastern areas and appears to be spreading outside these areas. Wide leaf bladder ketmia is more common in the ‘warmer’ western areas and is spreading within these areas. Anoda weed is a large problem in many areas in Queensland (Qld) and is spreading into areas in New South Wales (NSW). Velvetleaf is very uncommon in Qld and only found in small areas in NSW. Each of these species reproduces by seed and are spread by poor on-farm hygiene, by dirty machinery moving between clean and dirty areas (especially for anoda weed) and in water (especially the case for velvetleaf). Immediate action is required to manage these weeds and restrict their movement into areas where they presently do not occur.

These weeds are common throughout spring, summer and autumn, although narrow leaf bladder ketmia grows and produces seeds all year round. Wide leaf bladder ketmia and velvetleaf produce mature seeds from December onwards and anoda weed from February. To prevent seed set and cotton yield losses, management of these weeds needs to address three lifecycle aspects, these being firstly, successive seedling flushes after rainfall and irrigation, secondly, preventing adult plants from setting seed and thirdly, ensuring that good farm hygiene is practised so that spread is prevented. There are a number of registered herbicide options to control both seedling and adult plants of bladder ketmia, but limited or no options for the treatment of anoda weed and velvetleaf respectively. Cultivation and chipping are useful management tools in-crop while good farm hygiene should centre on cleaning down machinery and removing weeds from irrigation system infrastructure. These tools should all be used in combination in an integrated weed management (IWM) regime to ensure that successful control is achieved. Further herbicide options may need to be pursued for the control of anoda weed and velvetleaf in Australian cotton farming systems.

The Leaf Chamber Fluorometer is an exciting new addition to the physiological instrumentation available to the scientists at ACRI. The LCF has raised the investigative capabilities of the cotton research team and made it possible to study in greater depth stress related physiological responses in cotton. Its application will be broad encompassing stresses induced by pests and environmental extremes such as temperature and available water. Current and future projects will be measuring gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence concurrently, exploring and revealing the physiological origins of stresses in cotton that could result in declining yield and fibre quality. Significant findings using the LCF are expected over the next few years which will maintain research of an innovative standard in areas of cotton physiology for the team at ACRI.

The Multiple Pathways program at Goondiwindi State High Schoolis a lighthouse

example for other rural communities to engage in a training agenda. The Goondiwindi

State High School has played the role of lead agency in the wider community as it has

focused on providing training and skilling opportunities for its students in partnership

with local industry. The complexity of meeting formal training requirements in rural

remote communities who have no access to either training providers or training facilities

deters most stakeholders from pursuing formal quality training.

Destination studies undertaken by Goondiwindi State High School provide detailed

analysis of students' employment and training qualifications five years after their

completion of Year 12. These studies indicated that the 70% of students who moved to

fulltime local employment were being significantly disadvantaged by a lack of formalised

training. The results of the first destination studies undertaken in 1994 indicated that of

this 70%, only 1.3% were formally qualified or involved in any post school training.

Without access to training these graduates face reduced mobility and limited long-term

work prospects. The school embraced the opportunity to formalise qualifications for

students through a partnership of training with the business community.

The early stages of Vocational Education in our school involved the delivery of TRAC

(Training in Retail and Commerce). Our naivety about the complexity of delivering

formal qualifications was only dwarfed by our enthusiasm!

What makes our program outstanding is its diversity and the level of student

participation, employer participation, parental support and successfully overcoming the

extraordinary difficulties of dealing with the range of stakeholders involved. The

program's success has been validated by education (as a recipient of Education

Queensland's inaugural 2000 Showcase Award for Excellence) as well as by industry (as

recipient of the Queensland Training Award for the McDonald's Australia Vocational

Education and Training in Schools Excellence Award).

Strategically it was important to work collaborativeIy and cooperativeIy with local

employers. The school initiated many information evenings (involving employers,

parents and students); business breakfasts; employer training sessions; and door-to-door

promotion. Many man hours, personal effort and effective management have

cuIminated in the extraordinary success of the Goondiwindi State High School Vocational

Education program in 2000.

Purpose of travel was to attend the bi-annual Australian Cotton Shippers Association Conference to increase understanding of the current marketing and supply chain issues facing the Australian cotton industry so I can better fulfil my role as a grower representative on ACGRA involved in the assessment, prioritisation and review of CRDC Value Chain research projects.

Australia's primary industries and the communities that depend on them need to be sustainable, competitive and profitable now, and into the future, to secure Australia's food supplies and national prosperity. The predicted changes in the Australian climate are substantial, and the effects will vary widely across the country. Changes in temperature, rainfall, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, ocean currents and chemistry, winds, nutrient supply, and extreme weather conditions will all generate impacts and opportunities for Australian agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries.