Insecticide resistance continues to be a major problem for the cotton grower. It also is the focus of much of the research into the use and management of transgenic plants. At times, the jargon associated with resistance can be vague or misleading, not only to the cotton grower or consultant but also to specialists in pest management. Terms such as resistance factors, resistance levels and resistance frequencies are all used to connote the seriousness of resistance. The distinction among the three terms is not always clear and they are sometimes used interchangeably

This is a new project that aims to develop diagnostic molecular probes for the most threatening insecticide resistance mechanisms in Australian H. armigera

At the 1992 Australian Cotton Research Conference, we reported on field trials of a prototype Heliothis ID kit that were held during the 1991-92 growing season (Trowell et al., 1992). We described a number of problems revealed by the field trials and outlined the research and development plan we had put in place to overcome them. All those problems were overcome by October 1992 and our second prototype performed very well in trials held during the 1992/93 growing season. Subsequently, the kit was licensed to Abbott Australasia Pty. Ltd. Who christened it the LepTon Test Kit. As is probably well known throughout the cotton growing community, the LepTon Test Kit was launched by Abbott Australasia in October 1993 and has now been commercially available for one full cotton growing season. It plays an important role in the Australian cotton industry's resistance management strategy.

It has now been 11 years since the introduction of the Insecticide Resistance Management Strategy in the 1983/84 season. Continued monitoring of resistance levels in Heliothis armigera during that time has given the following results:

Integrated pest management (IPM), or integrated pest control as it was originally known, is not a new concept. It was defined at an FAO symposium in 1965 as 'a pest population management system which utilises all suitable techniques in a compatible manner to reduce pest populations and maintain them at levels below those causing economic injury'. The need for IPM arose because of the problems associated with the use of broad spectrum pesticides, particularly the development of resistance in pests, residues in produce and environmental contamination. The main aim of IPM is to reduce the use of broad spectrum pesticides, but it does not exclude the strategic use of pesticides. The Australian cotton industry is currently heavily dependant on a wide range of chemical pesticides to control insect and mite pests. The use of these pesticides is extremely sophisticated by world standards, being based on detailed pest monitoring, highly efficient application and supported by a comprehensive resistance management strategy for major pests. The industry has progressed a long way from calendar spraying, but IPM is still in an embryonic stage. Some advances have been made, including the use of the biological insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), cultivation at the end of the season to destroy overwintering pupae of Helicoverpa (Heliothis) armigera,

Program

Liz Dennis and Curt Brubaker were invited to attend the International Cotton Genome Initiative lCGl 2001 workshop in Montpellier France. Dr. Dennis was invited to present a summary of the current state of Cotton Functional Genomics; Dr. Brubaker was invited as member of the lCGl Steering Committee and a Discussion Leader for one of the Workshop sessions.

The International Cotton Genome Initiative is a new organization that came into being during a Cotton Marker Workshop held in Canberra 16-18 February, a workshop partially funded by the CRDC. CSlRO Plant lndustry feel strongly that the lCGl is an important development in cotton research, and that the Australian Cotton Industry must be represented in the ICGI. While CSlRO PI had a member on the Steering Committee (CLB), CSlRO PI felt strongly that the CRDC may want to be involved directly, and sent a letter to Ralph Schulze to this effect (Attachment 1). From a variety of options, CRDC elected to participate in the lCGl 2001 Workshop by sponsoring Drs. Dennis' and Brubaker's travel to the meeting and thus was listed as an lCGl Workshop sponsor.

An evaluation of drip irrigation for cotton production

Soils that disperse tend to have poor drainage; excessive swelling closes soil pores, which also block up with dispersed clay, sand and silt. Poorly drained soils remain moist close to the surface for prolonged periods after rain and/or irrigation. When in this condition, the soil is easily smeared and made more compact by heavy machinery passing over the surface.