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.

At the 1982 Australian Cotton Growers' Research Conference the effects of land preparation at different soi1 water contents on soil structure and cotton growth was reported. In summary, land preparation on 'wet' rather than 'dry' soil led to (1) a significant reduction in the amount of water available to cotton plants, (ii) strong changes in soil structure visible in the soil profile, and (iii) smaller cotton plants with up to 50% fewer green bolls.

In recent years sap-sucking bugs have been associated with early season damage.to cotton crops in most of the production centres in New South Wales and Queensland. Four species have been included in this pest complex: the green mirid (Creontiades dilutus), the apple dimpling (Campylomma livida),.the brown smudge bug (Deraeocoris signatus) and the rutherglen bug (Nysius.vinitor). The University of Queensland has conducted a number of preliminary studies on these bugs, concentrating on the green mirid. The studies conducted prior to the 1982-83 season have been discussed by Bishop (1980).and Adams and Pyke (1982). This paper summarises some of the results and observations made since 1982 from field cage, glasshouse and laboratory studies as well as unsprayed and commercial cotton crops.

Intense selection pressure has led to the development of insecticide resistance

At Narrabri we are continuing our breeding program to develop locally adapted early maturing varieties. At present there are no early varieties available commercially in Australia hut we feel that they could play an important role

Catches in pheromone traps can provide two types of information of interest to growers and researchers. Firstly, trap catches may directly indicate the abundance of moths in an area and hence the level of egg laying.in the crop. Unfortunately there doesn't appear to be any close association. Despite accounting for the effects of temperature and wind speed, Rothschild.et al (1981) found the relationship between trap catches (in cannister traps).and egg numbers was too variable on a day to day basis to be a reliable indicator of oviposition activity. Twine (1982), using texas traps