The first Queensland soil management training workshop was held in July 1991 at Dalby. Funding came from the Cotton Research and Development Corporation and the National Soil Conservation Program. The aim of the workshop was to improve the soil advisory skills of local consultants and agronomists by enhancing their skills both in observing and recording soil structure and in producing advisory recommendations based on these observations. This was a first step in redressing the discrepancy between the high incidence of soil structure problems observed in cropping lands and the lack of personnel able to advise on repair and prevention programs.

This project involved the purchase of equipment to measure the surface water inputs and outputs of two commercial scale cotton fields. Cotton is grown on each field in alternate years and fallowed in the off year so that it was possible to compare the hydrologic behaviour of both cropped and fallow conditions. Irrigation water and rainfall inputs and tail water outputs were measured. Irrigation water input was measured with an open flow meter installed in the head ditch of the field containing cotton. Rainfall quantity and intensity were measured with a tipping bucket rain guage connected to a data logger. Outflow of surface water from both fields was measured with v-notch weirs and water depth sensors coupled to data loggers. A computer program has been written to process data logger output into a form for graphing and analysis.

The Project The Galathera syndrome affects cotton growing in the Namoi Valley, north-western New South Wales. Its symptoms include stunting and foliar discolouration of young seedlings, from which the plants may recover: but too late to reach their genetic potential for lint yield. An earlier bioassay showed the presence of phytotoxin(s) in a Galathera-prone soil from the property of Auscott Pty. Ltd., Narrabri, N.S.W. (plate 1). This project sought to test that result and to find chemical and physical differences between Galathera and nearby nonGalathera soils which might account for differences, if any, in their phytotoxic properties.

The colour of cotton fibre is affected by plant genetics, environmental factors, harvest and processing conditions. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) boll rot and fibre damage are usually associated with excessive rainfall. Managing colour pigmentation (and potential degradation) can affect the fibre’s ability to absorb and hold dyes and finishes. Cotton colour is an important aspect in determining the cotton quality and ultimately the price paid to the cotton growers.

Australian produces the highest quality upland cotton in the world. A significant risk to growers achieving market prices for this high quality/grade is the effect of heavy rainfall at the time of harvest. The opportunity cost to industry of colour grade loss due to rain is estimated on average to be $33.5 million, $13.75 per bale or approx. $137 per hectare over the last 10 years. The worst industry impact in one year (2014) was $119million, $24.00 per bale or approx. $240 per hectare.

This project will explore the opportunities to identify and exploit existing IP (and/or in subsequent project invent solutions) to the problem of colour gradation due to rain.

Weed surveys conducted by Charles (1989), Roberts (1996 unpublished) and Taylor (2002 unpublished) indicate that the majority of weeds affecting cotton production in Australian farming systems are annual and ephemeral species. These species include bladder ketmia, peach vine, caltrop, yellow vine, annual ground cherry and phasey bean. A review of the literature concerning these species reveals that the biology and ecology of the majority of these species is either poorly understood or has not been investigated. The survival strategy for the majority of weed species found in cotton farming systems revolves around their ability to produce large quantities of seed with varying seed dormancy and germination characteristics that enable them to exploit the cotton agro-ecosystem.

To devise better management strategies for these troublesome weeds it is essential for weed scientists to be able to study the biology and ecology of these weeds, in particular, how environmental factors interact with natural genetic variability to influence seed germination and dormancy. A better understanding of how these environmental factors impact seed germination and dormancy will enable growers to introduce more timely control measures.

After much consideration the project grant for a thermocycler (CRDC197C) was used to purchase an Eppendorf Mastercycler gradient machine. This choice of machine gave not only the obvious advantages of having a dedicated machine for the CRC29C project, it also had advanced features that were not available with the previous instruments in use. Being able to use gradient functions to optimise multiple annealing temperatures during a single reaction contributed a five-fold reduction in time taken for primer screening. The ability to optimise speed of temperature ramping and to preform touch-down PCR is giving higher quality results in the molecular marker work, additionally faster ramping rates have greatly reduced reaction times; allowing faster turn around of samples.

The ability to purchase a new thermocycler has greatly improved the ability to meet project aims, while increasing the skill base of the primary researcher as well as cotton honours project students. This instrument continues to be an asset to this project and too any other CRDC/CRC projects conducted through the botany department at the University of Queensland.

The Beltwide cotton conference is well worth attending as it is one of the few conferences specifically devoted to all aspects of cotton research. There are too many concurrent sessions to attend all topics, but this also provides for some variety as well. I endorse the CRDC’s continued support of sending at least one researcher to attend every year in order for the Australian research community to benefit from this information source and communication exchange.

Problems associated with pesticide application on the Darling Downs have not been solved by conventional strategies and alternate chemicals. Associated with these chemical use patterns is the development of resistance to insecticides in H. armigera. The use of molecular technologies for identification of Heliothis populations can provide answers to fundamental questions of population movement and development of insecticide resistance. These technologies will be applied in area wide management strategies presently under investigation in DAQ442 and in DAQ364 and from other recently developed Area Wide Management programs outside the Darling Downs. The proposed work will give precise information about local recruitment and migration of H. armigera and H. punctigera by providing an ability to track and study seasonal cohorts at a property management unit level. The microsatellite markers developed in UQ117 detect local population recruitment. It is now possible to measure local population recruitment and migration. The thrust of this project is to monitor local recruitment and the extent of migration over a further three growing seasons. The project will also begin the process of determining the source of migrating Heliothis populations. It is expected that this project will provide several major outputs.

This report presents the key outcomes of a collaborative research study between NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC). The study used the science-based method of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and aimed to:

(1) produce a clear picture of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions profile for a representative cotton production system in North West NSW;

(2) identify the most plausible set of emission reduction opportunities;

(3) create a platform in SimaPro (an LCA tool), through the North West NSW LCA, from which industry can routinely test emission mitigation options or the consequences of new productivity-based technologies in an ongoing way; and,

(4) undertake sensitivity analysis to check whether the case study region is representative of other regions.

We followed the LCA principals, as defined by ISO 14040:2006 Standard [1] and ISO 14044:2006 Standard [2]. The functional unit of the assessment was 1 t (1000 kg) of cotton lint at port, produced between 2011- 2014 by a continuous (back-to-back) cotton production system. A mixture of irrigated and rainfed cotton was modelled, in which irrigated cotton predominated. The system boundaries of the assessment included all processes involved in pre-farm, on-farm, and post-farm stages. The foreground data included that from questionnaires sent to some ginning plants, interviews conducted with some cotton farmers, gross margin data, industry surveys and case study research. Data were also validated by obtaining expert opinion from industry representatives. The background data (e.g. fertiliser production) were accessed from the different sources mainly from the Australian life-cycle inventory (AusLCI).

To assign the calculated CC impact between cotton lint and cotton seed, we followed the relevant hierarchy recommended by ISO 14044:2006. We initially applied the system expansion approach in which the total CC impact of the cotton system is assigned to cotton lint but it is credited for the avoided CC impacts of the products displaced by cotton seed (i.e. animal feed and oilseeds). Through this approach, we calculated the CC impact of the functional unit to range from 1254 kg CO2e to 1307 kg CO2e for four investigated scenarios. As other scenarios are also possible, these results should be treated as subjective. Given this uncertainty, we finally applied the economic allocation approach in which we allocated around 86% of the total CC impact to cotton lint and around 14% of the impacts to cotton seed, in proportion to their revenue.

In a two season study, results from large scale field trials, supported by laboratory bioefficacy experiments showed that the adoption of Large Droplet Placement (LDP) techniques for the aerial application of insecticides, (endosulfan and chlorpyrifos) did not have a significant effect in reducing the biological efficacy of the pesticides when compared to aerial Ultra Low Volume (ULV) and ground rig application.

Drift studies undertaken simultaneous with this project by the Centre for Pesticide Application & Safety, (CRDC UQ 27C, Optimisation of large droplet placement (LDP) technology for the aerial application of insecticides in cotton) showed that the use of LDP application techniques reduced the downwind drift ten to fifteen times, compared to ULV applications. This finding shows that LDP techniques can be adopted to reduce the potential for spray drift resulting from the aerial application of pesticides whilst maintaining the effectiveness of certain contact insecticides on heliothis mortality.The results from this study will have a significant effect upon reducing the potential for spray drift resulting from the use of insecticide in the Australian cotton industry. By showing that the efficacy of insecticides was not compromised with the adoption of low spray drift aerial application techniques, the use of LPD technology in BMP can be extended and used with greater confidence. For the CRDC it will increase the Corporations capacity to support be more sustainable and profitable cotton industry by providing significant benefits. Based upon these data and subsequent modelling undertaken by CPAS, the National Registration Authority (now the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, APVMA) developed the 1999/2000 endosulfan cotton label in response to the detection of endosulfan residues in beef cattle during the 98/99 cotton season. The APVMA consequently focussed solely upon reducing off target contamination and aerial transport of droplets, not the biological efficacy of the product.