This paper address why there are differences in the soils of the lower Namoi Valley. At present it is commonly accepted that there is little variation in the heavy day soils west of Narrabri because they have formed from a common source of material - clay deposited from the Namoi River. Preliminary evaluation of our data indicates that this explanation is too simple to explain the range of soil characteristics found in the area,

It rained a lot, and much cotton was picked on wet soil - but how much damage was, or will be, done to the soil? It is worth bearing in mind the description given in the handbook on Soil Management by Davies et al. (1977 - see ch. 8, Traffic and Soil Damage). The following is a slightly abridged quotation.

The presence of right-angle bending in cotton tap roots clearly shows the restrictions which degradation of soil structure imposes on cotton growth. The obvious solution to this problem is to break up degraded layers by deep tillage. This solution has readily been taken up by cotton growers to the extent.that deep tillage is routinely used by . some growers. Concerns have been expressed about the cost of, and time involved in, preparing a cotton seedbed by knocking down hills and rebuilding them. These concerns led to the establishment of an experiment in which cotton production on beds left in the same place (permanent beds) was compared with production on areas which were deep tilled prior to each cotton crop. The main aim of this experiment was to assess whether high cotton production could be maintained on cotton beds kept in the same place for a number of years.

To investigate soil response to compaction, a range of cracking clay soils (Vertisols) were collected from major cotton growing areas in Queensland and subjected to a uni-axial-compression. Large differences in compactibility were observed between the different soil types.

In response to many inquiries about EM38 technology, either from those who came to an industry field day (as part of the Irrigation Technology Tour Feb 2015) or who have spoken with someone else who attended, Department of Natural Resource Management (DNRM) have offered to hold a 2 day training workshop in Toowoomba . The Agenda will run through absolutely everything to do with EM38's; with a theory morning on how they work and the soil calibration calculations and an in-field afternoon taking participants out into the field to show them how to set up survey lines, take soil cores, do machine and soil calibrations, towing setups, and krieging the data to produce maps.

There is a real need to act on the momentum generated from the tour, provide assistance to those wanting to take up this technology and train users with analysis and interpretation once they get started.

The workshop was advertised in the article on EM38's for The Australian Cottongrower and so far 56 attendees have registered. For this to be offered as a free workshop, DNRM will organise the workshop and the venue and have requested CRDC pay for catering. External presenters have been invited to present (at no cost).

Over the last 22 years the Australian cotton industry, through the CRDC and Cotton CRC, have actively invested in the dissemination of research information to growers and the broader community. In addition to the Development and Delivery (D&D) team one of the key means by which information has been disseminated is via the Cotton CRC web site. Post June 2012 the Cotton CRC web site will no longer be updated and there is therefore a need to build a new knowledge hub for the industry and transition existing Cotton CRC and industry information to this new location.

This project aims to:

• Develop an new knowledge hub for all cotton industry research and development information

• Catalogue and make available all existing and future research and development information

• Support the industry’s MyBMP program through ensuring links to myBMP remain current

• Work closely with industry D&D team to support and promote their activities through the knowledge hub

• Maintain and update an industry contacts database

• Transition information currently on the Cotton CRC website across to the new knowledge hub.

The proposed new knowledge hub will be a dynamic site that has the capacity to change with the needs of its clients. This project will also continue to support the D&D team to extend information to industry utilising innovative channels such as You Tube, podcasts, Twitter and Facebook. It will also assist with the creation of hardcopy information such as Information Sheets that can also be used as web resources and web based forms for survey, hardcopy distribution and collection of client information.

CRDC recognises that people are the cotton industry’s greatest resource. We continue to invest

in the capacity and capability of people through many programs, designed to build a skilled,

educated and progressive industry workforce and an industry connected by dynamic networks.

We also invest in a range of people programs to build our leadership capacity.

Three of the current key focuses include CottonInfo, the industry’s unique joint venture

in extension, which is extending key research outcomes to growers; the collaborative

implementation of the industry workforce development strategy, which will underpin future

workforce programs; and communications, to ensure our stakeholder needs are met.

Overall, the goal is to improve the capacity of our growers and the wider industry to attract,

retain and develop their people, and to support strong relationships and engagement in

research through an interconnected network.

Attendance and presentation at the Cotton Industry Workforce Development Strategy and Research Forum enabled the opportunity to workshop with a group of selected, interested people on the final draft of the future Workforce development strategy and future outcomes for cotton education.

Additionally, networking with people with invested educational interests from other states and presenting with Mr Gordon Stone on the cotton industry’s education activities and the young cotton professional program.

CottonInfo’s cotton nutrition

tour hit the road in February 2016, bringing 10 leading cotton nutrition researchers onto farms

across five cotton growing valleys.

Growers were invited to field days at Gunnedah, Warren, Griffith, Emerald and Moree to meet with

these researchers and to learn about the latest developments in nutrition research. Kicking off with the Gunnedah

field day on February 8, on to Warren, Griffith, Emerald and Moree.

A Research overview was the Agenda led by Allan

Williams and Jane Trindall, CRDC. other specialised presenters included:

Sustainable cotton production: higher yields, more often - Dr Oliver Knox, UNE

Nutrient budgeting - Dr Chris Dowling, Back Paddock

Improving nitrogen use efficiency- Dr Dio Antille, USQ

Mineralised nitrogen in crop - Dr Francois Visser, UQ

Nitrogen losses from irrigated cotton - Dr Ben Macdonald, CSIRO Phosphorus considerations: irrigated and raingrown cotton - Dr

Brendan Griffiths, UNE

Optimising nitrogen and irrigation application and nitrous oxide emissions - Jon Baird, NSW DPI

Soil health and crop rotations - Dr Vadakutta Gupta, CSIRO

Nitrous oxide losses from irri- gated cotton - Dr Graeme Schwenke, NSW DPI

Research in practice - Nigel Corish, cotton grower and Nuffield Scholar

Research, trials and local issues

- Local CottonInfo regional development officers,

PLUS, hear from the growers hosting each of the field days about their on-farm crop nutrition.

All topics were covered at Gunnedah, Warren, Griffith and Emerald. A modified

agenda for Moree, as was nutrition is part of the agenda at the Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association

grower-led irrigation systems research field day.

Automating surface irrigation systems can deliver both improved efficiencies in labor and water use. The precise control of flows and water levels throughout a farm can also result in improved production and reduced costs of production improving profitability.

Forty irrigators, consultants and researchers participated in the 2015 CottonInfo Irrigation Automation Tour which visited the manufacturing facilities of Rubicon Water and Padman Stops. The tour also included seven farm visits to hear direct from farmers who are have already adopted automation equipment to deliver water around their farm. Some farms were fully automated with the ability to control their irrigation remotely. There was a range of irrigation layouts and automation equipment across all seven farms.

The tour has generated significant interest in investigating ways to automate surface irrigation systems in the Australian Cotton Industry. A comprehensive evaluation of the tour was conducted which showed that all participants have an increased knowledge and understanding of the automation equipment currently available and how it could be used on their farms. While all participants were keen to adopt some level of automation in their surface irrigation systems, the greatest barrier to adoption is the cost of the equipment and redevelopment. The tour provided an important networking opportunity for irrigators, consultants, researchers and retailers across the cotton, dairy and rice industries.

Irrigation trials have been conducted at Byee over the last two seasons as part of a Statewide project funded by the Cotton Research Council.