This study tour and work experience opportunity was undertaken to give the student researcher a broader look at cotton, agricultural technology and general agriculture in America and Canada, in the hope of finding practices or technology to implement into our Australian industry. Whilst on tour, the researcher also attended the 2017 International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) Global Conference and participated in the student case study challenge, placing third globally.

A detailed research tour is documented in the Final Report.

The outcomes on return include the follow-up on implementing plant psychrometers to assess the commercial viability and benefit/gain to the grower and have approached Plant Phytech to conduct a trial this 2018 cotton season on the Liverpool plains. In addition, the researcher will be looking at the practical implementation of precision ag by trialling echelons approach to collecting, interpreting and uploading data without needing the farmer to export or upload data themselves.

Encouraged by a trial 1/2 acre result of 2.8 bales per acre from the 1990 cotton pick, Tandou has grown 70 acres in 1991 and 850 acres in 1992 installing one roller gin to process the 1991 crop and expanding the gin this year to four roller gins with provision to expand to a total of eight. The same Tandou gin also accommodates two saw gin stands with provision for a third.

It is anticipated that the IPM short course will develop sufficient interest, motivation and confidence in growers to implement appropriate IPM strategies. By learning together it is expected that growers will contiriue to communicate regularly in developing their lPM management systems. This will lead to quantifiable changes in farm management involving real adjustment in management of insect pests. There will also be long-term economic benefits and improved sustainability for cottongrowers.

This project supports the ongoing development of IPM in cotton by targeting emerging pest issues, and inappropriate management which may threaten IPM. Key outcomes were:

1. Green vegetable bug (GVB) uses broad leaf weeds as hosts on cotton farms and in refuge areas. GVB prefer to feed and oviposit in legume crops such as mungbean, pigeon pea and soybean. Management of these weeds and crops on farms could influence risks of problems in cotton. Parasitism rates by the egg and nymphal/adult parasites are generally low. 2. Information summarising effects of the new registered compounds (e.g. Shield) and the lower rates of dimethoate has been incorporated into the ‘Impact of insecticides and miticides on predators in cotton’ table in the Cotton Pest Management Guide 2010-11. 3. Leaf damage resulting in reduced leaf area at or after cutout is unlikely to affect yield unless it is high – probably > 50% leaf loss in the upper canopy (top 6-9 nodes). Damage in the boll fill period before cutout may reduce yield. A tentative leaf loss threshold of 30% to 40% could be used. Results are relevant in assessing effects of leaf loss due to locusts and cluster caterpillar. 4. The efficacy and IPM fit of two fungal biopesticides BC639 and BC667 was evaluated. Both reduced abundance of aphids compared with the control by about 10-50% but the results were erratic and slow. However, the bio-pesticides are more selective than most commercial options – hence the conservation of beneficials may be greater. 5 The spread of CBT from the transplant colonies (= ratoon plants) was greater than from the inoculation colonies (= influxes from host outside the field). Transmission rate increased from < 10% with 1-2 aphids to > 50% with 5-15 aphids. If single aphids infest plants the latent period is 3 to 3.5 weeks but could be a little as 9 days with greater infestations. In the latter case, early management of aphids would be required to reduce the risk. 6. Pale cotton stainer (PCS) females are more damaging than males or mating couples. Females caused up to 50% yield loss and reduced germination success when feeding on young bolls. Feeding on older bolls did not reduce boll weight, but did affect boll opening, harvestability and germination. 7. Bemisia tabaci B-Biotype dominated whitefly populations during 2008-09, with virtually no B. tabaci Eastern Australian Natives, few greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) and no B. tabaci Q-Biotype found. Volunteer and ratoon cotton, sowthistle, marshmallow, turnip weed, noogoora burr and paddy melon are hosts through winter. This project provides new information to make better decisions about management of emerging pests. Many outcomes have been delivered to industry through presentations, published resources and the WWW. Benefits to the industry are more rational decisions on the need to control pests and awareness of risks for different control options to obtain a better management balance between control and environment.

To maximise improvements in work health and safety, it is vital to have the best available evidence available to understand the risks that exist. In turn, this can help to define the best control solutions to reduce these risks and prevent injury. For the cotton sector, such information can be used with confidence by cotton growers to update and modify myBMP (Best Management Practices) information and enhance their health and safety systems/practices.

The aims of this project were to review the National Coroners Information system and workers compensation data to understand the risks that exist on cotton famrs and define the best control solutions to reduce these risks and prevent injury.

2. Are there any comments relevant to continuing research in this area?

The report identified that there were a total of nine fatalities relating to working on cotton farms during the period 2001 – 2013 and an additional 28 cases that could have involved work on cotton farms, however the available data did not specify the cropping situation. In addition to fatalities a number of serious injury claims and short term injury claims were also identified. Ongoing research requirements exist for routine monitoring of data to provide indications of practice change and improvements on cotton farms. Moreover the requirements now exist in improving safety on farm and ensuring best practice reflects dilligence in WHS.

In recent years water use has become an important issue for the cotton industry mainly due to prevailing drought, competition with other water users and environmental concerns. Therefore water use efficiency is a critical issue for the Australian cotton industry and avenues for improving irrigation efficiency (IE) and crop water use efficiency (CWUE) need to be explored. Total water inputs to an irrigated cotton farm come from in-season rainfall, irrigation and stored soil moisture. A integrated management of these water inputs will assist in improving the efficiency of use of irrigation water, reduce salt inputs to the farm and reduce the risk of off-farm movement of agrochemicals. The results of past studies show that crop rotation has a number of advantages particularly in terms of soil moisture conservation. The amount of moisture stored in the soil depends on the water holding capacity of the soils and infiltration capacity. By using appropriate crop rotation and stubble management, a portion of pre-season rainfall can be stored in the soil profile to be used for future cotton crops. Further infiltration capacity of soils can be improved to utilise “in season” rainfall efficiently.

The effect of the previous crop and tillage method on water use efficiencies was investigated using the existing farming system trials. There was no significant difference between treatment for in-season rainfall use efficiency and total amount of irrigation water used for evapotranspiration. Cotton CWUE did, however, differ between cropping systems. Cotton CWUE's were in the order of minimum-tilled cotton-wheat (average of 2.30 kg of lint/ha/mm)> minimum-tilled continuous cotton (average of 2.12 kg of lint/ha/mm)> intensively-tilled continuous cotton (average of 2.07 kg of lint/ha/mm). Highest plant available water was observed in minimum tillage with rotation treatment. There was additional 26mm of plant available water in minimum tillage with rotation systems compared to maximum tillage continuous cotton. These results clearly indicate that the crop rotation and tillage strategy have beneficial effects on water use efficiencies of irrigated cotton.

Cotton farmers need strategies and tools to assist in monitoring and analysing water use with a view to improving efficiency. A standard method for measuring, recording and analysing water use is necessary to make a valid comparison of water use efficiencies between fields, properties and seasons. A user-friendly software tool was developed to assist cotton growers to record, analyse and assess the performance of individual fields and whole farm water use efficiency using readily collected on-farm data. Both production and quantitative water use efficiencies are considered, including the overall irrigation water losses within the farm. This system enables irrigators to identify the fate of water within the farm, identifying points of loss and potential areas for improvement. This system has been integrated into HydroLOGIC software.

Financial analysis usIng comparative statistics helps farmers identify relative strengths and

weaknesses. Accompanying budgets and long term business plans wlll then focus on ways to

overcome weaknesses and build on strengths . In other words, this comparative analysis is a

management tool to implement change and to identify where effort should be directed on a day

to day basis.

ObviousIy, this analysis does not provide all the answers. It is a benchmark or a standard to strive for. It is up to management to develop and implement specific action plans based on their

improved knowledge, to reach new goals set.

These reliable, independent figures are the starting point for farmers to develop "best practise".

In this report, we present an analytical review of the 2002 cotton crop results, a comparison with prior years and comments on emerging trends.

This project was undertaken in response to concerns raised by the NSW goverrrrnent

Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC, formerly EPA) regarding the

potential for the concentration of pesticide residues in cotton gin trash to pose a

"hazardous" risk. The assessment and characterization of waste is stipulated by waste

management guidelines (EPA, 1999), of which one of the 27 pesticides analyzed,

commonly used in cotton production, is characterized.

Monitoring of trash ginned from cotton during the 2002 season occurred over a two year

period at three gin sites from different valley's, including Namoi (Auscott Narrabri),

Wathagar (Namoi Cotton) and Mungindi(Namoi Cotton). In total, 14 pesticide residues

were detected in gin trash; 13 commonly used pesticides of cotton and DDE, a breakdown

product of DDT. The concentrations of these residues were then characterised for risk

using standard risk assessment methodology (Norton at o1. , 1992; ECOFR, A. M, 1999) and

the EPA guidelines (EPA, 1999). The degradation rate of the residues was also measured.

The concentrations of residues in gin trash were not found to pose a hazardous risk. The

nature of these chemical, being strongly bound to organic matter, also indicated that these

residues would not be available to cause toxic action. The total amounts of residues in gin

trash almost disappear except for DDE found only in samples from the Namoi Valley.

Based upon the characterization guidelines for chiorpyrifos (EPA, 1999), cotton gin trash

was found to be "Solid Waste", two management categories lower than Hazardous

Waste". There is no evidence to suggest these chemical residues detected should be

considered a risk of causing toxic action in the future. Furthemore, future classification

would be expected to reduce cotton gin trash to "inert" waste, because of decreased

pesticide use with increased use of Bollgard 11 cotton varieties.

Ultra narrow row (UNR) cotton, is cotton with row spacings of 50 cm or less. The rationale for investigating narrow row cotton production was that it had the potential to reduce season length, provide a better spatial arrangement, and produce the same yield by having fewer boils on a greater number of plants. Early Australian trial work in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area by Low and McMahon (1973), and by Low, MCMahon and Pistillo(1975) did show yield benefits with narrow rows. However, there were several limitations to the development of the system. These included the development of varieties, cultural practices and harvesting machinery adapted to narrow row production.

Five trial results detailed in Final Report.