The Australian cotton industry is cominttted to developing and improving its competitiveness, profitability and sustainability that ultimately leads to econointc development and job creation in rural and regional Australia. The Australian Cotton Exhibition Centre showcases this story and contributes to the achievement of this goal.

The Australian Cotton Exhibition Centre (ACEC Ltd), trading as the Australian Cotton Centre, was officially opened by the Hon. John Anderson MP on July 19 , 2002. The Centre delivers key industry messages though interactive, informative and fun exhibits developed and constructed by Questacon, the National Science & Technology Centre. The Centre is open 7 days a week.

The Centre's mission is to become a valuable information and educational resource centre for the national cotton industry and simultaneously create regional economic development and job creation through tourism.

Its objective to promote the Australian Cotton industry using informative, educational and entertaining exhibits produced by the world renown Questacon will contribute significantly to the broader community having a greater understanding of the industry and its achievements.

Funding from the Cotton Research and Development was used for the Wheel of Life and Better Breeding exhibits.The Wheel of Life exhibit allows the visitor to investigate the Helicoverpa spp life cycle and correspond farm management practices. The Better Breeding exhibit gets the visitor to experiment with crossing cotton plant varieties to produce a high yielding, high tolerance to insect pressure, thin leaved variety. The information provided in these 'hands-on' exhibits reflect the

significant role that research has played since the commencement of the industry in the 1960s. These achievements need to be communicated to the general public and each exhibit achieves this, without technical jargon and utilizing novel delivery mechanisms.

An educational pack has also been developed. It identifies links with the curriculum and includes student worksheets specifically developed to link the information found within the exhibits to the education curriculum needs.

The Federal Government priorities include "the need to promote and develop competitive, profitable and sustainable Australian agriculture, food, fisheries and forest industries which promote economic development and job creation,

particularly in rural and regional Australia. CRDC's contribution to the ACEC is an example of the Corporation addressing this priority.

The offering of diagnostic services in the determination of species identification and Trichogramma parasitism in Helicoverpa eggs provided submitters with valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of H. armigera and H. punctigera activity as well as the levels of Trichogramma activity in these populations of Helicoverpa.

The data collected on species composition showed a general trend in species composition showing Helicoverpa punctigera prominent early in the season (95% H. punctigera, 4% H. armigera and 1% H. punctifera) and remaining so until late November where Helicoverpa armigera became more prominent. Several collections from the Darling Downs however showed very high levels of H. punctigera (87%) as late as January. The most notable change in species composition in this study compared with other of previous years and project (UQ34C) is the presentation of an additional (putative) species H. punctifera. Data collected on levels of parasitism early in the season showed zero to very low (2%) levels of Trichogramma parasitism. These rates of parasitism rose very slowly over the months before Christmas, peaking in January at around 40% before then falling sharply presumably due to cultural regimens in cotton from which most collections were made. Almost all Trichogramma found were Trichogramma pretiosum. Rates of Trichogramma australicum were found to be 1%-2% on the Darling Downs only.

The project has clearly demonstrated that DNA based diagnostics are viable tools for helping in the control of Helicoverpa in a sustainable economic manner. Diagnostic turnaround times are currently within the timeframes needed for accurate decision making when choosing best practice strategies for control and can deliver this information in a very cost effective way. These assays are now sufficiently robust that they can be performed by non-expertise in a simple laboratory or even a kitchen with a few inexpensive equipment items. It is the recommendation of this research team that that these assays should be regionalised. This will improve further the speed of turn around of collection to information by significantly shortening the sample transit times.

Cotton wax is essential for the efficient processing of cotton fibre into spun yarn. It provides a lubricating layer that reduces fibre-to-metal friction and therefore fibre breakage during mechanical processing. The downside is that this layer also acts as an impermeable barrier to the entry of water and dye molecules into the fibre. For successful, even dyeing - this barrier must be removed by scouring and/or bleaching.During the early 1990s, the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) commissioned fibre-to-fabric trials to examine the effect of plant variety upon spinning ability, yarn properties and dye uptake variability. While the trials found that variation in dye uptake was due predominantly to a combination of fibre maturity and fineness (linear density), which are largely environmental effects, it was strongly suspected that the cotton wax on some varieties had an effect upon dye uptake, due to the wax on some varieties being more difficult to remove than others.

The issue of the wax content of Australian cottons has been raised in more recent times by local and international dyers and finishers alike, and from spinners of Australian cotton who sell yarn into knitting markets. It's a particularly vexing issue, especially as it relates to how the wax levels of varying Australian cotton plants contribute to dye uptake variability - most notably in fabrics that undergo limited preparation before dyeing.

The costs to dyers and finishers can be counted in terms of product claims, e.g., fabric returned from a customer due to uneven dyeing, and/or the cost of implementing costly scour procedures before bleaching to ensure the removal of wax and consistent dye uptake is achieved.

Transgenic (Bt) cotton varieties provide a substantial basis for economically and environmentally sustainable insect pest management within the Australian cotton industry. The introduction of Bt cotton has significantly reduced pesticide use for the control of key pests such as Helicoverpa spp. and encouraged a greater emphasis on the management of beneficial invertebrates in pest control. A major risk now facing the cotton industry, from a pest management perspective, is the development within H. armigera of resistance to Bt. As a result, mandatory requirements are placed on growers of Bt cotton to provide refuge crops (no Bt exposure) as sources of susceptible moths that will mate with any potentially resistant moths arising from the Bt crops – thus swamping resistance development. Various refuge crops are available as options (pigeon pea, maize, sorghum, conventional cotton). To properly evaluate the utility of such refuges, we need improved knowledge of the degree to which moths generated by them and those emerging from Bt crops effectively mate. A core assumption of the current Bt Resistance Management Plan for Bt cotton is that moths from different crop origins mate at random. Using carbon isotope signatures characteristic of C3 and C4 plants (e.g. cotton and pigeon pea cf maize and sorghum), this project demonstrated that mixed matings of Helicoverpa moths from such different plant host origins can be common on the landscape, but the assumption of random mating in such instances may not strictly be true. More research is planned to further confirm these conclusions.

This project also continued monitoring of long-term (and seasonal) changes in Helicoverpa abundance in cotton growing regions through networks of pheromone trapping in the Namoi Valley and St George / Dirranbandi regions that began prior to the introduction of Bt cotton. The pheromone trap catches for H. armigera in the Namoi Valley suggested this species has increased in abundance (at landscape scale), especially late in the cotton growing season, since the advent of Bt cotton. The mechanisms driving such change are not understood, but could be related to reductions in pesticide use and / or concurrent variations in the use of other crops on the landscape that are attractive to the moth. The abundance of H. punctigera has also increased in the last few years. Spring surveys of crops, weeds and native vegetation showed promise as early warning indicators of the forthcoming seasonal bias in Helicoverpa spp. in cotton crops.

Concurrent with our work on Helicoverpa, we opportunistically gathered data on the abundance of secondary cotton pests and beneficial invertebrates within refuge crops and their associated Bt cotton crops. Refuge crops (especially pigeon pea crops which were the focus of much of the work done in this project) supported substantial populations of mirids and predatory beetles and bugs. The balance of effect of such pests and beneficial species for cotton production needs further study with respect to movements to cotton crops and the hindrances beneficial species may provide to effective Helicoverpa production within refuges.

In addition, we explored the potential of jasmonic acid, a chemical involved in plant response to herbivore damage, to act as an attractant for beneficial invertebrates in cotton crops. Such responses have been suggested by overseas research. Identification of attractants for beneficial species could provide useful tools to enhance IPM in Australian cotton systems. However, jasmonic acid failed to influence aggregative behaviour of beneficial invertebrates in trials we conducted in conventional cotton fields.

Green mirids (Creontiades dilutus) have emerged as a significant problem in commercial Bt-cotton crops, especially in Bollgard II crops. This is believed to be due to the reduced spray regimes in these crops, which allow mirids to survive and reproduce, where in the past they were co-incidentally controlled by insecticides applied against the primary pests Helicoverpa spp. Our past experience with mirids has been as early season pests, and although thresholds were available it was not known if these were appropriate for populations occurring later in the fruit setting and maturation period. The level of damage to fruit that can be tolerated without yield loss was poorly understood and this undermines confidence in tentative thresholds and encourages growers and consultants to use low thresholds. This can lead to increased costs, disruption of beneficial population and increases the risk of outbreaks of secondary pests such as silver leaf whitefly, spider mites and aphids. This project investigated the effect of late mirid damage to young bolls through the early, mid and late fruit set and maturation period, using real and simulated damage (boll injecting with weak pectinase solution). The results of a range of glasshouse and field experiment show;

1. Boll injecting was a useful tool to simulate damage by mirids, though the damage caused is more severe than that caused by mirid feeding.

2. Cotton was able to recover fully from damage inflicted in the early fruiting period (3 weeks after flowering began) when damage of 5 or 20 bolls per metre was inflicted.

3. Damage in the mid (5 weeks after flowering began) or late (8 weeks after flowering began) tended to reduce yield at heavier levels (20 or 50 bolls damaged per m) but had no effect at 5 bolls per m)

4. Yield reductions were due to reduced gin out-turn, resulting from selective removal of damaged lint, reduced boll numbers (in some cases), and reduced boll size of damaged bolls.

5. There was strong evidence of compensation for bolls shed due to injecting. This compensation was due to retention of extra undamaged bolls which partially made up for those shed due to damage. In the heavier injection treatments it is possible that too many bolls were lost for immediate replacement by substitution, possibly explaining reduced boll numbers.

There is now a large data set available which can be used to test and calibrate the OZCOT model, which can then be used to generate ‘rules of thumb’ for the degree of damage that can be tolerated. This can also be used as part of a decision support system which integrates mirid information with the wealth of research already captured in OZCOT, allowing interactions between growth, climate and pest damage.

The production guide for the growing of dryland cotton in Australia (third edition, 2002). The precursor to the current Australian Cotton Production Manual (updated annually).

This paper discusses recent progress with the refinement of promising methods, both direct and indirect, for measuring the severity of compaction in cracking clays used for irrigated cotton. It should be read in conjunction with the companion paper by Greenhalgh et al., in these proceedings, which summarizes the results of a preliminary evaluation of methods. Both studies are funded by CRDC as part of project DAN SOC; 'Refinement of soil physical assessment procedures'.

In Australian cotton fields, the eggs, larvae and pupae of Helicoverpa armigera and H. punctigera are attacked by a diverse range of parasitic wasps and flies. These parasitoids help to reduce the overall abundance of Helicoverpa in the agroecosystem by removing a proportion of the developing populations (Fitt 1994 Anit. Rev. Entomol. 39:543-562). However, despite their importance, our knowledge of the biology and ecology of many key parasitoid species is severely lacking. While research on Trichogrammatid wasps and Microplitis demolitor has provided detailed information on biology and ecology of these parasitiods (Scholz 1990 Msc thesis, Uni. Queensland pp203) other key species have never been studied. For example, although Heteropelma scaposum, is often the most abundant Helicoverpa parasitoid encountered in the cotton agroecosystem (Fitt and Mares 1992 Proc. 6" AUSt. Cotton Conf pp 269-276, Fitt and Walker pers. obs. ) nothing is known about the biology or ecology of this wasp. Furthermore, we have little information on the habitat requirements of Ichneumon promissorius, a true pupal parasitoid of Helicoverpa recently exported and successfully established in the USA for control of H. zea in corn crops.

New technology may increase the importance of parasitods by enhancing their numbers. The development of transgenic varieties of cotton producing Bt proteins has been a major advancement in the fight against Helicoverpa spp. As part of the management plan to reduce the chance of Helicoverpa spp developing resistance to Bt, the use of refuge crops has been endorsed. The use of refuge crops, while designed to produce more Helicoverpa (Fitt 1996 Proc. 8" Allst. Cotton Goof pp 69-76) may inadvertently increase populations of egg, larval and pupal parasitoids. Slimlarly, the practice of planting pigeon pea as a trap crop for Helicoverpa in transgenic cotton (Anon. 1997 AUSt. Cotton Grower 18:82) may significantly increase egg and larval parasitoid populations. If so, can these parasitoids originating from refuge or trap crops be attracted back into the transgenic cotton crops to parasitise late season Helicoverpa larvae or pupae thus further lowering the chances of resistance to Bt protein developing?

The aim of this project is to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the biology and ecology of key Helicoverpa parasitoids, and thereby indicate ways of effectiveIy augmenting and conserving parasitoid populations in cotton using the most appropriate management techniques.

The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii is a pest of escalating concern in Australia. With increasing utilisation of Bt cotton and consequent reduction in insecticide applications, coupled with emerging insecticide resistance, cotton aphids appear to be more of a problem than previously. The cotton aphid also has been shown to carry, or cause, a new major problem for the Australian cotton industry, cotton bunchy top. Fundamental to the development of IPM systems for cotton aphid is the knowledge of what biological control agents are active and their relative importance.

The cotton aphid paresitoid, Lysiphlebus testaceipes released in Australia in 1984 has recently (2000) been found attacking corn aphids on sorghum in cotton areas in Australia. The paresitoid more recently (2001) has been recorded from

the cotton aphid in Australia. However no systematic survey to determine its abundance and importance has been carried out. This parasitoid was recently rated by USA cotton IPM specialists as the most important paresitoid of all those attacking pest insects in cotton in the USA.

Two other aphids (the green peach aphid and the cowpea aphid) also occur in cotton. Nothing is known about how the natural enemies of the different aphids interact and influence the biological control of each aphid species.

Trap crops are an important part of cotton production. Other aphids in trap crops including the cowpea aphid, soybean aphid and corn aphid may also play an important role in providing a refuge for biocontrol agents of aphids in cotton. Trap crops may be able to be manipulated and managed to provide beneficials for aphid control in cotton.

Aphid parasitoids in other agroecosystems have provided effective biological control of aphids (eg. Iuceme in Australia and wheat in South America). The new parasitoid, L testaciepes may be able to provide effective biocontrol of cotton aphid in Australian cotton.

Helicoverpa spp. moths continue to pose significant pest management problems for Queensland cotton growers. To address the Helicoverpa spp. problem the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) was successfulin securing funding from the Queensland Treasury for a new initiative entitled Supporting Green Industries. The objective of this new initiative was to develop new tools and techniques that could be used to better manage Hencooerp" spp. more sustainably and reduce the cotton and grainsindustries dependence on insecticides.

A significant feature of the new initiative was the establishment of Biopesticide and Chermical Ecology Units led by Dr's Caroline Hauxwell and Chiis Moore

respectively. These units were chartered to investigate and develop biopesticides and chemical compounds that have potential for Helicoverpa spp management.

The purpose for this project was two fold. A major objective was to field test and evaluate the technologies developed by the Biopesticide and Chemical Ecology units. The second objective was to develop and test novel field control options for Helicoverpa. spp that could be incorporated into an Area Wide Management program for Central Queensland.