The International Congress of Entomology is the premier conference in this field. There were a wide range of symposia/sessions, many with particular emphasis on topics of relevance to agriculture and cotton. Some examples included sesslons on; acarology, agricultural entomology, ecology and population dynamics, chemical and physiological ecology, integrated pest management and insect disease vectors.

The Vth International conference on B. thuringiensis was well attended with almost all the leading Bt researchers participating. In addition to four symposia on various aspects of Bt research and contributed paper and poster sessions, the Bt conference included a workshop "Public concerns about Transgenic cotton" that ran for three sessions.

The primary purpose of the travel was to attend the "Gene and genome duplications and the evolution of novel gene functions. Conference which was held in Aussios, France from the 25/4/2001 to the 30/4/2001. The conference was attended mainly by scientists based in America and Europe, consisting of no more than 150 attendants. The conference allowed me to present my work, in the form of a poster presentation, and to discuss both the work that I have completed and that which I am still planning to undertake as part of my PhD project. I found the chance of discussing my work and ideas with members of the wider scientific community a very worthwhile opportunity.

Profitability of cotton production is being theathened by resource limitations and reduced margins. The impact of agronomic decisions affect profitability and many of these decisions involve a degree of risk associated with factors such as rainfall variability. In many situations, history can serve as our best guide to the potential risks or benefits of a particular strategies. This knowledge can be tempered with local information to provide a basis for making informed decisions with a reasonable understanding of the risks and benefits. The use of crop models is an ideal and can be often the only way to address these sorts of issues.This project primarily focused on identifying and researching the most appropriate means of delivering systems simulation to industry clients'.

Adoption of BMP in all facets of cotton growing and processing is now well underway. Commitment to the process of constant improvement involves not only growers, but all personnel who play a role in this innovative industry.

This pocket guide for groundhog operators is one part of the CRDC commitment to providing the tools to allow industry participants to achieve best practice.

Objective - To order and purchase a new file server and install it at ACRI. Achieved - A new file SERVER (Dell AS-P11/4400) has been installed at ACRI and is fully functional.

White specks (undyed neps) in dyed fabric samples are a quality problem that arises from neps of immature cotton. Dr Grant's research aimed to correlate the white speck neps back to fibre properties and gin parameters. The number of white speck in a fabric sample were being measured at the USDA by first scanning a sample of fabric (approximately A4 size) using a commercial computer scanner and then the image analysed to determine the number of white specks(neps) using specially written software. Project changed direction with new approach evolving which was successful. Work taken up with CTFT5

Feasibility trials conducted showed that the addition of lubricant helped preserve fibre length during lint cleaning. In laboratory trials three different lubricants (A, B and C) preserved fibre length in fibre breakage assay based on a 'Shirley' Analyser. Measured fibre-to-metal co-efficient of friction values for each lubricant were sigiificantly different with Lubricant B having the lowest fibre-to-metal friction values. It was on this basis and the extent to which fibre length was preserved in laboratory trials that Lubricant B was initially chosen for industrial trials in a gin. However, results from the industrial trials did not fit the laboratory model and Lubricant B produced a decrease in staple length and an increase in short fibre content when added in a commercial gin. A subsequent trial using Lubricant A, a lubricant that had a higher fibre-to-metal co-efficient of friction, resulted in improved staple length and reduced short fibre content on treated cotton. The reason for the difference between the two lubricants is

thought to be due to a reaction, facilitated by the heat of the gin, between the emulsifiers present in Lubricant B with the protective cotton wax layer that surrounds each fibre. That Lubricant A was more successful raises questions about the complexity of the interactions between variables in the industrial situation and generates plants, of scope for further research. Lubricants were also added to cotton at the mill. Treated and untreated fibre from the gin trials was converted to fine count medium twist yam. The effects of lubricant on fibre breakage during mill cleaning and carding, and on spinning performance and yarn quality were observed. The effect of lubricant in the mill on the particular cotton used in this trial was minimal although the addition of Lubricant A helped preserve fibre Iength during cleaning. The better length characteristics were generally reflected as better yarn properties, although yarn tenacity in treated samples was reduced.

The 2016 Australian Cotton Production Manual is a critical reference tool for cotton growers: a one-stop-shop of on-farm cotton production information.

The drought from 2006/07 through 2008/09 seriously impacted the Australian ginning sector. A large number of experienced people left the industry due to the short seasons and having only a handful of gins operating. At the same time there were also losses to the large investment in mining in the decade to 2010. In contrast, the seasons from 2010/11 through 2013/14 were the largest seen in Australia, with all gins in the country working at full capacity with two new large gins added in the southern Murrumbidgee Valley area in 2014/15.

The consequence of drought, the mining boom and then record production years left the industry with limited numbers of skilled and trained ginners, with the consequence that a large number of inexperienced staff were introduced to the industry. One impact of this was that the remaining experienced ginners were stretched across shifts with compromises to the efficiency and effectiveness of gin operations.

This project aimed to address two aspects associated with the deficit of trained ginners. The first was to provide immediate up skilling of ginners and other workers to breach the significant resource capacity gap that, at the time (in 2011/12), was having an impact on the cotton supply chain in terms of ginning capacity. This was achieved by partnering with the Australian Cotton Ginners Association (ACGA) and bringing Lummus and Continental (Bajaj Steel) technicians to Australia to train new gin employees for each of the three years of the proposal. The technician(s) conducted courses in each year of the project to teach new and review with existing gin operators aspects of running a gin efficiently and with improved fibre quality.

The second aspect was to develop an Australian ginning course in association with the overseas ginning companies that would meet future workforce requirements. This part of the project involved the ACGA and the vocational training sector rejuvenating the local (Moree) TAFE ginning course.