The project focused on aspects of farm hygiene as it relates to crop protection within cotton farming systems, while also providing regional extension support in Central Queensland. Specifically this project addressed volunteer cotton management, farm hygiene practices and disease management.

Key outcomes of project include:

• A farm practices and volunteer cotton survey that confirmed the most successful strategy for controlling volunteer cotton within cotton fields was to utilise 2 or more tactics in unison.

• Data developed during the project from herbicide trials was used to support label changes for 3 herbicides that will enable growers to control large volunteer cotton plants using the weed seeker boom technology.

The products being registered for use on large volunteer cotton are:

1. Comet® (fluroxypyr) applied at 1L/ha twice with a treatment interval of 7 or more days.

2. Comet® applied at 1L/ha and then followed with Nuquat (paraquat) at 3.2L/ha approximately 7 or more days after first application.

3. Comet® at 1L/ha mixed with Amicide 700 (2,4D) at 1L/ha as a single application.

• A variety of communication products that raised awareness of volunteer cotton as a significant threat to biosecurity and crop protection.

The improved understanding of volunteer and ratoon cotton management issues and ability to control volunteer and ratoon cotton in the field will assist in preventing exotic disease incursions, lower the risk of existing disease outbreaks and reduce the opportunity for outbreaks of silverleaf whitefly, aphids and Solenopsis mealybug.

Furthermore technical and extension assistance was provided to Central Queensland projects including Paul Grundy’s (DAQ1401 Strengthening the Central Highlands Cotton Production System) and Richard Sequeira’s (DAQ1204 Management of mirids, stinkbugs and Solenopsis Mealybug) project work as well as other CRDC funded projects which were of regional or industry interest.

Hydrochemical and isotopic results reveal that there are distinct differences in the groundwater chemistry with depth throughout the Lower Namoi Alluvium (LNA). This is due to varying recharge processes, as well as the evolution of the groundwater chemistry through the system. Na-HCO3 - type groundwater is dominant throughout the study area, increasing in concentration with depth. Locally, in areas where the alluvial sediments have a higher proportion of clay, the groundwater is more saline because of evapotranspiration processes and is classified as Na-Cl-type groundwater. Groundwater residence time (an indicator of age) is correlated with distance from the river channel for near surface samples, and with depth due to increased proportional input for the Great Artesian Basin (GAB). Where the groundwater is enriched in Na+, it is most likely the result of mixing between the Na+-rich GAB groundwater and surface-sourced water (river leakage, floodwater recharge, and areal recharge (including irrigation deep drainage)). The weathering of silicate minerals and cation exchange processes in the shallow alluvium with a higher clay content may also contribute to the enrichment of Na+ in the LNA.

High activities of tritium (3H) in the shallow aquifer close to the river corridor highlight the importance of river leakage and flood associated recharge to total aquifer recharge. Modelling the mixing of various water types using a box model mixing approach shows that large floods are the biggest contributor to the renewal of the near-river shallow groundwater. Our calculations also show that minor recharge occurs into the shallow groundwater proximal to Namoi River in years when the region experiences average rainfall. Isotopic data (36Cl/Cl, 14C and 3H) indicate that the residence time of the groundwater is highly dependent on the proportion of groundwater sourced from surface recharge and input from the GAB in each location. The Lower Namoi alluvial groundwater in the study area is a mixture of groundwater of different origin mainly: a) a young component with residence times of < 70 years associated with periodic flooding and; b) groundwater that is potentially hundreds of thousands of years old, mostly derived from outflow from the GAB units.

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Methane is ubiquitous throughout the alluvium, with the concentration increasing significantly with depth. The CH4 isotope data suggest that the CH4 in the LNA is biologically produced, with varying degrees of microbial oxidation occurring. Our results, coupled with CH4 data collected from formations underlying the GAB (primarily the Hokissons coal seam) by Eastern Star Gas (ESG 2008-2011) suggest that mixing of groundwater in the LNA with water from the GAB has influenced both the occurrence of CH4 in the alluvium (hence the increased concentration and lighter isotopic signature with depth), and the processes acting on the CH4 once it has reached the LNA. Microbial community analyses of the alluvial groundwater show 3 distinct changes in composition with depth. These changes with depth are related to the changing geochemical environment through the vertical profile of the LNA, because of multiple recharge inputs. There are significantly less methanogens in the groundwater than suggested by the CH4 concentration, indicating that in situ production is not the primary source of CH4 to the alluvium.

Comprehensive details on the biogeochemical results from this project are published in:

Iverach C.P; Cendón D.I.; Meredith K.T.; Wilcken K.M.; Hankin S.I.; Andersen M.S.; Kelly B.F.J, (2017) A multi-tracer approach to constraining artesian groundwater discharge into an alluvial aquifer, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, vol. 21, pp. 5953 - 5969, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-5953-2017

Provide a one page Summary of your research that is not commercial in confidence, and that can be published on the World Wide Web. Explain the main outcomes of the research and provide contact details for more information. It is important that the Executive Summary highlights concisely the key outputs from the project and, when they are adopted, what this will mean to the cotton industry.

SiroMat is an instrument that measures fibre maturity directly and accurately. Its advantage over other test methods is that it measures maturity directly and is able to measure the fibre to- fibre distribution of maturity in a specimen. Moreover the test time is around two minutes, which is comparable with other low volume instrument test times. SiroMat is currently undergoing technical trials with a view to preparing it for commercialisation.

In order for SiroMat to be taken up by the wider industry its utility needs to be realised by the wider research and commercial cotton testing and marketing segments. During a recent meeting with Uster Technologies (USA) interest was expressed in the SiroMat on this basis.

In order to continue to highlight its value SiroMat data will be recorded on samples from a wide number of Australian and international industry sponsored cotton breeding, agronomy and textile projects.

SiroMat is an automated version of the polarized light microscopy technique, which analyzes interference colors transmitted by cotton fibres when they are placed between crossed polars and a first order retardation plate. The percent areas of colors in images of fibre snippets relate directly to fibre maturity. Moreover, because fibres are analyzed on an individual basis a maturity distribution for a sample can also be measured. In this study SiroMat measurements are reported for blends comprising different proportions of cotton fibre picked from plants subjected to differential defoliation timing treatments. The proportion of immature fibres in each sample is correlated with measurements on the same samples of neps per gram made by the AFIS PRO. The motivation behind this study is based on the desire to manage the amount of immature fruit included in a crop, and how this relates to nep generation in the gin and spinning mill.

Fibre maturity is regarded as a central characteristic of cotton fibre through its direct and indirect correlation with physical and chemical properties of commercial and technical importance. SiroMat is an automated version of the polarized light microscopy technique, which analyzes interference colours transmitted by cotton fibres when they are placed between crossed polars and a first order retardation plate. The percent areas of colours in images of fibre snippets relate directly to fibre maturity. Moreover, because fibres are analyzed on an individual basis a maturity distribution for a sample can also be measured. In this study two sub-sets of cotton each with the same average Micronaire but with different fibre maturity values as measured by SiroMat were processed from raw fibre through to dyed finished knit fabric. The objective of the study was to examine the sensitivity of SiroMat average maturity and distribution values in predicting differences in griege yarn and dyed fabric quality. Results of the study demonstrate the relevance of SiroMat test results in terms of predicting fibre maturity and fineness related quality problems and in particular the potential for SiroMat to be used as a tool for managing dye uptake problems at the mill laydown.

Note: this project supported the operation of a fibre quality laboratory at ACRI to service most research projects. Specific details on fibre quality results are listed in those project reports.

This project part funded operation and maintenance of HVI900 and FMT3 cotton fibre testing instruments and associated air conditioning in CSIRO’s fibre testing laboratory at ACRI for the 2006/07 season. The laboratory supports measurements of fibre quality from cotton experiments in CSIRO’s breeding program and research projects by other organisations and projects.

More than 20,000 samples were tested by HVI and 10,000 samples by FMT.

Global cotton production and market dynamics indicate Australia needs a future edge with fibre quality to ensure buyers will want our cotton in preference to our competitors. This means developing varieties, management and processing to ensure we deliver better fibre. There may be opportunities for premium fibre products in future. Thus the CSIRO cotton breeding program raised the emphasis on developing improved fibre varieties to address these needs.

Negative associations between yield and fibre quality present challenges for variety development. We have accurately measured these associations and developed breeding population sizes to ensure the rare combinations of high yield and quality can be identified. Accurate measurement of fibre quality is an important component of that work.

Progress has been good, with improved fibre length achieved in high yielding varieties and breeding material with premium fibre identified.

This project started in 1981 funded by ACGRA. CRC assumed funding until the project terminated in 1986. The aims of the project were: * to link the SIRATAC fruit model to a water balance model and to a soil and plant nitrogen balance model. *to make the SIRATAC fruit model sensitive to water and nitrogen stress. * to develop an expert system that uses data from the enhanced fruit model for pest, irrigation and nitrogen management decision making.

GUNNEDAH farmer Scott Morgan has slashed the amount of money he spends on electricity used to irrigate cotton on his property, 'Kensal Green', by investing in solar and by reducing the amount of energy he uses to pump water for his crops.

AN ENERGY expenditure that had been climbing by around 10 per cent per year coupled with concerns about climate change have prompted St George cotton irrigators Ian and Anne Brimblecombe, 'Burgorah', to install solar panels which generate 100kW of electricity

Australian cotton production areas are prone to significant damage by hail storms. Following a hail strike, a grower is left with trying to make the most out of what remains of his crop. There are few guidelines or criteria available to assist growers in making management decisions in regard to their hail damaged crop. A three year project looking at the management of hail damaged cotton crops, instigated and funded by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation, was begun in the 1993/94 season with the aim of developing some guidelines for managing hail damaged cotton crops