In furrow irrigated cotton production systems the application of nitrogen fertiliser is required for high yielding crops. If excessive nitrogen fertiliser is added then nitrous oxide is produced. The results show that chambers must be deployed in the hill and skip and irrigation furrows to quantify the greenhouse gas emissions. Further the measured soil temperature and volumetric moisture content and atmospheric temperature, vapour pressure deficit and CO2 concentration inside chambers were periodically different to the field. These differences may result in increased nitrogen and carbon cycling in the chambers relative to the field. In terms of modelling the emissions generated in the chamber will potentially not equate to field conditions and a correction factor will need to be applied.

The field average emission of N2O from an application 240 kg N ha-1 produced 4.17±0.56 kg N2O-N ha-1 during the season. The largest fluxes occurring during the first 3 months after planting of the cotton crop. This indicates that excessive N was present in the soil and was converted to N2O during nitrification and denitrification. The emissions from the hill and the skip and irrigation furrows were different. The hill had the greatest N2O emission and the skip and hill furrows had emissions significantly great than the background. The emissions from the furrows were caused by the deposition of N in the irrigation water or by leaching of N from the hill.

Methane was a small component of the greenhouse gas inventory and approximately 1 kg CH4 ha-1 was consumed by the soil over the 2 year rotation. The CO2 emissions significant differed between the hill and the irrigation furrow during each season. The wheat and cotton NEE was positive from the hill due to the presence of the plants, whereas the furrows were strongly respiring. The overall carbon balance (NBE) indicates that the cotton wheat fallow rotation lost 5 t C ha-1 soil carbon during the 2015-2016 crop rotation. To improve the carbon balance in these cropping systems the bare fallow needs to be eliminated and the use of mulches, plants or polymers in the furrows should be considered.

High yields (> 11 b/ha) were achieved with varieties adapted to hot arid growing conditions. However, fibre lengths were lower than for the same variety grown in southern Australia; cool nights early in fibre development were thought to be the cause. Screening for varieties that can produce longer fibre is continuing. March - April sowing dates produced the highest yields. Progress was made in determining nitrogen fertiliser rates and plant densities. Integrating results from agronomic research with pest management research and developing recommendations for the use of growth regulators are future priorities.

European Carp (Cyprinus carpio) or as it should be called carp, has been present in Australia for more than 130 years.Various strains (at least 4) are present in Australia with the strain &quote;Boolara&quote; which was introduced into the Gippsland in 1960 the main &quote;villain&quote; and responsible for the quite massive invasion into natural waterways of the Murray-Darling basin, the Gippsland area, more recently into Tasmania and as is well documented a major explosion into Queensland this year.

Research into biocontrol of cotton diseases at the ACRI began in 1991. Since thennumerous microorganisms have been tested. Several of these have controlled seedling diseases, Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt effectively in the glasshouse. Recently their usefulness in controlling seedling diseases was demonstrated in a field trial at the ACRI. Biological control agents increased seedling emergence, protected the seedlings from damping-off and increased seed cotton yield. Their performance was better than, or on par with the standard fungicide treatment. In previous years, plant growth promotion effects (regardless of disease control) were also observed under field conditions.

The sensitivity of genetic fingerprinting rests in the ability of the procedure to detect the rare or subtle differences that exist between the genes of one individual and another. In a typical experiment, discrete subsets of the genetic material (DNA) of two or more organisms are analysed for genetic similarities and differences, and calculations are made as to the likely relatedness of the organisms based on the observed genetic similarity. In the present investigation, we have applied the RAPD-PCR technique 1 to strains of V. dahliae isolated from cotton plants from a range of production regions in Australia. By using genetic fingerprinting to identify different strains of V. dahliae, we hope to achieve a better understanding of the epidemiology of Verticillium wilt disease in cotton.

A three-year project to obtain baseline data describing the average soil condition in the lower Macintyre, Gwydir and Namoi valleys. A priority for this study is to establish a store of soil information (of known precision) that can be used in land management planning and environmental modelling. The focus of this paper is on distributionpatterns of soil salinity in the Macintyre portion of the study.

While among researchers simulation models are consider to be useful tools, modelling has a badreputation in the industry. Many people feel it has very little connection with what happens in the field. Part of the problem is a misunderstanding of how models are developed and what sort of information we can expect to get from them. In this paper I will consider some of the steps we go through in building a model and what we can do with them. I will also give an outline of the CERCOT model currently under development at the Australian Cotton Research Institute.

In cotton, the best known of the secondary metabolites isolated, Gossypol, have been found to have antifungal and antitumour activity (Harborne and Baxter, 1993) and to target enzymes in the signal transduction system, notably protein kinase A and myosin light chain kinase (Jinsart, 1991, 1992) . This project aims to define the chemical structure, high affinity biochemical sites of action and biological activities (especially anti-insect and antifungal activities) of cotton defensive proteins and secondary metabolites.

Nutgrass (Cyperus rotundus) remains one of the major problem weeds of cotton production. However, extensive research has show nutgrass can be controlled using management strategies which: ensure a strong, competitive crop; use herbicides to control nutgrass when its actively growing; use cultivation when nutgrass is stressed, in hot, dry conditions, and; prevent nutgrass spreading on equipment. Results from last season were very promising, with even a single, shielded Roundup application dramatically reducing the nutgrass population. Two growerswho applied glyphosate in-crop last season, were extremely pleased with their results. Research plots in one fieldfield showed a 0.8 bales/acre yield increase when shielded Roundup was applied in-crop on 3 occasions.