Native vegetation (NV) in agricultural landscapes provides a range of ecosystem services such as, erosion control, carbon storage, and habitat for wildlife beneficial arthropods, which contribute, to controlling insect pests. However, in Australia, evidence of impact is lacking, as well as knowledge of the mechanism for this pattern. This research builds on results from previous projects, which investigated the role of native vegetation for supporting beneficial insects and seeks to measure the impact of these landscape features on pest suppression and link the outcomes with vegetation management guidelines. The aim of the study was twofold, to understand the combined effects of semi-natural area and insecticide spraying on different predators, and to evaluate importance of these predators for biocontrol service provision in time and space in cotton production systems.

To achieve this we completed an analysis of an extensive data set provided by a commercial consultant, several field, and a glasshouse experiment. Results from these contributed to:

- Identifying patterns in pest and beneficial populations, relationships with pest thresholds, and how these relate to landscape structure and

- Determining whether pest populations stay lower for longer and have a slower rate of increase as a function of distance (e.g. near vs far) and landscape structure (e.g. amount and location of natural areas, diverse habitats, crop and non-crop at 1 km, 1.5 km and 2 km from cotton fields).

Collecting data at the landscape scale is expensive and time consuming. However, pest counts are regularly conducted by commercial consultants and agronomists and represent extensive and rarely available information. Obtaining and analysing a large data set from a commercial consultant was very valuable and allowed us to quantify the impact of semi-natural areas on biological control in relation to management activities. For example, results showed that the probability of mirids being present in cotton are likely to be less and remain so for longer in fields where there is 20% or more semi-natural habitat at a 3 km radius. Spraying reduced the probability of mirids in a crop. However, the likelihood of mirids increasing after spraying insecticide is greater where there is less native vegetation. There is also a relationship between the size of the cotton field and proportion of native vegetation and probability of mirids. For example, the time between sprays increases with increasing native vegetation in small fields. Similarly, the likelihood of mirids being present in cotton increases as field size increases but where there is also less native vegetation. Although the results support that, the presence of semi-natural areas could result in fewer sprays being required, a comprehensive cost benefit analysis was not included in this study.

Results from predation experiments showed that there are specific functional groups of predatory insects, depending on their spatio-temporal activity (diurnal vs. nocturnal and ground vs. canopy dwelling) that contribute to pest control in cotton crops. The results showed that there are not only differences in pest and beneficial numbers, and that their impact is not only related to landscape structure but is also related to management of insect pests, i.e the rate in increase of beneficial insects is reduced after the application of insecticides.

Pollination and biocontrol are ecosystem services provided by mobile arthropods and are generally affected by similar factors. Thus, they are likely to be simultaneously enhanced (by e.g. increasing semi-natural area surrounding crop fields) or reduced (e.g. insecticide application) by certain practices. Trade-offs are evident from the interactions between pollination and biocontrol effects on yield. However, results indicate that they cannot, and might not, need to be simultaneously delivered to enhance cotton yield, but that one service can

act as insurance when the other service is reduced. That is when biocontrol is low (i.e. pest numbers are high) pollination can contribute to yield and reduce boll loss caused by mirids and other pests. For cotton production systems to take full advantage of these services the findings underline the importance of considering and integrating multiple functions (pollination and biological control), within field management and surrounding landscape features simultaneously.

The results support the concept that native vegetation in conjunction with the judicious use of insecticides can keep insect pests lower for longer. Together with recommendations, they provide further evidence of: i) the importance of semi-natural vegetation in facilitating ecosystem services specifically how ii) the negative impact that insecticides have on these services and iii) the proportion and scale of semi-natural vegetation required to measure a significant benefit. Furthermore, while these results show areas of semi-natural vegetation have positive outcomes for insect pest management in cotton, it remains to be demonstrated whether managing existing native vegetation by reducing weeds, grazing and increasing vegetative diversity could increase the benefits reported here. The next step will be to incorporate these findings into insect pest management strategies including adjusting and testing pest thresholds and understanding if these results are transferable to other cotton pests. Doing this would give consultants and growers a broader range of options to maximise biocontrol and reduce insecticide applications to promote cotton production landscapes that are productive, profitable, and environmentally sustainable.

The process of improving on farm energy use includes an energy assessment which benchmarks and establishes energy saving opportunities. The concept involves 3 types / levels of assessment. The energy user may decide on any level of audit or start with a Level 1 audit and use these results to inform further progression.

This brief provides summary data for the Cotton Research and Development Corporation to report on progress in relation to sentinel work health and safety indicators.

While the industry appears to be making progress there are several limitations to this study and the data within, that need to be considered. Firstly, accurate denominator data to ascertain rates of injury and death are not available and have not been presented in this report. This is particularly important as the impact of the extended drought and reduction in water allocations on the cotton cropping area planted is likely significant. This has implications in terms of both the volume of work undertaken and indeed the number of people working within the commodity sector. Without question, this reduces the overall exposure of workers to potential risks and may be partly reflected in the lower number of weeks lost in the last two years of this study period.

This project funded the purchase of four row cotton precision planter for the establishment of cotton experiments in southern NSW.

As the cotton industry rapidly expands into southern NSW, the purchase of a four row cotton precision planter significantly enhanced the ability of NSW DPI Plant Systems Branch and other research organisations to deliver accurate results from existing cotton research projects in the southern connected systems. This capital investment project significantly reduces the risk of poor establishment of cotton trials by providing control over plant density, plant spacing and seed placement relative to the soil surface. The four row planter will also mean easier movement of the equipment between the research stations Yanco Agricultural Institute and Leeton Field Station.

CRDC and NSW DPI have co-invested in the purchase of this four row precision planter which will run on the bed surface, eliminating variable plant establishment issues in seed spacing and placement that have occurred through the use of other equipment.

Adapting to extreme weather events under current and future climate conditions will be necessary to maintain industry profitability and sustainability. To develop strategies to adapt and assist recovery from these extreme climate events, a robust adaptation knowledge framework must be developed within the context of climate change scenarios. The objectives of this project was to examine the impact of extreme events (flooding and drought) under current and future climate (elevated CO2 and temperature) on soil fertility and function; and how these changes in soil processes affect cotton productivity through better understanding of soil-plant interaction and environmental sustainability.

Climate change impacts

• TE was the dominant factor in cotton productivity, accelerating the rate of plant development and vegetative growth while elevated CO2 (CE) had a strong impact on leaf physiology.

• Vegetative growth was dominated by the interactive effects of elevated temperature (TE) and CE on phenology, physiology and soil nutrients, and crop responses were similar in the two soils.

• However, during reproductive growth, the effects of TE and CE were limited by soil N availability, inducing changes in resource allocation between vegetative and reproductive growth.

• Such positive responses observed in the first season disappeared in the second season, as cotton productivity was influenced by legacies of CE and TE on soil and microbial properties.

• In particular, the legacy of CE effect through crop residue on soil and microbial properties strongly reduced soil N availability, altering resource allocation more towards belowground and less towards seed cotton yield.

• CE and TE also altered the abundance and composition of soil bacterial community, which showed strong correlations with soil chemical properties and soil processes, suggesting that shifts in soil microbial community could impact crop productivity through changes in nutrient cycling and availability.

Implications for Growers

• More N fertiliser will be required to prevent N limitation at CE for crop production under future climate.

• The responses of soil nutrients and microbial community should be an integral part of climate adaptation strategies.

• The response of non-harvestable biomass to these environmental changes should also be considered and implemented as a part of residue management strategies.

Extreme weather impacts

• The magnitude of flooding and drought impact on cotton productivity was greater at future CO2 and temperature regimes, suggesting that inter-annual variability in yield is likely to increase under more extreme climates.

• We also found that flooding and drought had contrasting consequences for soil N availability, with drought-induced loss of biological activity resulting in a large amount of residual N in the soil.

• Flooding and drought events occurred in the previous season can affect the soil and microbial properties and that those changes can indirectly influence cotton productivity of the subsequent season.

• In particular, changes in the abundance of nitrifier communities were strongly linked to soil processes that provide plant available N.

Implications for Growers

• Differential fertiliser management strategies are needed to minimise the legacy impact of extreme weather events. Our results suggest that more N fertiliser will be needed to ensure the productivity of subsequent crop following a flooding event, while the opposite is needed following a prolonged drought event.

• Soil microbial communities play an important role in minimising impact of climate change and extreme weather events on cotton productivity. Thus, the management practice which promotes soil health and microbes should be adopted for improved and sustainable cotton production.

Verticillium wilt of cotton is caused by Verticillium dahliae, a soil borne fungus that enters the roots and grows into the vascular system of the plant. Identifying Verticillium is the first step in being able to manage it.

This two-year trial aimed to explore soft management options for whitefly management in the southern valleys. The drivers of this were, managing the risks associated with sticky cotton and the wider industry impacts that were occurring to neighbouring industries such as horticulture. The first year of the trial focused on the use of oils and detergents as a means of control in a small plot, replicated trial at the Irrigation Research Extension Committee Farm, coupled with sticky trap monitoring and a small area of parastoid wasps, Eretmocerus hayati, released. The results from the first year found that there was no benefit from the use of sticky traps in terms of trying to detect a whitefly population earlier. There was also no significant difference between the detergent and oil treatments.

Second year trial looking at the best soft management options after consultation with the wider growing community in the Whitton region, the project direction was changed to broadscale management of whitefly through a combination of soft pesticide applications, oils and the release of Eretmocerus hayati across a wide area to try and influence populations. Sticky traps where used again to try and detect populations earlier. Once again, the sticky traps proved to be of no benefit in the early detection of whitefly. Higher levels of parasitism were achieved where releases were made as expected but from the data collected it was possible to see that the release of the whitefly parasitoids resulted in higher levels of parasite nymphs and a lower whitefly population by the end of the period. It was also possible to see that other fields on the farm where parasites were released, but not directly released on had spikes in the parasitism levels as well as reduced overall whitefly nymph numbers, consistent with the fields that had the releases. The data collected, shows that there was some success in the use of parasitiods for helping reduce the numbers of viable nymphs. Some of the challenges that we will continue to face going forward, are the need to commit to using the wasps at the start of the season when there is no way of knowing what the end of season pressure will be like, and the issues around getting the wasps due to northern demand. There was also an issue with some growers opting to spray fields early rather than allow the parasitised field run their course so we had to remove some data. Overall, the practice change of heading towards the use of beneficials from this work appears viable and this provides some confidence to the growers that they can offer some level of control.

This travel funding sponsored attendance at the intital planning meeting for the Rural R&D for Profit project “Improving Plant Pest Management through Cross Industry Deployment of Smart Sensor, Diagnostics and Forecasting”.