At a July 2004 meeting of the CHCG&IA Research and Technical Subcommittee it was resolved that DPI&F research staff develop a strategy to meet the regional R&D needs of the Emerald area, as identified in a discussion paper by Mr. Hamish Millar.

Following discussions with local industry, staff and researchers from the Cotton CRC (Mr. Guy Roth, Drs. Greg constable and Ian Rochester), CSD (Mr. John Marshall) and other QDPI staff, general agreement was reached that a practical way of addressing the regional R&D needs, as identified above, is to begin with a preliminary assessment of cotton phenology and yield response in the form of a one-season pilot planting-time trial.