The summer edition of CRDC's magazine, Spotlight, reports on the achievements of research and innovation, and takes a look at the future direction of cotton RD&E. This edition includes the outomes of recent assessments undertaken to measure the economic impact of research, which show high returns to growers: such as the CRDC-supported QDAF planting date trial in Central QLD, which is found to have delivered a benefit cost ratio as high as 17:1 (a $17 return to growers for every $1 invested).

Also in this edition, we shine the spotlight on the three CRDC-led projects under the Australian Government's Rural R&D for Profit programme - Smarter Irrigation for Profit; More Profit from Nitrogen; and Accelerating Precision Agriculture to Decision Agriculture - and the key outcomes that they have acheived thus far. These include: the implementation of automated irrigation on farms, greater knowledge around N use and efficiency, and an understanding of the efficiency gains that could be achieved through the update of digital agricultural technologies.

Additionally, we provide an update on the continuing development of CRDC's Strategic Plan for 2018-23, and share the stories of the cotton growers and entrepreneurs who have taken part in our series of innovation and start-up science workshops and programs.