Fusarium wilt continues to be an increasing problem in almost all major cotton growing regions of Australia.

Ecosystem services are the natural processes responsible for clean air, clean water, healthy uncontaminated food and a host of other environmental goods that we take for granted.

Cotton production worldwide uses 11 per cent of global insecticides each year and the trend continues to increase (Pesticide News, 2001).

In recent years late season populations of stinkbugs (green vegetable bug and green stink bug) have caused considerable damage in some cotton crops (Simpson et al. 2000, Khan and Bauer 2001).

While the cotton industry relies on large inputs of Nitrogen fertilizer, most growers are confident that their management of this input is satisfactory.

We are currently evaluating unsprayed strip crops planted beside dryland INGARD cotton as nurseries for beneficial arthropods.

Strains of cotton aphid and the green peach aphid were collected from cotton producing faints in eastern Australia. Green peach aphid was rarely collected but resistance to Curacron and Pirimor was documented.

Elsewhere in this proceedings I have stated that the cotton industry in Australia is undertaking a journey towards the adoption of a true IPM.

Irrigation in the Australian cotton industry has traditionally been dominated by the use of furrow irrigation practiced almost exclusively on the heavy clay soils associated with riverine flood plains.

This paper is based on my views and experiences from the four Area Wide IP M Groups in the Macintyre Valley. These groups cover the majority of the irrigated cotton from Yetman to just east of Boomi.

Ground rig and aerial application treatments were setup to deliver endosulfan to young cotton using 'large droplet placement' (LDP).

Effective resistance monitoring underpins the Australian cotton resistance management strategy for insects and mites.

Historically research has shown cotton to be highly susceptible to the phenoxy herbicides. However, there is limited information on the impacts of other herbicides that may be used within current fanning systems.

The adoption of biopesticides by the cotton industry in Australia has been impressive.

Field trial examining the use of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) foliar sprays on transgenic and conventional cotton varieties showed various levels of Helicoverpa control and impacts on beneficial insects.

The world's textile industry has gone through structural changes and there are rapid moves toward industrial reorganization in Asian countries in pursue of the progress in the developed countries.

When David Swallow rang and asked if l would present this paper my first thoughts were &quote;Why would you pick on me?&quote; I'm 54 years old, nearly as old as my farm.

The DPI has been evaluating unsprayed strip crops planted beside dryland INGARD cotton as nurseries for beneficial arthropods over the past three seasons.

The Bourke region has experienced a dramatic expansion of irrigated agriculture, especially cotton production, over the last decade.

Distributed across every major cotton growing region, the Australian Cotton CRCs National Extension Network aims to enhance the returns to industry accruing from the implementation of research and development.