n September 2006 the Namoi Catchment Management Authority (Namoi CMA) and

the Cotton Catchment Communities Cooperative Research Centre (Cotton CRC)

This project aimed to identify means to improve nutrient use‐efficiency in Australian

cotton production systems and to improve soil health/fertility. The NutriLOGIC DSS

Future Australian and international policy directions may require industries to account for their

resource use and emissions. Rural primary industries utilise several types of resources and produce

iv

Abstract

Whereas the use of gypsum for the amelioration of sodic soils under dryland and

irrigated agricultural systems has been relatively well studied, experiments investigating lime

Diminishing water supply, changing weather patterns and pressure to enhance environmental flows are making it imperative to optimise water use efficiency (WUE) on cotton/grain farming systems.

Thielaviopsis basicola is a hemibiotroph fungus that causes black root rot disease in diverse plants with significant impact on cotton production in Australia. To elucidate how T.

The regional extension positions were part of the Cotton CRC National Cotton Extension Team which has worked on an industry-wide scale to take a knowledge management approach to deliver grower focused, participatory a

This project brought together information on farm dam management with recent research on

evaporation mitigation, new case studies and improved an online calculator to estimate costs with

In pesticide science, research and modelling by private companies exceeds that carried out by public organisations (e.g. USDA & EPA in the USA) – e.g.

‘Cotton Fusarium Wilt Management’, had a number of objectives to obtain data to improve the management of this disease.

René van der Sluijs and Geoff Naylor travelled to New Zealand in April 2009 on the invitation of the Textile Institute to present papers on the Australian Cotton Industry.

This project supports the ongoing development of IPM in cotton by targeting emerging pest issues, and inappropriate management which may threaten IPM. Key outcomes were:

The ‘Regional Cotton Extension Officer’ has played a key role in improving the uptake of research

within the Cotton Industry by jointly working with the Cotton Catchment Communities Cooperative

This project resolved two long-standing anomalies regarding Cry2Ab resistance in H. armigera.

Ginning is an energy intensive process. This project evaluates the energy usage inside the cotton gins in Australia. electricity use is found to range between 44-66 kWh per bale, with national average being 52.3 kWh.

This project used a series of communication processes to structure an engagement strategy between CRDC and Crop Consultants Australia or CCA and the wider cotton industry R&D organisations.

Silverleaf whitefly (SLW), Bemisia tabaci B biotype (Gennadius), is a major insect pest of cotton and horticultural industries.

is a limiting factor for cotton production in Australia. As a soil-borne fungal pathogen, epidemiological, ecological and genetic features of Fov populations are strongly influenced by soil conditions.

The Cotton export market is highly competitive and when it comes to quality Australia needs to be the world's best.

Quarantine plays a critical role to ensure that Australia remains free from serious pests, weeds and diseases present in other parts of the world.