Managing sustainable cotton production is becoming more difficult with the ever-increasing demand on limited resources. In addition cotton growers are facing increased pressures to manage resources more cost effectively and to be more accountable for the impact that their decisions make on the surrounding environment. Computer based decision support systems (DSS) and simulation models are being developed and used to provide cotton growers with the best information and tools available from research to assist with their management decisions. A primary aim of the decision support and modelling teams in the cotton industry is to utilise sound and up to date technology, and integrate this technology across different electronic platforms and mechanisms, and finally delivering it to the industry for adoption ‘Science into Practice’.

While the flagship of cotton decision support is CottonLOGIC (registered copies 1175 Dec. 2001), there are many other tools that are being developed by the group such as the handheld version of CottonLOGIC, HydroLOGIC and the Cotton CRC’s website. Supporting existing products, changing computer systems (eg. Windows 3.11 to Windows 95, 98, 2000 and now Windows XP), and continued demands for other computerised decision support tools to be developed and demands by industry to explore new opportunities, place significant pressure on the resources of the decision support team to meet all these needs. Presently, one full time programmer is assigned to developing CottonLOGIC decision support tools, however, much of his time can be dedicated in supporting and refining CottonLOGIC to meet users requirements.