The Australian cotton industry is one of the Australian's major agricultural

exporters and provides a significant export income for Australia. A wide range of

pests however, attacks the cotton crop. To sustain production, the industry relies

heavily on the use of synthetic insecticides for the control of the major pests such

as Helicoverpa spp. , green mirids, aphids and mites. The over-reliance on synthetic

insecticides threatens the future sustainability and survival of the cotton industry.

As a result, there is a strong push by the cotton industry to adopt an IPM

program that places much more emphasis on the natural enemies of the pest and

minimises the use of synthetic insecticides.

The World Cotton Research Conference (WCRC) is an initiative of the

International Cotton Advisory Council, which is aimed at gathering cotton

researchers, extension officers, agro-chemical companies, administrators,

marketers etc around the world for a symposium covering all aspects of cotton

production. WCRC is held every four years in different cotton producing

countries in the world. It serves as a forum where those involved in all facets of

cotton production can interact and learn from each other. Scientists, particularly

renowned entomologists working in cotton, normally attend WCRC to present

the papers in their area of specialty. Thus this provides an opportunity for cotton

researchers to address pertinent research problems in cotton production.

Therefore, it is crucial for cotton scientists to attend WCRC to update their

knowledge in their specialty area of research. The venue for the 2003 WCRC was

in Cape Town in South Africa. The conference was well organised and provided

an excellent forumfor the participants to exchange ideas, update knowledge and

discuss subjects of particular interest.