The Back Paddock Company has become one of the leading soil nutrition consultants in the cotton industry. The objective of the project is to better educate CGA member growers about soil nutrition by completing two Back Paddock nutrition courses.

The CGA has highlighted that soil nutrition is a key area where growers can improve their business. Soil and crop nutrition was also an issue highlighted by growers at a R&D Thank Tank facilitated by Ingrid Roth. As a result of these discussions a grower focus group has been established in the Macintyre Valley with the objective of increasing yields and increasing Fertiliser Use Efficiencies. The group is being facilitated by our local CottonInfo team Regional Development Officer, Sally Dickinson. The group recently met with the CRDC as part of its soil research review. It was highlighted that growers are making decisions from previous year’s crop and not on soil test data. It was also highlighted that growers rely on consultants to decide what fertiliser rates they are going to use on their farm. Increasing yields has also resulted in growers applying increased fertiliser rates. There are a number of questions involving critical levels, namely where to apply fertiliser? What fertiliser type to use? How to apply the fertiliser? And the timing of fertiliser application?

Growers that undertake the workshop will learn to make better management decisions when applying fertilisers. It will enable growers to understand and interpret soil tests and allow them to communicate and design a fertiliser program best suited to their business.

The cotton industry will benefit from this project as it will increase fertiliser use efficiency on farms through increased capacity of the growers who have participated in the course and the focus group. Growers will increase productivity on their farms by improving fertiliser use efficiency.

This project will also consider key industry research in the Macintyre Valley, including the CottonInfo team's Nitrogen Use Efficiency trial.