The broad aim of the ‘UNE/CRDC Cotton Course’ has been to provide students with the necessary scientific and practical skills for sustainable cotton production. The units are designed with industry consultation for those people already in the cotton industry and for those wishing to enter the industry. Students learn how the cotton crop grows, how to manage the crop and the factors that affect the sustainability of cotton production in Australia. Assessment is by a combination of assignments, involvement in a residential practical school (one 3-4 day school per unit) and an examination. The type and weighting of assessments varies in each unit.

The ‘Cotton Production Course’ is made up of the following units.

• Applied Cotton Production

• Cotton Protection

• Cotton and the Environment

• Cotton Farming Systems

These units can be studied flexibly at undergraduate or postgraduate level. Students receive the same set of notes and presentations from industry experts and only differ in the required workload and level of assessment.

Brendan Griffiths has held the role of lecturer of the Cotton Course at UNE for the duration of this project. Brendan has spent nearly twenty five years working as a field agronomist, researcher, and consultant in the cotton industry and has also worked in both agribusiness and manufacturing sectors. Brendan has spent the past fifteen years operating a private consultancy business based in Goondiwindi, Queensland and is in the latter part of a PhD in irrigated agriculture.

It is through Brendan’s experience and industry linkages, as well as modern teaching technology, that new ideas have been brought to both the delivery and content of the Cotton Course. Collaboration with industry researchers and others, in writing and reviewing notes and giving presentations to students, will ensure continual relevance and a process of improvement. Over the three teaching years we have made significant changes to the cotton production course’ teaching material, a process that is ongoing. We have included topical issues facing the cotton industry, such as carbon and climate change, natural resource management, and water reform, as well as updating material with respect to plant nutrition and changes in current agronomic practices.