contents regular features front cover - Greenmount Press

Print Post Approved Publication No. PP 424022/1583 

JUNE–JULY 2010 

www.cottongrower.com.au 

The Australian Cottongrower 

P.O. Box 766, Toowoomba, 4350. 

Ph: (07) 4659 3555. Fax (07) 4638 4520. 

Email: cotton@greenmountpress.com.au 

Website: www.cottongrower.com.au 

DELIVERIES: 120 Herries St, Toowoomba, Qld. 4350. 

EDITOR: 

David Dowling 

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Lloyd O’Connell 

GROUP SALES MANAGER: Norm Neeld 

PRODUCTION MANAGER: Mick Allan 

OFFICE MANAGER: Catherine O’Connell 

ADVERTISING: Norm Neeld 

Ph: (07) 5450 1720 

Fax: (07) 5450 1102 

Mobile: 0428 794 801 

CONTENTS OF ADVERTISEMENTS are the responsibility of the 

advertisers. All statements and opinions expressed in The Australian 

Cottongrower are published after due consideration of information 

gained from sources believed to be authentic. The following of advice 

given is at the reader’s own risk, and no responsibility is accepted for the 

accuracy of the matter published herein. No portion in whole or part may 

be reproduced without permission of the publisher. Copyright 2010. 

Published by Berekua Pty. Ltd., 40 Creek Street, Brisbane. Registered 

by Australia Post Print Post Approved Publication number 

PP 405518/00026. ISSN 1442–5289. 

PUBLISHED: FEBRUARY, APRIL, JUNE, AUGUST, OCTOBER, 

DECEMBER. COTTON YEARBOOK PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER. 

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contents 

11 Update on Cotton Australia’s year 

12 Pre-sowing considerations to preserve fibre quality 

Water Matters 

18 Piloting IrriSat SMS technology in the Gwydir Valley 

22 Magnet – potential roles in management of resistance to Bt 

ginning & fibre quality series 

34 The importance of moisture during ginning 

cotton conference feature 

40 From dirt to shirt 

Conference registration costs kept to a minimum 

42 Markets and trading – key focus at this year’s Cotton 

Conference 

43 The science behind the results 

44 Cotton Conference program summary 

45 Past and Present: Two industry leaders give 30 years 

46 Grower loyalty program 

Conference draws them back! 

47 Cotton’s top picks announced in the 2010 Australian 

Cotton Industry Awards 

49 Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cotton farming 

practices 

regular features 

2 Editorial 

4 Cotton Research Roundup – Future of the cotton industry? 

25 Classic Tractor Tales: The formidable Fitch 

marketing 

28 Commodity Watch 

30 The World Cotton Market 

51 Germinating Ideas 

53 District Reports 

front cover 

JUNE–JULY 2010 

Volume 31, No.3 $6.60 

INSIDE 

Potential 

to manage 

resistance 

to Bt 

Potential 

to manage 

resistance 

to Bt 

Cotton 

Conference 

Feature 

John Hornbuckle CSIRO (centre) explains 

the components of the Weemalah 

automatic weather station to Weemalah 

irrigator Gary Houston (left) while Tony 

Nedelko CSIRO looks on. 

See article on pages 18. 

JUNE–JULY 2010 THE AUSTRALIAN COTTONGROWER — 1

Professional Recruiters 

of Agribusiness 

Professionals 

SYDNEY 

Susan Leslie Lucy Purcell 

Tim Vidler Suzie Ward 

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BRISBANE 

Dominica Carolan – 07 3832 9866 

MELBOURNE 

David Reid – 03 9866 6133 

Agribusiness Recruiters – 

LEADING THE WAY SINCE 1979 

www.agri.com.au 

U78496 

Editorial… 

David Dowling, Editor 

The Australian Cotton Conference has become an institution 

in the industry – perhaps its greatest institution. In the 

feature on the 15th Australian Conference in this issue, there is 

a small reference to one of the great contributors to the industry 

and to the Cotton Conference (page 40). Greg Constable 

spoke on planting dates and plant populations at the first conference in 1982 

and has attended every one since. 

I suspect that Greg may not be alone in this regard. 

Other presenters at that very first conference over a couple of very hot days at 

the RSL Hall in Goondiwindi in early November 1982 included Geoff McIntyre, 

John Barber, Robyn Gunning, Dave Murray, Peter Reid, Bruce Pyke and Des 

McGarry – all of whom are still actively involved in the cotton industry or cotton 

research. I’m not sure whether they have attended every conference since, but I 

suspect that some of them have done so – or have come very close. 

Some of the presenters and session chairmen are no longer with us – people 

such as Richard Williams, Arthur Hodgson and Andrew von Mengersen. While 

others have retired or drifted away to the periphery of the industry. 

There are probably quite a few growers who have been to every conference. 

And looking back on it, I realise that I’ve only missed one myself – the second 

conference in 1984. 

Someone mentioned the other day that the same old things seem to be on 

the agenda at the Conference, even after 30 years. Things like row spacing, 

nutrition, plant breeding, soils and irrigation. Well, these topics will probably always 

be with us. They are what growing cotton is all about, and the fact we still 

discuss them doesn’t mean that huge strides haven’t been made in these areas 

over the past 30 years. 

Conversely, what struck me are the things being discussed in 2010 which 

were not even on the radar in 1982. Things like water for the environment, 

farm energy budgets, R&D knowledge management, branding Australian cotton, 

managing transgenic varieties, myBMP, generational change and capacity 

building. 

While the hot topics in 1982 were about survival strategies against a harsh 

physical environment, the 2010 version is more about survival in a harsh political 

environment. But the challenges are just as real and the Cotton Conference 

is just as important as it was in 1982 – perhaps more so. 

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2 — THE AUSTRALIAN COTTONGROWER JUNE–JULY 2010

In this issue... 

Considerations 

to preserve fibre 

quality 

One aim of FIBREpak 

was to raise awareness of 

issues that affect fibre quality. 

In this article we summarise important 

information relating to pre-season 

decisions which will optimise fibre quality. 

See story.......................... Page 12 

Piloting IrriSat SMS 

technology 

Are you looking for 

a low cost method to 

help schedule irrigations? IrriSat SMS, 

the Satellite and SMS Irrigation Water 

Management Service being trialled as 

part of the NSW Sustaining the Basin: 

Border Rivers-Gwydir pilot project could 

be the answer. 

See story.......................... Page 18 

Reducing 

greenhouse gas 

emissions 

Cotton growers can 

reduce their greenhouse 

gas emissions through 

reduced tillage, 

permanent beds and 

wheat rotations. 

See story.......................... Page 49 

The importance of 

moisture during 

ginning 

Modern gins are 

highly automated and 

productive systems 

that incorporate many 

processing stages 

besides the removal of lint from the 

cotton seed. 

See story.......................... Page 34 

Cotton Conference 

Feature 

Cotton Australia 

and the Australian 

Cotton Shippers Association are lining 

up an ambitious program of speakers for 

the 15th Australian Cotton Conference 

that will cover the gamut of cotton 

production, from dirt to shirt. 

Stories start...................... Page 40 

The formidable Fitch 

In 1929, horses still 

remained supreme on 

Australian farms. After 

all – they were reliable and 

providing you had no objection to rising 

before dawn in order to firstly catch the 

things, then feed them, then untangle the 

harness, slip the bridle over their heads, 

and so on. But an hour had passed and a 

furrow had yet to be turned. 

See story.......................... Page 25 

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COTTON COTTON COTTON 

RESEARCH ROUNDUP 

BRUCE PYKE 

BRUCE FINNEY 

Future of the cotton industry? 

By Bruce Finney 

In 2009 leaders in the Australian cotton 

industry recognised the potential 

for improving industry performance, 

organisational collaboration and capacity 

through the development of a shared view 

of the future. 

The Vision 2029 project was a collaboration 

between CRDC, Cotton Australia 

and the Australian Cotton Industry Council 

(ACIC), with representatives from these 

organisations forming a Reference Group. 

The project scope covered the whole of 

the Australian cotton industry from input 

suppliers through to marketers. 

A 20-year timeframe was chosen in order 

to ensure a longer-term strategic focus. 

Cotton Australia Chair Joanne Grainger 

summarised the goal as “To develop a 

shared vision that inspires and unifies the 

Australian cotton industry.” 

In August 2009 CRDC engaged the 

consulting group Emergent Futures to facilitate 

the project, titled Cotton Industry 

Vision 2029. The project started in September 

2009 and finished in March. 

A range of possible futures was explored 

before identifying a preferred future for 

the industry. A series of workshops, stakeholder 

surveys and scanning activities were 

undertaken to identify trends, assumptions 

and driving forces that would influence the 

industry future. Opportunity to contribute 

to surveys was broadly available to industry 

and provided very useful criticisms and 

suggestions. 

Four scenarios were developed which 

identified the range of possible futures that 

the Australian cotton industry might face: 

• Boom; 

• Bust; 

• Food Replaces Fibre; or, 

• Present Day Projection. 

These were based on critical challenges 

and uncertainties identified at the beginning 

of the project. From these scenarios 

the draft Preferred Future and vision for 

the Australian cotton industry was developed: 

Below is a summary of the preferred 

industry future, representing the vision of 

how the industry might look in 20 years, 

having overcome challenges from its 

present situation. 

The Journey 

In years leading up to 2009, the industry 

experienced particularly hard conditions. 

Drought plagued many regions and government 

reforms ensured water security 

was at an all time low. The cotton labour 

force was being ‘mined’, while climate 

change and the carbon pollution reduction 

scheme were big challenges knocking on 

the door. 

Industry rationalisation, public and political 

perceptions towards farming had all 

taken a toll. Industry confidence, profitability 

and resilience were waning. Some 

people felt the industry was in dire straits 

while others were cautiously optimistic 

that it would again rebound when conditions 

improved. 

The industry needed to find a way past 

the current major challenges to create a 

preferred future. The leaders identified 

that the challenges could be overcome 

through a combination of repositioning 

the industry in the global marketplace and 

achieving superior industry performance 

underpinned by science, technology and 

the passion and innovative nature of people 

within the industry. Clearly this would 

involve every link in the industry from seed 

and chemical distributors, growers, consultants, 

researchers, pickers, truckers, 

ginners, classers, merchants, spinners and 

brand owners. 

The Destination – What 

Industry Looks Like in 2029 

The preferred vision that emerged from 

the project was of an industry which will 

be differentiated, responsible, tough and 

capable. 

Differentiated 

• In 2010 the Australian cotton industry 

recognised the need to differentiate its 

product and build a brand and strong 

positioning in the global marketplace to 

support this. The industry’s pre-existing 

reputation for quality, contaminant free 

 

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w4…RESEARCH ROUNDUP 

and environmentally responsible production 

characteristics provided a good 

basis. A collaborative approach across 

the chain was developed to better understand 

future consumer and manufacturing 

needs and competitive forces. 

The combined effort and resources have 

lead to the development of a uniquely 

Australian brand owned and supported 

by the whole industry. 

• Over time unique varieties adapted to 

Australian conditions have been developed 

to meet the brand requirements. 

• Improved productivity and returns have 

resulted in a dedicated cotton production 

sector committed to best management 

practices. Extensive effort has 

been put into developing people with 

the knowledge and skills to achieve 

quality standards and maintain production 

levels. 

• New traceability technology helps ensure 

product integrity and has transformed 

supply chain logistics. 

• A small onshore manufacturing capacity 

has been established, supporting a 100 

per cent Australian natural fibre product 

niche, as growth in local manufacturing 

became viable based on the emerging 

interest in ‘on-shoring’ (return to local 

manufacturing as transport costs escalate), 

new manufacturing technology 

and proper environmental accounting. 

• The industry has new partnerships with 

leading global and Australian brand 

owners in developing and marketing 

new textile products. 

• International consumers readily recognise 

the Australian cotton brand which 

enjoys a favourable reputation of similar 

standing to Egyptian Cotton, Supima, 

French champagne or Belgian chocolate 

– elite quality. 

• Personal success and recognition reignite 

a sense of belonging, identity and 

passion for the cotton industry. Community 

spirit and collaboration have 

helped the industry pull together to 

achieve stretching goals and to weather 

hard times. 

Responsible 

• Once perceived by those outside the industry 

as an environmental vandal and 

water waster, Australian cotton is now 

valued for its credentials as the most environmentally 

friendly cotton production 

system on the globe with the lowest water 

use, carbon footprint and chemical 

use of any cotton producing region. 

• Australian cotton is the world’s first cotton 

producer and first Australian agricultural 

sector to achieve international 

recognition for carbon neutrality. It is 

now the highest rating cotton producer 

on the international Corporate Social 

Responsibility Index (CSRI) . 

• Environmentally friendly easy care cotton 

products have been developed and 

are increasing their share of apparel 

sales worldwide. 

• The industry boasts the best health and 

safety record of any agricultural industry 

through its dedication to improved 

health and safety practices for employees 

and business owners. 

• Working conditions surpass those of all 

other cotton producing nations. 

• Through continuous improved performance 

on efficiency and responsibility 

of water use, cotton has a reputation as 

a valued and responsible water user. 

Respected 

• Industry has gained recognition from 

government and community for the 

quality of its products, sustainable practices 

and contribution to the fibre and 

food needs of the world. 

• As a leading industry in productivity 

growth through innovation, there are 

significant spillovers from the knowledge, 

practices and technology developed 

through cotton R&D being 

adapted and applied in the production 

of food crops. 

• Australian consumers can now purchase 

and are proud to wear Australian 

cotton garments and textiles, confident 

in the quality and the story behind the 

product which supports their values and 

makes them feel good about supporting 

their local industry and the people in it. 

• People recognise the long term value 

of the contribution made by industry to 

the community and the benefits that industry 

provides them in terms of social, 

emotional and financial wellbeing. 

Tough 

• Industry has a capacity for strategic 

awareness and is responsive to emerging 

challenges and opportunities. 

• The cotton production sector has developed 

business and financial management 

practices that make it resilient to 

the impacts of water scarcity. Some 

larger enterprises are spreading risk with 

operations in multiple growing regions 

while smaller operators have well established 

risk management systems, improved 

financial reserves and improved 

water security through new management 

systems and increased efficiency. 

• Production risk is accurately measured 

and is part of financial institutions’ requirements 

for funding agricultural activities. 

• Plant breeding has continued to deliver 

varieties of high quality and yield 

adapted to changing environments. 

• Improved farming systems especially 

those employing the benefits of a range 

of technologies have allowed much 

higher water use efficiencies to be 

achieved as well as increasing the resilience 

of farming operations to climate 

volatility. 

• The industry continues to invest in improving 

its productivity and market performance. 

Capable 

• Industry continues to recognise the importance 

of people and their capacity to 

the future success of the industry. 

• Cotton is an attractive industry to be a 

part of as it is progressive, profitable 

and ethical. 

• The values and achievements of the industry 

and the resources available bring 

interest from new entrants, researchers 

and environmentalists. 

• The cotton industry’s mindset has always 

been at the forefront of agriculture 

in terms of forward thinking and nurturing 

people. This trait has paid off with 

cotton being a most attractive employer 

in the rural and research sectors, attracting 

talent from both Australia and 

overseas. 

• This is reflected in the industry’s adoption 

of best HR practices and career 

development programs including scholarships. 

• The industry is renowned for its culture 

of innovation and responsiveness to 

change. 


Advertising feature 

The BEST start 

A Syngenta news bulletin for the cottton industry 

OH&S is an important issue . . . Peter Dampney of 

Mirrabooka”, Narrabri, with Syngenta territory sales 

manager, Peter Henderson. 

Extreme 

end to 

wireworm 

TRIALS CONDUCTED BY Cotton Growers 

Services have demonstrated that a new 

insecticidal seed treatment can signifi cantly 

improve crop establishment and early 

vigour by providing long-lasting control 

of the soil-dwelling pest, wireworm. 

Comparison trials in the Narrabri and 

Walgett districts have shown CRUISER 

EXTREME ® provides comparable effi cacy 

against wireworms, aphids and thrips as 

in-furrow insecticides, but with the fl exibility 

and convenience of a seed treatment. 

In one trial at Carinda, seed treated with 

the new product achieved an establishment 

rate of 7.9 plants per metre 27 days after 

planting compared to just 4.3 plants a 

metre in cotton treated with chlorpyrifos. 

The paddock on the Miralwyn Cotton 

property had previously been cropped to 

sorghum and had high levels of wireworm 

(35 to 50 wireworms per lineal metre). 

The paddock was pre-watered and then 

planted to Sicot 71BRF on October 3. 

Cotton Grower Services sales agronomist, 

Josh Townsend, Wee Waa, says 

CRUISER EXTREME produced an 

obvious result on worm counts. 

“Dead wireworms littered the soil surface 

in the CRUISER EXTREME block just 

four days after planting,” he says. 

“It defi nitely gave the crop more 

vigour and better residual against 

thrips than the alternative. 

“From an occupational health and 

safety perspective, a seed treatment 

like CRUISER EXTREME is much easier 

to use, so it’s got a lot going for it.” 

Another trial conducted at Maules Creek 

found crops treated with CRUISER EXTREME 

had three plants per metre more than a 

commonly used in-furrow granular insecticide. 

Narrabri-based CGS sales agronomist, 

Michael Smith, attributes the result 

to improved wireworm control. 

“It’s comparable, if not better than 

the alternative for wireworm control 

but the important thing is that it’s so 

much easier to handle,” he says. 

Narrabri district cotton grower, Peter 

Dampney, hosted another commercial 

demonstration on his property, 

“Mirrabooka”, and intends to use 

CRUISER EXTREME this season 

following registration. 

“It did a very good job on the 

wireworms,” he said. 

“There’s less time required at sowing 

with fi lling up those extra boxes and 

less worry about blockages. 

“OH&S is an important consideration for me. 

“The less danger there is, the easier 

it is for everyone on the farm.” 

Together with his wife Janet, and son and 

daughter-in-law, Tony and Kylie, Peter 

grew 80 hectares of irrigated Sicot 71B 

and Sicot 70B cotton last season. 

“It was fairly hot early in November 

and then we had the big rains from 

Christmas to New Year, which gave us 

a bit of waterlogging,” Peter says. 

“But we were lucky because we hadn’t 

watered before the rain, so it wasn’t too bad.” 

† 

CRUISER EXTREME is currently not registered and is awaiting approval from the APVMA.


Mike Pearce of “Karminya”, Cecil Plains, in his crop of 

irrigated Sicot 71BRF, which was given a boost early 

in the season by the use of Syngenta seed treatments, 

BION and CRUISER. 

Winning the 

Fusarium 

battle 

QUEENSLAND’S DARLING DOWNS 

has the dubious distinction of being the 

headquarters of the Fusarium Wilt. 

This insidious fungal disease, which stunts 

or even kills cotton plants by blocking the 

delicate vascular tissues in their roots and 

stems, was fi rst identifi ed in the region in 

the early 1990s. 

Properties with a long history of cotton 

production are particularly at risk, which 

squarely places the Pearce family’s Cecil 

Plains district property, “Karminya”, in the 

eye of danger. 

Brothers Mike and David Pearce, together 

with their wives, Danielle and Sandy, have 

continuously grown cotton on their 930 

hectare property, since 1965. 

Given that Fusarium spores can survive 

for more than a decade and are readily 

dispersed in water, soil, seed and stubble, 

the brothers had considered taking some 

blocks out of cotton production. 

“Fusarium was really starting to rear its 

ugly head in our older blocks and we 

weren’t the only ones in this situation,” 

Mike Pearce says. 

Hence, they didn’t hesitate to start using 

the revolutionary seed treatment, BION TM , 

the moment it became available. 

“BION proved itself very quickly the fi rst 

season we used it,” he says. 

“We had one 43 ha block that was going to 

be pulled out of cotton permanently because 

the Fusarium problem was so large. 

“We went in with BION last year and 

although we saw some disease late in the 

season, it was nothing like we had seen in 

the past.” 

Seed is also treated with the insecticidal 

seed treatment, CRUISER ® , to provide 

residual control of a broad range of pests, 

including aphids, thrips and wireworms. 

“It’s a good product with an even 

application and it’s just a lot easier than the 

in-furrow granular alternative,” Mike says. 

“Combined with BION, it makes it easier 

to grow a cotton crop.” 

Manager of Cotton Grower Services 

at Dalby, John Ash, says BION is 

‘cheap insurance’. 

“You get a strong and more even plant 

stand,” he says. 

The Pearces planted about 350 hectares 

of Sicot 71BRF Flex cotton last season but 

ploughed about half of the crop back – the 

dryland contingent – after the dry start. 

“Flex is easier to grow and we consider to 

be a cost-effi cient alternative,” Mike says. 

“Until we can be guaranteed enough water 

for three in-crop irrigations, we’ll plant skip 

row because it just gives us the assurance 

of a crop.” 

The crop was planted into a full soil 

moisture profi le in skip rows in mid-October 

last year. 

The crop was irrigated late, when water 

become available, in the fi rst week of 

January and followed up with another late 

watering in mid-February, but then received 

little rainfall until the 150 millimetres that fell 

in early March. 

Limited moisture and very high 

temperatures early in the season resulted in 

the crop achieving a yield of 4.8 bales 

a hectare. 

Plant activator 

‘turns on’ defences 

BION from Syngenta is the revolutionary 

plant activator that gets seedlings off a 

brilliant start. 

It protects emerging plants from the 

damaging effects of Fusarium Wilt and 

Black Root Rot by activating the plant’s 

natural defences before it is exposed to 

pathogens. 

By restricting the opportunity for infection, 

it allows seedlings to focus their energy 

resources on growth during the crucial 

establishment phase. 

It is ideal for use as part of an integrated 

disease management strategy to reduce 

the incidence of both diseases. 

BION, DYNASTY and CRUISER are 

available on all CSD varieties in 2010.


Dynamic 

duo put 

the test 

Chris Humphries of “Caroale”, Moree, and Syngenta 

territory sales manager, Sally Poole. 

A HORRIBLE TRIFECTA of hail, cold 

and insect pressure have provided a 

timely –even if unwelcome – reminder 

of the benefi ts of seed treatments in 

maximising plant establishment. 

Chris Humphries, “Caroale”, Moree, 

had the misfortune to experience all 

three this season, starting in November 

when a large hailstorm pelted his 

500 hectare crop of irrigated Bollgard 

cotton, forcing him to replant 135 ha. 

This was followed by cool mid-season. 

“We had a fair bit of in-crop rain 

and cloudy weather mid-season, 

which led to water logging and 

some boll rot,” Chris says. 

“Combined, these will impact on 

yield when we harvest in late April. 

“We also had a major white fl y presence 

this year but it was effectively controlled. 

While it is still too early to assess the 

total impact, Chris takes minor comfort 

that his decision to use the fungicidal seed 

treatment, BION, in combination with the 

widely-used insecticidal seed treatment, 

CRUISER, probably saved him money. 

“Anything that improves the uniformity 

and plant stand average is highly valuable 

because it reduces the risk of re-planting due 

to cool weather or hail damage,” he says. 

“The cost-benefi t is great.” 

Chris has used BION and 

CRUISER since their inception. 

“I’d regard BION and CRUISER as 

critical management inputs for disease 

and emergence insect control,” he says. 

“We’re also in a marginal area for 

thrips damage, especially when we had 

wheat rotations in adjacent fi elds. 

Longer and 

more effective 

control 

CRUISER seed treatment from Syngenta 

provides long-lasting residual control of 

a broad range of sucking, chewing and 

An on-farm demonstration has convinced 

him beyond doubt of their benefi t. 

“We put in a replicated trial in a fi eld with 

known Black Root Rot issues,” he says. 

“We had a signifi cant 10 to 15 per 

cent improved plant stand, particularly 

at the lower end of the fi elds where 

Black Root Rot was most evident, and a 

noticeable increase in plant biomass. 

“Improved plant establishment means 

you actually reduce your seed costs by 

actually reducing the planting rate. 

“Yield-mapping at harvest also showed 

a slight yield increase, which I think 

was about fi ve to seven per cent. 

“We also use BION and CRUISER 

because they’re safer to handle. 

“As a seed treatment, we avoid having to 

handle seed furrow-applied chemicals at 

planting, which also improves effi ciency 

at planting. 

“As seed treatments, they are 

extremely convenient.” 

soil-dwelling pests in cotton seedlings, 

including aphids, thrips and wireworms. 

Affected pests cease feeding almost 

immediately and starve to death within 

24 hours. The active ingredient also 

dissipates into the surrounding soil, forming 

a protective ‘halo’ around the seed. 

The active ingredient in CRUISER has no 

adverse affect on germination, promotes 

Syngenta’s Moree-based territory sales 

manager, Sally Poole, Moree, estimates 

that more than half of the crops in northwest 

NSW were treated with CRUISER 

and BION during the 2009/10 season. 

“The insecticidal advantages of 

CRUISER combined with the benefi ts of 

BION in suppressing two of the cotton 

industries’ worst diseases – Fusarium Wilt 

and Black Root Rot – make these two 

products a ‘dynamic duo’ in overall plant 

health and establishment,” she says. 

“Growers are seeing outstanding 

benefi ts in getting their crops out of 

the ground and off to a good start. 

“In seasons with cold starts, anything that 

enhances establishment and early vigour 

gives growers tremendous peace of mind. 

“Feedback from growers is extremely 

positive and this is refl ected in the increasing 

usage of CRUISER and BION.” 

early crop vigour and is seven times more 

soluble than other products, making these 

products the logical choice for dryland 

cotton or uncertain water availability.


Effective 

insurance 

against wilt 

A good start . . . Peter Armitage 

of “Kurlew”, Cecil Plains. 

DARLING DOWNS COTTON grower, Peter Armitage, says a good 

crop comes down to a good start – especially in a district where 

Fusarium Wilt is a constant threat. 

“It’s so important to get the best possible emergence to get the 

crop up and running,” he says. 

“With cotton, you’ve got to have a good, even plant stand. 

“If you don’t, it makes for problems down the track, which makes 

it harder to pick.” 

And with that in mind, Peter insists that all seed is treated with the 

revolutionary ‘plant activator’, BION TM , to suppress Fusarium Wilt 

and CRUISER ® insecticide to control aphids, thrips and wireworms. 

Last season, Peter and his wife, Denise, planted 108 hectares to 

Bollgard*, conventional and Flex varieties under dryland conditions 

on their Cecil Plains district property, “Kurlew”. 

The Armitages had suffi cient irrigation allocation to pre-water 

40 ha, ensuring a full moisture profi le at planting, which began 

on October 9. 

“We specifi cally selected the Fusarium-resistant variety, Siokra 

V18BRF, and then treated the seed with BION for planting in a 

paddock that had a history of the disease,” Peter says. 

“We achieved an excellent plant stand and no fatalities. The crop 

never looked back. 

“I’d use BION again just for the insurance of getting your crop up 

and away.” 

However, the crop received no rainfall of any substance until a 

deluge of 194 millimetres in March, which greatly benefi ted two 

late-sown paddocks of Bollgard cotton. 

The Armitages, who have been growing cotton on “Kurlew” for 

nearly 20 years, are enjoying new developments in the industry, 

such as herbicide resistant cotton. 

In recent years, Peter has experimented with single and double-skip 

row spacings to suit his two-metre ‘tram line’ confi guration. 

“I do my own spraying and I don’t like a row going under the tractor, 

so this year I have opted for double-skip row spacing,” he says. 

“If you’re short of water or can’t get it on quick enough – which is 

an issue if you are watering from a bore – the wider rows give a bit 

more leeway and you should get better quality cotton in a dry year.” 

Given the insect pressure of the previous growing season, Peter 

is considering planting an equal split of Bollgard and conventional 

varieties this year. 

“I don’t want to have as much area tied up with refuge crops, which 

is really just wasted ground,” he says. 

For more information please contact your local Territory Sales Manager, 

call the Syngenta Advice Line on 1800 067 108 or visit www.syngenta.com.au 

®Registered trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. Trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. *Registered trademark. 

All products written in uppercase are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. SYN-1705 PR10-086

Update on Cotton Australia’s year 

By Adam Kay, CEO 

The 2009–10 financial year (ending 

March) was a big year for the Cotton 

Australia team, with the implementation 

of an ambitious Annual Operating 

Plan covering four key portfolio areas: 

• Member Services and Capacity Building; 

• Research Direction and Stewardship; 

• Policy and Advocacy; and, 

• Communication and Engagement. 

Importantly, this plan was driven by 

input from growers through our General 

Meetings and a successful Cotton Matters 

Forum to develop the issues that growers 

wanted addressed and to monitor 

progress. 

Staff were not only engaged in proactive 

implementation of the Annual Operating 

Plan this year, but a number of ‘left 

field’ issues arose including severe and 

widespread flooding throughout Queensland 

and the incursion of a new exotic 

pest, the solenopsis Mealybug. 

The floods in Theodore, St George and 

Dirranbandi brought mixed blessings for 

the industry. Crop losses on some farms 

were as high as 100 per cent, with quality 

severely affected in most areas and damage 

to on-farm infrastructure widespread. 

Cotton Australia worked closely with 

growers on the ground and the Queensland 

Rural Adjustment Authority to secure 

much needed relief funding and support in 

all areas. On the positive side, the floods 

have seen many on-farm storages fill and a 

subsequent predicted increase in the crop 

to a possible 250,000 hectares or more 

next season. 

Two new faces in the policy team and 

a new Regional Manager for Queensland 

saw grower representation ramped up at 

a critical time during the year, with issues 

of water and climate change firmly on 

government agendas at state and Federal 

levels. 

Cotton Australia was pleased with the 

announcement that a coalition deal on 

the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme 

(CPRS) would exclude agriculture indefinitely. 

While this deal ended up being defeated 

in the Senate, it followed months of 

sustained lobbying, alongside the National 

Farmers Federation in Canberra. 

The team has also worked hard to influence 

the content of the Murray-Darling 

Basin Plan that will set new Sustainable 

Diversion Limits (SDLs) for irrigation that 

Adam Kay, CEO of Cotton Australia. 

could heavily impact on individual farmers 

and our communities. 

Damage to cotton crops from phenoxy 

herbicide drift was reduced dramatically 

compared to last season. While we mustn’t 

become complacent, Cotton Australia’s 

campaign – including the new Cottonmap 

website, radio advertising and direct communication 

with resellers and applicators 

– appears to have had a positive effect. 

In terms of environmental stewardship, 

the ‘myBMP’ program was further developed 

under a new Best Management 

Practices (BMP) team. BMP continues to 

be a flagship program for Cotton Australia 

and we look forward to growers’ participation 

in the new program over the next 12 

months. 

Cotton Australia’s role in providing 

grower-feedback to the Cotton Research 

and Development Corporation on research 

investment continued during the 

year, as did our coordinating role in the 

TIMS Committee to oversee industry stewardship 

of biotechnology traits. 

Communication with growers about 

their new, merged organisation continued 

with a new e-newsletter format, a series 

of Advancing Australian Cotton brochures 

and in-depth Background Briefings on issues 

such as Water, Phenoxy Herbicides 

and Safe Harvest. 

Keeping key decision makers such as 

politicians and the media informed of industry 

issues and facts continued to be a 

major focus of the communication strategy, 

and we’ve seen reduced incidents of 

negative publicity over the past three years. 

Looking forward, the team is working 

to influence proposed changes to water 

pricing in Queensland and the Productivity 

Commission Review into rural R&D Corporations. 

Ahead of next season, Cotton 

Australia is working on a project to ensure 

the supply chain is aware and prepared 

for a bigger cotton crop as well as again 

implementing the Phenoxy herbicide drift 

awareness campaign to minimise cotton 

crop damage. Working closely with other 

irrigator groups, the next few months will 

also be spent developing a cohesive approach 

and planned responses to the release 

of the draft Murray-Darling Basin 

Plan which could impact heavily throughout 

the Basin cotton communities. 

Cotton Australia’s Annual Report detailing 

all of the activities of the year will 

be mailed to growers ahead of its Annual 

General Meeting, to be held on Monday 9 

August at the Gold Coast Convention and 

Exhibition Centre. All members, growers 

and industry associates are welcome to attend. 

Cotton Australia is always keen to hear 

constructive feedback from growers. Please do 

not hesitate to contact your Cotton Australia 

Regional Manager, policy staff or the CEO about 

any issue of concern. Contact details can be 

found at www.cottonaustralia.com.au 


Pre sowing decisions that can influence fibre quality are mainly concerned with variety selection and preparation of 

fields to ensure good seed beds and effective weed control early in crop growth to enable early crop vigour and 

reduce potential contamination in later stages of growth. 

Pre-sowing considerations to 

preserve fibre quality 

By Michael Bange 1 , Greg Constable 1 , Stuart Gordon 2 , Robert Long 2 , Geoff Naylor 2 and 

Marinus van der Sluijs 2 

One aim of FIBREpak was to raise 

awareness of issues that affect fibre 

quality. In this article we summarise 

important information relating to 

pre-season decisions which will optimise 

fibre quality. Key management considerations 

prior to sowing include: 

• Variety selection; 

• Appropriate weed control; 

• Crop nutrition management; 

• Optimising sowing date for yield and 

quality; 

• Establishing uniform crops at optimum 

plant density; and, 

• Using skip rows in dryland production. 

Variety selection 

If you start with a variety with only average 

potential fibre quality, there is nothing 

that can be done with management and 

processing to make the quality better. But 

if you start with a variety with potential for 

good fibre quality traits (such as longer and 

stronger), there is some insurance against 

Strong fibres resulting from appropriate variety selection and by avoiding situations 

which delay crop maturity (which may result in more immature fibre that weakens the 

fibre) will avoid broken fibres which lower yarn and fabric quality. 

unfavourable conditions, although careful 

management and processing are still required 

to preserve quality. 

Growers should use published seed company 

data to evaluate relative fibre properties 

of candidate varieties to ensure they 

will be optimising yield and fibre properties 

to avoid discounts and even attract a premium 

price. Discussion with seed companies 

on comparative data (not only absolute 

values) that show the quality of fibre for varieties 

and standards grown in your region 

will assist with these decisions. 

Specific considerations for variety selection 

include: 

• Strategic planning for irrigation water 

availability (including dryland) – crops 

with limited water availability may be 

more likely to encounter stress during 

fibre elongation, so a variety with inherently 

longer fibre to lessen the likelihood 

of fibre length discounts should be considered. 

• Selecting premium fibre types – Varieties 

that have premium fibre attributes 

sometimes yield less. Growers should 

ensure that market premiums are negotiated 

and are in place to offset any 

potential yield reductions. Breeding material 

is in the pipeline that has premium 

fibre traits with improved yields. 

• Crop maturity – Selecting a variety with 

a long growing period in a cooler shorter 

season region is likely to create delayed 

crop maturity with the consequence of 

lower micronaire and, depending on 

conditions, poorer grades. 

• Achieving optimum micronaire – If 

crops (including Bollgard II) in your region 

are susceptible to producing higher 

 

…14s 

Delayed crop 

maturity 

There can be severe consequences of 

delayed crop maturity in terms of fibre 

quality. These will include: 

• A delay may mean more of the crop 

will be developing and maturing 

during cooler weather. Cooler 

weather means fibre wall thickening 

(development) will be slowed, fibre 

maturity will be reduced and the risks 

of discount for low micronaire will 

be increased. Immature fibre is more 

prone to nepping during ginning and 

is inferior for dyeing. 

• The crop will be more attractive to 

late season pests such as aphids 

and whitefly which may produce 

honeydew, a serious contamination 

problem for fibre quality particularly 

during the spinning process. 

• The crop may be more difficult to 

defoliate. This delay increases the risk 

of weather damage to fibre and colour 

grade reductions. 

• Later maturing crops may be at 

increased risk of Verticillium and 

Fusarium Wilts, and Alternaria leaf spot 

if they are present. These diseases may 

affect yield and quality. See integrated 

disease management guide. 


2010 CSD Information Tour 

The objective of the Cotton Seed Distributors Information Tour is to 

provide current and relevant information to growers, consultants, 

agronomists and other industry participants. 

2010 is shaping up as an important season for dryland and 

irrigated cotton growers alike and it has never been more important 

to keep up to date with new innovations so you can make the 

best decisions to maximise returns from your summer cropping 

opportunities. 

The program will feature a comprehensive review of the CSIRO 

Cotton Breeding Program, including a detailed review of three new 

important varieties which are set to be released this year. 

Discussions on the 2009/10 Trial and Research programs will 

provide an update of new innovations in seed treatment research. 

The format for the meeting is specifically designed to encourage 

plenty of questions and feedback. 

CSD also invites you to join us for a meal after the meetings so 

you can have quality conversations with all the members of the 

Research and Extension teams. 

For further information or to find out the dates and venues nearest 

to you please visit the CSD website at www.csd.net.au or contact 

your local CSD Extension and Development Agronomist. 

WEE WAA 

DALBY 

STH/WEST NSW 

GOONDIWINDI 

MOREE 

Rob Eveleigh 

John Marshall 

Bob Ford 

David Kelly 

James Quinn 

Mobile 0427 915 921 

Mobile 0428 950 010 

Mobile 0428 950 015 

Mobile 0428 950 021 

Mobile 0428 950 028 

Leaders in the field Phone (02) 6795 0000 Web www.csd.net.au 


w12…PRE-SOWING CONSIDERATIONS 

micronaire, consider varieties that have 

inherently lower micronaire. Similarly 

for short season areas, higher micronaire 

varieties help to minimise low 

micronaire discounts as a result of cool, 

cloudy, or stressed environments during 

boll maturation. 

• In variable climates there is a dilemma 

in choosing a variety with higher yield 

potential but with greater risk of encountering 

unfavourable conditions 

during boll fill compared with an early 

maturing variety which may avoid late 

season problems, yet yield less (up to 

0.3 to 0.6 bales per hectare every week 

of earliness). Under this situation, a mix 

of varieties would spread risk. 

Other issues to consider in variety choice 

that can impact fibre quality include: 

• Disease that will affect healthy growth 

and reduce fibre maturity (lower micronaire). 

• Herbicide tolerant varieties, such as 

Roundup Ready Flex in weedy fields. 

Figure 1: Effect of sowing date on fibre quality of Bollgard II 

and non Bollgard II varieties 

Data from three seasons at Narrabri (Adapted from Bange et al. 2008). 

Lint harvested from weedy crops can have significant impact on classing grade which 

attract price discounts and can lead to imperfections in yarn and fabric appearance. 

(Photos: CSIRO) 

• Leaf type – Okra leaf varieties are well 

suited for dryland systems with better 

stress tolerance and yield. They are also 

more resistant to silver leaf whitefly and 

have less risk of honeydew contamination. 

But Okra leaf can cause an increase 

in trash content as the leaf shape 

stops the leaf from falling easily to the 

ground – approximately half a grade decrease 

can result. Obviously advantages 

and disadvantages of each variety need 

to be balanced. 

Weed control 

Effective control of weeds at this time 

and throughout the season is important 

as competition from weeds for water and 

nutrients will reduce both yield and quality, 

and there is also little that can be done at 

harvest time to reduce the consequences 

of poor weed control. Weeds at harvest 

have the potential to: 

• Reduce harvest efficiency by clogging 

or damaging picker heads. Vines, large 

weeds and bulky weeds in the pickerhead 

zone can particularly cause problems. 

Vines can wrap around picker 

spindles and bulky weeds can reduce 

harvest efficiency by up to 31 per cent. 

Large weeds, such as sesbania, thornapples 

or noogoora burrs can damage 

picker spindles, requiring expensive repairs 

and down-time. 

• Contaminate lint with their leaves, stems, 

bark and bracts, lowering grades and incurring 

discounts. This can increase the 

amount of (lint) cleaning in the gin, again 

exposing the lint to further damage. One 

large mature grass plant every six metres 

can reduce cotton by one grade. 

• Reduce the effectiveness of leaf desiccant 

applications which may lead to increases 

in boll rot and a reduction in the 

rate of boll opening. 

• When weeds are still actively growing 

there are increased chances of the lint 

being stained with green or coloured 

plant tissue. Weeds can also harbour insects 

that contaminate or stain the lint 

(for example, aphids, pale cotton stainer 

and whitefly). 

Controlling grass species is especially 

important as some grass parts when 

crushed have similar characteristics to 

cotton fibres and are difficult to separate, 

which in turn affects the spinning quality 

of the fibre. Some grasses also have 

dark seed coats that cannot be bleached 

and cause disfigurements in fabric. See 

WEEDpak for detailed information on appropriate 

weed control strategies and the 

possible consequences of herbicide damage 

to the crop. 


the way forward 

Crop nutritional management 

These crops are also prone to reduced tenance of cell turgor pressure needed 

Meeting the nutritional Cnr Buckland requirements & Yaldwyn of Sts insecticide penetration and are more attractive 

to insects (such as aphids and also cause premature senescence of leaves 

to expand the fibre. Low potassium can 

the crop is important 

Toowoomba 

before flowering 

Qld 4350 

as 

it is very difficult to Phone: correct 07 nutritional 4635 9872 deficiencies 

later. Nitrogen Fax: 07 and 4635 potassium 6633 nutrition 

whitefly). The fibre quality of crops with nitrogen 

deficient conditions will be affected 

especially in crops with high boll loads. 

Leaves photosynthesise and provide carbohydrate 

can have a significant www.excelagr.com.au 

for fibre secondary wall thicken- 

Brian Moran 

effect on fibre less as the crop compensates to support 

quality. Excessive nitrogen Brian Moran nutrition 0427 affects 722 925 the growth of fibre on only those fruit that ing so if leaves are senesced or lost, fibre 

fibre quality indirectly Dan Ryan by causing 0427 700 crops 779 are present. The crops have less leaf area maturity and thus micronaire, may be reduced. 

to produce excessive vegetative growth and less 

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w15…PRE-SOWING CONSIDERATIONS 

tassium fertiliser treatments will not necessarily 

improve fibre length. Potassium 

deficiencies can also be exaggerated by 

water stress. 

The best approaches to meeting the nutritional 

needs of a cotton crop to maintain 

quality are similar to that to optimise yield. 

For specific crop nutritional information see 

NUTRIpak or utilise the NutriLOGIC decision 

aids on the CottASSIST website to assist with 

determining crop nutritional requirements 

(http://cottassist.cottoncrc.org.au/NutriLOGIC). 

Optimising sowing date for yield 

and quality 

Choosing the optimal sowing date for 

a particular region is important for both 

yield and fibre quality. Sowing too early 

can affect crop establishment during cool 

weather and expose the crop to disease, 

reducing early crop vigour. Sowing too late 

can mean that yields are reduced as the 

length of season to grow cotton is reduced 

as well as delaying crop maturity. 

Considerations for establishing the optimum 

sowing date for your region include 

a number of factors: 

• Season length – this should be considered 

as it helps to determine how long a 

crop can be grown and whether there is 

flexibility in changing sowing date. 

• Climatic conditions experienced during 

fibre development – changing the time 

of sowing will influence the time when 

boll filling occurs and thus the climatic 

conditions experienced during fibre development. 

Recent research has shown 

that changes in fruit retention that results 

from the use of Bollgard II can 

influence the time of sowing response 

in long season regions. Results showed 

Skip row configuration can be a viable 

option. (Photo: Warwick Stiller, CSIRO) 

that Bollgard II maintained its yield 

through the shorter fruiting cycle but allowed 

improvements in quality. 

Establishing uniform crops at 

optimum plant densities 

Low plant densities (less than four plants 

per metre and especially non-uniform densities) 

can delay crop maturity and contribute 

to variable fibre properties. Extremely 

high plant densities (more than 15 plants 

per metre) may aggravate fruit shedding of 

squares and subtending leaves, also affecting 

crop maturity. 

In addition lower bolls also become vulnerable 

to shedding due to excessive shading. 

It is not uncommon for some plants in 

very high densities to be barren of fruit – 

even bolls that are retained will not develop 

properly and will be undersized which will 

affect yield and fibre maturity. Thick stands 

are also vulnerable to boll rot. If these instances 

can be predicted, a growth regulator 

may be required. 

Evenness of stand is more critical than 

absolute population achieved. Uniform establishment 

is achieved by preparing an adequate 

seed bed, choosing the appropriate 

sowing date to optimise soil temperatures, 

avoiding disease and herbicide damage, 

and fertiliser toxicity (such as anhydrous 

ammonia placed too close to seed line) of 

young seedlings. Use of good-quality seed 

will also assist with uniform establishment. 

Consider skip row configurations 

in dryland and limited water 

situations 

In situations where there is a high 

chance of a sustained dry period early in 

flowering, the use of skip row configurations 

is a viable option to maintain fibre 

length. Research has also shown that the 

relative differences in both yield and quality 

for higher fruit retention crops such as 

Bollgard II compared to non-Bollgard II 

crops are the same across row configurations. 

Conclusion 

For more detailed information on these 

topics refer to FIBREpak, which contains 

information for managing fibre quality at 

every step, from pre-planting through to 

processing. The aim of FIBREpak is to 

provide all involved in producing and delivering 

fibre with knowledge of what aspects 

of fibre quality they can influence; options 

for managing those aspects; and an understanding 

of the needs and constraints of 

the others in the fibre supply chain. 

FIBREpak can be ordered online at the Cotton 

CRC’s website 

www.cottoncrc.org.au/content/Industry/ 

Publications/Fibre_Quality/FIBREpak/ 

1 

CSIRO Plant Industry (Narrabri). 

2 

CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering 

(Geelong); Cotton Catchment Communities 

Cooperative Research Centre (Narrabri) 


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bigger profits. Module Express can provide cost savings of up to 25% by 

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Water Matters 

Piloting IrriSat SMS technology in the 

Gwydir Valley 

By Janelle Montgomery I&I NSW, Moree and John Hornbuckle, CSIRO, Griffith 

Are you looking for a low cost method 

to help schedule irrigations? IrriSat 

SMS, the Satellite and SMS 

Irrigation Water Management Service being 

trialled as part of the NSW Sustaining 

the Basin: Border Rivers-Gwydir pilot 

project could be the answer. 

Developed by CSIRO, Griffith as part of 

the CRC for Irrigation Futures, Irrisat SMS 

is a weather based irrigation scheduling 

service. It uses satellite imagery to better determine 

crop coefficients that are needed to 

calculate crop water use. It will also provide 

customised irrigation scheduling information 

which is sent to irrigators by SMS messaging 

or via a website on the internet. 

The system uses on-ground weather stations 

to measure sunlight hours and intensity, 

cloud cover, rainfall and wind which 

are all used to calculate a potential water 

loss in the past 24 hours. This information 

when combined with the satellite-determined 

crop coefficient for your crop allows 

an actual water use figure to be calculated. 

Following the successful use of the service 

in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area 

with grape and citrus irrigators, IrrSat SMS 

has been trialled for the first time in irrigated 

cotton in the Gwydir valley. 

The main limitation with weather based 

scheduling methods is the need for representative 

evapotranspiration (Eto) measurements 

and, most importantly, reliable 

crop coefficients. 

You will remember that actual crop water 

use or Crop Evapotranspiration (Etc) 

equals Eto multiplied by a crop coefficient 

(Kc). 

Actual water use 

of crop 

Reference water use – 

weather station 

Crop Coefficient 

– relates your 

crop to the 

reference crop 

The main issue in calculating crop water 

use (Etc) is obtaining a reliable crop coefficient 

(Kc). These have been established for 

different crops over a number of growth 

stages, but ‘book’ references can differ to 

what is actually happening in the field. 

Crop management (including water 

and fertiliser management), along with 

 

…20s 

From left John Hornbuckle (CSIRO), Garry Houston (Weemalah), Tony Nedelko (CSIRO), Roy Zandona (CSIRO) and Rob Holmes (HMAg). 

John explained the components of the weather station to Weemalah irrigator Gary Houston. 

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soil type and even varietal differences will 

change the crop coefficient within crops 

even across the same region. 

The IrriSat SMS service involves the 

installation of a network of two to four 

weather stations across the area so reliable 

estimates of Eto can be obtained. 

Most importantly, satellite images are 

used to determine crop coefficients for 

individual fields frequently over the entire 

growing season. These satellite images 

show different vegetative growth stages of 

the crops grown in the region which can 

Water Matters 

FIGURE 1: Example of IrriSat SMS information from a single 

Gwydir Valley site 

w18…PILOTING IRRISAT 

SPENDING MONEY 

ON YOUR 

IRRIGATION SYSTEM? 

be directly related to a site specific crop 

coefficient. 

Researchers have found a strong relationship 

between Normalized Difference 

Vegetation Index (NDVI) and crop canopy 

cover. NDVI is a ratio between 0 and 1 

of the red and near infrared reflectance by 

plants. This index is calculated from the 

satellite image data where larger, greener 

canopies give higher NDVI values than 

smaller or less healthy crops. 

Canopy cover is a direct driver of crop 

water, allowing a clear relationship to be 

developed between NDVI values and crop 

coefficients. This relationship has been 

found in a large range of crops, but this 

is the first time the relationship has been 

established for broad acre irrigated cotton. 

The IrriSat SMS service calculates individual 

crop coefficients for each 30 metre 

x 30 metre section (or pixel) of the satellite 

image, which are averaged to provide a Kc 

value for a particular field. 

In summary, once the NDVI data has 

been derived for a particular crop and 

field, it is then converted to a Kc value and 

used to determine crop water use by combining 

Kc with the Eto data collected from 

a nearby weather station. 

Trialling of the IrriSat SMS service in the 

Gwydir Valley was undertaken by two local 

consultants, Rob Holmes, HMAg and Nick 

Gillingham, Sundown Pastoral Co. Both 

consultants requested that water use information 

be provided on a web interface, 

rather than SMS messaging. This was key 

change for the provision of IrriSat SMS 

reflecting the fact that cotton consultants 

work on multiple farms with large numbers 

of irrigated fields across a region. Irrigation 

information can be uploaded to the 

service much easier via a web site, rather 

than sending and receiving SMS information 

for individual fields. 

Two automatic weather stations were installed 

at Weemelah, 30 km east of Mungindi 

and Keytah, 30 km west of Moree. Information 

from the weather stations is freely 

available via the following link: http://www. 

irrigateway.net/weatherstations/ 

The consultants upload irrigation dates, 

ML applied and rainfall information for 

individual fields to the IrriSat SMS service 

and receive a water balance graph which 

is updated in real time, as shown in Figure 

1. The green line of net water balance provides 

a rapid assessment of predicted crop 

water use and actual water supply from irrigation 

and rainfall. 

Both consultants provided feedback 

about the service and improvements for 

use in cotton. They agreed the tool had 

enormous potential. 

“IrriSat SMS won’t replace soil probes, 

but this technology has the potential to 

add value to irrigation scheduling decision 

making,” says Rob Holmes. 

Ideally they would like IrriSat SMS to 

include a forecasting ability that predicts 

crop water use for the following five to 

seven days and the researchers are actively 

incorporating these features. 

The consultants are keen to continue to 

trial IrriSat SMS next season to further refine 

the accuracy and ability of the system 

to meet cotton growers’ needs. 

IrriSat SMS was received favourably 

by irrigators at a field day recently held in 

Moree as part of the NSW Sustaining the 

Basin: Border Rivers-Gwydir pilot project. 

It was seen as another option within the 

‘Scheduling Tool Box’ but with the advantage 

of low cost and wide coverage as the 

satellite images are available right across 

Australia 

NSW Sustaining the Basin: Border 

Rivers-Gwydir is an irrigation modernisation 

initiative of I&I NSW in partnership 

with the Border Rivers-Gwydir Catchment 

Management Authority, funded by the 

Australian Government’s Water for the 

Future initiative. 

Further information on NSW Sustaining the 

Basin: Border Rivers-Gwydir is available 

at www.industry.nsw.gov.au/info/ 

sustainingthebasin and information about the 

Australian Government’s Water for the Future 

initiative is available at www.environment.gov. 

au/water 

For further information please contact Janelle 

Montgomery, I&I NSW, Moree on 02 6750 

6302 or John Hornbuckle, CSIRO Griffith 

on 02 6960 1500. 


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Magnet – potential roles in 

management of resistance to Bt 

By Peter Gregg and Alice Del Socorro, Cotton Catchment Communities CRC and 

University of New England 

Magnet was originally developed 

for conventional cotton and other 

crops, to reduce egg pressure 

and give natural enemies a greater chance 

of keeping larval numbers below thresholds. 

An article in The Australian Cottongrower 

in 2003 described this role. In the 

decade it has taken to develop, register 

and commercialise Magnet, the industry 

has become dominated by Bt cotton, 

which only occasionally needs additional 

protection from Helicoverpa. Recently, 

concerns over the potential development 

of resistance to Bt toxins have arisen. As 

Magnet represents a new class of pest 

management tool, unique in the way it targets 

the adult (moth) stage of Helicoverpa, 

there are questions from industry about 

the potential value of Magnet in resistance 

management for Bollgard II. 

Mode of action of Magnet 

The mode of action of Magnet is well 

understood. Magnet is a blend of plant 

volatiles that contains the type of odours 

released by nectar-rich flowering plants. 

Magnet is applied using coarse drops to 

a narrow strip every 70 to 140 metres. It 

can be applied along a row, using liquid 

fertiliser nozzles with a low pressure pump 

in a ground rig. 

What is Magnet? 

Magnet is a product recently registered 

for Helicoverpa management, developed 

by the Cotton Catchment Communities 

CRC with its commercial partner, Ag 

Biotech Aust. P/L. The science behind the 

product has recently been described in 

a series of papers in Australian Journal of 

Entomology (Gregg et al. 2010a, b, Del 

Socorro et al. 2010a, b). 

Later in the season it can be applied by 

air across the rows (after the canopy is 50 

per cent closed or more) using a special 

fitting on the aircraft. Moths in the vicinity 

perceive the plant volatile blend in Magnet 

and are attracted to the treated strips. 

The high sugar content in Magnet induces 

them to feed on the deposits. A toxicant 

(such as methomyl or thiodicarb, added 

prior to application) causes 100 per cent 

mortality of moths that feed. 

Efficacy relies on moths flying into the 

vicinity of a Magnet strip through their 

normal patterns of movement to forage, 

look for mates and lay eggs. Moths that 

are susceptible to control by Magnet are 

those that are present in the vicinity at 

application, or that enter a treated area 

in the course of their normal movement. 

This may be as pupae emerging within 

A Helicoverpa armigera moth feeding on a Magnet deposit on a cotton leaf. 

the field, by local movement from nearby 

fields or through mass migration influx (often 

the case with H. punctigera). Magnet 

treated fields act as moth sinks, where a 

high proportion of moths in, and entering, 

the treated field are killed. This can have 

the effect of reducing moth numbers over 

a much wider area than just the Magnet 

treated fields. 

What Magnet can and 

can’t do 

Based on extensive field trials and commercial 

experience, we believe that when 

applied with insecticide: 

• It can kill most of the resident moth 

population in a field over a four to six 

day period. 

• It can kill moths which move into a 

treated field over a four to six day period. 

As a consequence, egg pressure is not 

just reduced in the treated field. Particularly 

when repeated applications are made, egg 

pressure can be reduced in fields up to several 

km away. But this area-wide impact is 

not achieved at the cost of a local increase 

in egg pressure. 

In many field trials, we have not seen 

cases where egg numbers have risen, even 

temporarily, in Magnet treated fields compared 

to nearby untreated fields. This indicates 

that under normal circumstances 

and barring massive regional moth surges, 

Magnet can kill moths arriving in a field, 

as fast as they arrive, and before they lay 

eggs. 

When applied without insecticide, we 

believe Magnet can lead to accumulation 

of moths, but not necessarily eggs, on 

treated and nearby rows. 

These moths will roost on the treated 

rows during both day and night, but will 

move away from the treated area to lay 

eggs. 

Helicoverpa larvae (especially H. armigera) 

are extremely competitive, and will 

attack each other when closely confined. 

The moths are therefore adapted to laying 

eggs individually, and widely spaced. Consequently, 

it is difficult to greatly enhance 

egg laying in a refuge when there are other 

suitable hosts nearby. 

 

…24s 


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w22…MAGNET 

We believe Magnet: 

• Can’t specifically draw moths from long 

distances (more than 100 metres) in the 

way that sex attractant pheromones 

can. It is exploiting feeding rather than 

mating responses, and these tend to 

operate over shorter ranges. This limits 

the potential for Magnet applications to 

disrupt refuge productivity by attracting 

Bt susceptible moths from a distance. 

• Can’t draw moths from a highly attractive 

crop into an unattractive one. 

Magnet is best thought of as an artificial 

plant, using chemical signals similar to 

those which are already in the environment 

from other plants. In laboratory 

trials its attractiveness is comparable 

to, but no better than, attractive hosts 

such as silking corn, sunflower or flowering 

sorghum. For example, we have 

sometimes seen moths in silking corn, 

apparently ignoring Magnet placed on 

adjacent vegetative corn. Again, this 

limits the potential of Magnet to inadvertently 

disrupt refuge productivity. 

• Can’t, when applied without insecticide, 

produce large increases in egg laying in 

the immediate vicinity of its application. 

This is because Magnet is a feeding attractant, 

not an oviposition attractant, 

and because of the oviposition behaviour 

of Helicoverpa, discussed above. 

Aerial application of Magnet to a cotton crop. 

Potential roles in 

RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT 

We are investigating three potential uses 

for Magnet in resistance management. If 

trials are successful, these strategies may 

be incorporated into RMPs, but we must 

emphasise that at present they are only 

research topics, and neither Monsanto nor 

TIMS has endorsed any of them for commercial 

use. The strategies are: 

Refuge enhancement 

In this strategy Magnet would be added, 

without insecticide, to refuges in order 

to increase egg laying to make the refuges 

more productive. Several trials by 

researchers from the Cotton CRC and 

Monsanto have indicated that some modest 

improvements in egg laying (typically 

30–50 per cent) can be obtained. 

The reason this strategy is not more effective 

is that Magnet is a feeding attractant, 

not an attractant for egg laying. After 

feeding and before egg laying, female 

moths seem to disperse widely. So while 

refuge enhancement works (and is very 

cheap because small areas are treated), its 

impact is limited. 

For similar reasons, the idea of salvaging 

non-compliant and poor quality refuges using 

Magnet would probably be of limited 

value, though the critical research is lacking. 

Refuge enhancement would be more 

effective if an attractant, or combination 

of attractants, could selectively draw mated 

females into a refuge and then entice them 

to lay. Research at the University of New 

England is attempting to find such attractants, 

but none are currently available. 

Moth busting, especially as a 

substitute for trap cropping in 

Central Queensland 

In this strategy Magnet, with insecticide, 

would be applied late in the season 

to Bollgard II crops, with the idea of killing 

potentially resistant moths emerging in 

treated fields. 

In Central Queensland, these moths are 

currently lured to trap crops, where they 

lay eggs which are subsequently killed by 

destroying the crop. The efficacy of this 

practice has been questioned, and Magnet 

would offer a more direct alternative. Trials 

in Theodore by Paul Grundy, reported at the 

2006 Cotton Conference, show the potential 

for this approach. 

It has been criticised because it might 

also kill unselected moths moving into the 

treated fields from refuges, both structured 

and unstructured. But in order to make a 

positive contribution to resistance management, 

it is only necessary to kill proportionately 

more moths from within the 

Bollgard II field than moths moving into 

the field from nearby refuges. 

Theoretical considerations discussed 

earlier in this article suggest that should be 

the case, but critical trials are lacking. We 

are hoping to conduct such trials but are restricted 

until an effective method for identifying 

the host origin of moths is found. 

Survivor suppression in Bollgard II 

In this strategy, Magnet with insecticide 

would be applied to Bollgard II crops earlier 

in the season, with the aim of reducing 

egg pressure and the number of larvae 

which survive to pupation in the field. The 

idea is similar to using conventional insecticides 

as a source of mortality, unrelated 

to Bt, in Bollgard II except that the approach 

is preventative, not curative. 

It has the additional benefit of reducing 

the probability of needing a conventional 

spray to deal with Bollgard II survivors. In 

initial trials on Auscott, Narrabri last season, 

Cotton CRC researchers found reductions 

in the numbers of large larvae of 

around 50 per cent using this approach. 

Summary 

Magnet offers possibilities in management 

of resistance to Bt toxins in Helicoverpa 

spp., but research is required on key issues 

before these possibilities can be included in 

RMPs, through collaboration with TIMS, 

Monsanto and the APVMA. Cotton CRC 

researchers are working on these issues. 


CLASSIC TRACTOR TALES 

The formidable Fitch 

By Ian M Johnston 

THE FARM HORSE 

In 1929, horses still remained supreme 

on Australian farms. After all – they were 

reliable and providing you had no objection 

to rising before dawn in order to firstly 

catch the things, then feed them, then untangle 

the harness, then stand on tippy 

toes in order to slip the bridle over their 

heads, plus wrestle the inverted weighty 

collar over their necks before screwing it 

around the right way up – then that was 

OK. But of course an hour had passed and 

a furrow had yet to be turned. 

Certainly most of the big draught horses 

had gentle temperaments and were quite 

docile. Mind you, in every team there was 

always the fella who flattened his ears and 

showed the whites of his eyes! He would 

exhibit a set of yellow teeth, seemingly capable 

of biting through an iron bar, and 

featured a gigantic iron shod hoof at each 

corner, proficient at striking out with the 

speed of a red bellied black. 

But in the main, farmers were comfortable 

with their horses, they understood 

them and anyway the farm had always 

been worked with horses. 

However there were exceptions. A 

growing number of farmer’s sons were infact 

becoming a bit browned off with this 

early morning horse routine. After emerging 

from church on Sundays, they would 

stand around in groups and out of earshot 

of their fathers, discuss the merits of these 

new tractor things that were starting to 

appear with increasing frequency around 

agricultural regions. 

Tractors started trickling in to Australia 

during the first decade of the 1900s. But 

their initial acceptance suffered a serious 

setback following a dramatic and ill-informed 

statement by the South Australian 

Honourable Minister for Agriculture 

on August12, 1909, to the effect that – 

“These new tractors that are disturbing the 

tranquility of our countryside have proven 

to be utterly useless and inefficient and will 

never replace the horse.” 

Of course this egregious pronouncement 

was proved to be totally wrong! The 

penetration of indigenous and imported 

tractors was gradual but irreversible. By 

1929, despite the fact that horse teams 

still far outnumbered tractors, the latter 

had ceased to be a novelty. 

 

…26s 

A 1929 advertisement for the Fitch tractor, illustrating it mounted 

on the standard agricultural wheels. (IMJ archives) 

A promotional illustration explaining the layout of the Fitch 

transmission. (IMJ archives) 


Pictured is Fitch No. 1640, Mr Bishop’s tractor, being driven in the grounds of The 

Gunnedah Rural Museum. Note the massive cast housing of the front axle bevel drive. 

(Photo: IMJ) 

w25…CLASSIC TRACTORS 

MR BISHOP’S FITCH 

The most accepted tractor brands in 

Australia in 1929 included Fordson (the 

most popular), International, Lanz, Twin 

City, Hart Parr and Case. So when the 

progressively minded Mr F E Bishop of 

Bando Station, Mullaley, NSW decided 

to purchase a tractor, the odds were he 

would settle on one of these, but if not 

A three quarter rear view of the Fitch showing the mounting of the grader blade. (Photo: IMJ 

then maybe a Wallis, Ronaldson Tippett 

or a John Deere. 

But the astute Mr. Bishop could see 

flaws in all of the aforementioned tractors. 

They were only two wheel drive and he 

had seen a persuasive advertisement in 

‘The American Agriculturist’ for the Fitch 

Four Drive tractor which, as its name suggested, 

featured four wheel drive! 

The soil in the Mullaley district consists 

of sticky black clay and Mr. Bishop, who 

had observed neighbour’s tractors becoming 

constantly bogged, could appreciate 

the advantages of having of four wheels 

propelling a tractor. Accordingly, an order 

was placed with the Australian Fitch 

agents, The Sydney Auto Truck Company 

of Bowen Street, Brisbane, for the supply 

and delivery of one only Fitch Model D4. 

It emerged that this was to be the first 

of only a handful of these tractors to be 

sold in Australia. Bank managers, who 

had never experienced the frustrations of 

digging out a tractor bogged to the axles, 

were not enamoured by the high cost of 

the unit and usually suggested to a prospective 

buyer that investing in a Fordson, 

at a third of the price, made more sense. 

SPECIFICATIONS 

The Fitch Four Drive Model D4 was indeed 

an amazing tractor. It was manufactured 

in Big Rapids, Michigan by the Four 

Drive Tractor Company Inc. The firm first 

released its visionary tractors in 1916. The 

Model D4 was not introduced until 1920, 

when it became apparent there was a 

need for a more robust and powerful unit. 

The new model was powered by a Climax 

K Series four cylinder engine made by the 

Climax Engineering Co. of Clinton, Iowa. 

The engine had its four cylinders of 5 x 

6.5 inch bore and stroke cast in pairs. 

The tractor had a dry weight of 3.5 tons 

when equipped with the cast wheels and 

solid rubber tyres (36 x 7 inch front and 

40 x 7 inch rear) and including the grader 

blade. Although not confirmed by a Nebraska 

Test, the engine in the Fitch was 

claimed by the manufacturers to develop 

20 drawbar and 35 belt hp at 800 rpm, 

which was delivered to the gearbox via a 

Borg & Beck clutch. The three forward 

gears were rated at 1.5, 2.5 and 4 mph 

and reverse at 1.5 mph. 

The power to the rear axle was delivered 

by a Timken worm drive (similar to 

the Fordson Model F). The front axle was 

driven by a clever patented design using a 

bevel gear principal, so arranged to eliminate 

any power loss whilst steering into a 

curve. (It is worth noting that the entire 

axle turned as distinct from the fixed axle 

of modern four wheel drives with conventional 

steering and tie rods, necessitating 

universal or bevel drive at each wheel). 

The Fitch transmission was custom designed 

by The Cotti Transmission Co of 

Rockford, Illinois. 

The steering wheel was connected by 

the shaft to a worm gear in the steering 

box. The lateral shaft and pulley extending 

from the steering box acted as a windlass 

for the chain connected to the front 

axle. Unlike most chain windlass steering 


systems, the Fitch used an intermediate 

pulley between the steering box and the 

axle, which served to render the steering 

considerably more positive. 

Mr Bishop ordered the big tractor complete 

with a set of the optional solid rubber 

tyred wheels, in addition to the more 

conventional agricultural type 42 inch by 

12 inch steel wheels with diagonal bar 

treads. He also specified the under belly 

grader blade. The all up weight of 3.5 tons 

presented him with a well balanced highly 

mobile grader for maintaining the roads in 

and around Bando Station. 

In standard trim, the Fitch completely 

lived up to the visionary expectations of 

Mr Bishop. It was able to plough and cultivate 

the black soil, without the tiresome 

problems associated with bogging. 

Following many seasons of relatively 

trouble free service, Mr Bishop’s Fitch 

(No. 1640) has quite remarkably survived 

the rigors of the passing years and remains 

today in excellent condition. It is on display 

as part of a comprehensive vintage 

tractor collection at The Gunnedah Rural 

Museum, NSW – a treasure house brimming 

with rare machinery artifacts, depicting 

farming as it used to be. 

But – and it has to be said – in a nearby 

paddock there is a wise old Clydesdale. 

He is frequently observed gazing in the 

direction of the museum, with a superior 

and disdainful expression upon his countenance. 

And so he might, for after all his 

ancestors were around long before the old 

tractors in the museum were ever thought 

of, and Clydesdales have always been four 

hoof drive! 

The engine of the Fitch is a Climax K Series. The 4 cylinder are cast in pairs. Note the 

magneto with the twin magnets in the foreground. (Photo: IMJ) 

No. 1 IN 

KONDININ 

2002 TESTS 

Ian’s Mystery Tractor QUIZ 

Question: Giant tractors are not a 

recent phenomenon. This seven ton 

heavyweight, belonging to Norm Bates 

of WA, is a classic! Can you identify it? 

Clue: It is as British as Rule Britannia. 

Degree Of Difficulty: Easy if you marshall 

your thoughts. 

Answer: See page 56. 

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World COMModity Watch 

US New Crop 

As of June 7, 91% of the US crop 

was planted and above the five year 

average of 88%. The crop condition 

report indicated 66% ‘good-toexcellent’, 

30% rated ‘fair’ and 

4% rated ‘poor’. The Texas crop is 

planted except for small pockets and 

all reports indicate an excellent start. 

Warmer temperatures are forecast 

and a recent report predicts a La Niña 

forming over the Atlantic which is 

often associated with a higher chance 

of hurricanes. 

US Certified Stocks 

US Certified Stocks currently stand 

at 1,008,121 bales with smaller 

amounts decertified as at the first 

week of June. Given the demand 

for cotton from spinning mills and 

July trading around 77.00c/lb these 

stocks are now considered at a 

level attractive to export sales, and 

supportive to July-10 futures given 

the lifting of hedges. 

Turkish Imports US Cotton 

Brisk business has been concluded 

in recent weeks for remnant US 

stock lots to Turkey. The latest 

numbers indicate Turkey imported 

1.7 million bales, up 23% for the 

same period last year and could 

climb to levels above 2006–07 levels 

of 2.3 mb. Turkey’s consumption 

has rebounded after several years 

of consolidation compounded by EU 

consumption concerns. 

Brazil harvest 

It is estimated that 20% of the Bahia 

crop has been harvested to-date 

and yield estimates look promising. 

Mato Grosso harvest is expected to 

commence mid June, but recent cold 

weather is hampering defoliation. 

New York cotton futures 

US cents/lb 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

Source: 

Queensland 

Cotton 

2008 2009 2010 

Australian dollar vs US dollar 

$AUD vs $USD 

1 

0.95 

0.9 

0.85 

0.8 

0.75 

0.7 

0.65 

Source: Queensland Cotton 

0.6 

2008 2009 2010 

From the field to t 

Queensland Cotto 

Queensland Cotton has the longest suppl

World COMModity Watch 

Chinese Mill Demand 

Chinese demand for remaining old 

crop stocks from both domestic 

and imported suppliers is high as 

indicated by domestic futures and 

also heavy sales of consignment 

cotton. Import quota remains 

available and rumours continue 

to circulate about additional quota 

being released, but this has failed to 

stall the advance to higher prices. 

Chinese Stocks 

Questions remain around actual 

stocks held in China following 

a recent report indicating that 

commercial stocks were 3.0 

million tonnes at the end of April 

2010. If correct, this places stocks 

well ahead of last year, and in 

combination with the estimated 1.4 

mt in the Reserve, China appears 

to have significant stocks until 

new crop arrivals. Given domestic 

futures continue to trade near 

1.20c/lb these stock estimates 

remain a point of conjecture 

Australian cotton price* 

$AUD per bale 

500 

480 

460 

440 

420 

400 

380 

360 


340 

2008 2009 2010 

Australian basis* 

US cents/lb 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

-2 

-4 

-6 

-8 

-10 

-12 


2008 2009 2010 

Indian Monsoons 

The recent weather system 

associated with Cyclone Phet 

provided moderate rainfall only and 

growers await a resurgence of the 

Southwest Monsoon before full 

scale planting commences. Local 

sources estimate 85% of the cotton 

area in the Northern zone has been 

planted. 

* Ex-gin price bids and basis for 

middling 1 1/8 inch cotton 

he shirt you wear, 

n is at every step. 

y chain in the Australian cotton industry. 

55 Wyandra Street, Newstead 

Queensland Australia 4006, 

Tel: 61 7 3250 3300 

Fax: 61 7 3852 1600

marketing 

The World Cotton Market 

By Matt Robinson, Cotton Outlook 

The reality of the global supply and 

demand figures for the current season, 

and specifically the depletion of 

stocks, discussed in our last contribution 

to The Australian Cottongrower back in 

April, has been felt with increasing acuity 

during the past couple of months. In 

a noteworthy period for the international 

raw cotton market, the Cotlook A Index 

has climbed above 92.00 cents per lb, a 

feat it has achieved on only six previous 

occasions since its inception in 1966, the 

last of those being as long ago as 1995. 

What perhaps separates the current 

market scenario from many of those other 

occasions is that spinners have, to a large 

degree, appeared able to absorb the high 

raw cotton replacement costs and maintain 

profitability. 

Demand for cotton yarn has held up 

remarkably well despite the record prices 

quoted in some parts of the world. Moreover, 

within that general increase in yarn 

demand various dynamics have been at 

play, most importantly the continued 

emergence of China as a significant import 

market for yarn, taking up supplies 

from countries such as Pakistan and Vietnam 

in particular. During the first quarter, 

China imported 264,451 tonnes of cotton 

yarn, 48 per cent more than in the same 

period of 2009. 

However, the extent of cotton yarn demand 

alone has arguably been insufficient 

to sustain the current elevated yarn prices 

and a tightness in nearby supply has contributed 

to that strength. The impression 

gleaned is that spinners have struggled to 

gear up yarn production, following the 

idling of capacity during the depths of the 

global financial crisis, to meet the upturn 

in orders from downstream manufacturers. 

Shortages of labour and power in Asia 

have been restrictive factors. Mills’ production 

has remained well committed weeks 

in advance and, as a consequence, weavers 

and knitters have been forced to pay 

the elevated prices quoted in order to secure 

their short-term requirements. 

But it is worth noting that textile manufacturers 

have apparently been much less 

successful in passing on higher prices further 

down the production chain. Tensions 

between spinners and downstream manufacturers 

have mounted and, in South 

Asia, have resulted in industrial action and 

street protests. In both India and Pakistan, 

the government has intervened to stem exports, 

contributing further to the tightness 

in global supply and pushing international 

prices higher. 

The implication might be that a ‘bubble’ 

has formed in international cotton yarn 

values, one that could be burst either by a 

sustained drop in raw cotton replacement 

costs or by a rebalancing in the nearby 

yarn supply and demand situation.But in 

the immediate future, the major preoccupation 

facing mills is whether they can 

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marketing 

sustain production, owing to the very 

tight availability of raw cotton during the 

next few months. Bridging the supply gap 

between old and new crop has perhaps 

never proved as problematic since the 

1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons, when 

in May 1995, the A Index was withdrawn 

owing to a lack of quotations. 

A series of developments has fuelled raw 

cotton supply concerns. The first of those 

occurred in April when the Indian government 

firstly introduced an export duty on 

raw cotton and then banned, as of April 

19, exports altogether. The ban has been 

applied initially in a retrospective manner 

to cotton registered for export but not yet 

shipped (which data indicate may involve 

close to 1,170,000 bales of 170 kilos). 

The government has indicated that 

those registrations must be ‘revalidated’ 

and that the cotton may then be released 

for shipment, but only if a sufficient local 

carryover stock can be ensured. An additional 

layer of bureaucracy was introduced, 

with the announcement that exporters 

would need to apply for a licence from the 

Ministry of Commerce. Much still needs to 

be clarified about the Indian government 

change in policy, which may have implications 

for the competitiveness of that origin 

on international markets beyond the current 

season. 

The announcement of a ban in India 

precipitated panic buying in the neighbouring 

markets of Pakistan and Bangladesh, 

which had purchased a good deal of 

Indian cotton against short-term requirements 

that spinners then tried to replace 

with alternative growths. Substantial business 

was concluded in a range of growths, 

perhaps most prominently West African, 

but also US and Australian. Merchants in- 

 

…32s 


marketing 

w31…WORLD COTTON MARKET 

creasingly reported difficulties in shipping 

cotton against May and June enquiries, as 

a large chunk of current crop supply was 

taken out of the market. 

More recently, an additional wave of 

mill demand has emerged, this time from 

China, stimulated by a sustained rise in domestic 

prices and the release of additional 

import quota, believed to be 800,000 

tonnes. Australian growths featured prominently 

in very brisk selling to that market 

during the first half of May. 

At the time of writing, very little cotton 

is still available for June shipment 

and July is already getting tight. Offers of 

Uzbek have for some time become very 

restricted, those of West African are dwindling 

in number and the volume of Australian 

2010 crop left in traders’ hands may 

be close to 500,000 bales. 

As one might expect, unsold stocks are 

most abundant in the United States, but 

it is, nonetheless, noteworthy that offers 

of this origin (where carryover stocks have 

been plentiful in recent seasons) are becoming 

somewhat restricted. A great deal 

of attention is being paid to the fate of 

certified stocks in the US which currently 

stand at over a million bales, particularly 

with the December contract still trading 

at a substantial discount to the nearby 

month. The delivery period for the July 

contract may prove to be a very important 

phase for the market. 

With scant carryover stocks to provide 

a buffer, the expectation persists that the 

development of the Northern Hemisphere 

new crops will repay especially close scrutiny 

in the months ahead. The scope exists, 

it is felt, for a volatile period in New 

York futures, as yield potential and, therefore, 

2010–11 production prospects, 

move into sharper focus. At present, Cotton 

Outlook’s production and consumption 

estimates point to a further modest 

downturn in world stocks next season, 

from already much-depleted levels. 

The substantial recovery in production 

predicted for the United States is not expected 

to be matched in most other major 

Northern Hemisphere origins. 

The crop in China is reported to be late 

and a more conservative view of potential 

output has emerged of late. Confidence 

remains of a significant upturn in plantings 

in Pakistan, but it is too early to predict 

a substantial upturn in yields. As always, 

the southwestern monsoon in India will 

prove key. The rains usually make landfall 

in early June. 

On the consumption side, we are forecasting 

a three per cent upturn globally, 

following a recovery of seven per cent during 

this marketing year. But question marks 

persist over whether consumption can be 

sustained if raw cotton prices remain close 

to, or move above, the current levels. 

Prices for synthetic fibres remain relatively 

attractive and, though not evident to 

any great extent as yet, substitution into 

those alternative raw materials cannot be 

ruled out. In addition, retail offtake in the 

Western Hemisphere has improved, but 

the recovery from the depressed spending 

witnessed last year has been faltering. 

The latest US retail figures for April are 

far from encouraging, while unease about 

sovereign debt in the eurozone continues 

to cast a shadow over the economic outlook 

in Europe’s key consuming centres. 

So, while short-term price sentiment is as 

bullish as it has ever been in recent history, it 

bears repeating that prices are already very 

firm by historical comparison. Whatever the 

next few months bring, recent times have 

shown us that we should expect the unexpected, 

and we should also anticipate that 

prices will remain volatile. 

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Ginning & Fibre Quality Series 

In previous articles this year we have introduced the fundamental relationships that determine the moisture content of 

cotton lint and the instrument methods used to measure moisture in cotton. In this article we discuss the effect of moisture 

on gin productivity and on fibre quality during ginning. The effect of moisture in the bale is also covered. 

The importance of moisture 

during ginning 

By Stuart Gordon 1 , Marinus van der Sluijs 1 and Susan Horne 1 

Modern gins are highly automated and productive systems 

that incorporate many processing stages besides the removal 

of lint from the cotton seed. 

Seed-cotton delivered in modules is opened by a series of beaters 

and transported using air through ducts to one or a series 

of pre-cleaners, which remove large trash particles like sticks, 

stones, unopened bolls, before the gin. If the seed-cotton is too 

wet, pre-cleaning may be preceded by passage through a drying 

tower or chamber where the seed-cotton is dried with large volumes 

of dry heated air. 

Drying wet cotton improves the cleaning ability of the seedcotton 

and improves classing grade. At the gin, lint is separated 

from the seed after which it travels by air through one or two lint 

cleaners for further cleaning and preparation. Cotton that is too 

dry can have moisture added prior to the gin stand at either the 

pre-cleaning stage (although addition at this point is not usual in 

Australia) or after the conveyor distributor above the gin stand, 

which although more typical is also not standard in Australia. 

The optimum moisture regain for cotton in the gin varies for 

each process in ginning and the recommendations for each process 

also vary in the literature. 

But the rule of thumb has been that cotton moisture regain in 

Figure 1: The effect of moisture addition 

on fibre length post-gin stand and post-lint 

cleaner 

UPPER MEAN FIBRE LENGTH 

Measurable increase in fibre length with 

increase in moisture content 

the six to seven per cent range is best for seed-cotton cleaning, 

ginning, and lint cleaning to preserve fibre quality, and between 

six to eight per cent moisture range for ease of press operation 

and long-term bale storage. 

As the moisture content of lint decreases, the processing 

performance of cotton cleaning equipment improves. Ginning 

at lower moisture contents also results in improved colour. But 

ginning at higher moisture contents improves other fibre properties 

like fibre strength, uniformity, length and short fibre content 

(SFC). Other aspects of gin processing are also affected by fibre 

moisture. The compression force required to bale ginned lint, as 

well as the bale tie forces, decreases with increasing fibre moisture. 

The adverse effects of decreasing moisture content in ginning 

are related to reduced fibre strength and increased fibre breakage. 

It has been shown that single fibre breaking force increases with 

increasing moisture content in the range of three to 15 per cent, 

while fibre-seed attachment forces remain constant from three per 

cent to about 11 per cent moisture and then decrease up to 15 

per cent moisture content. Also, as seed-cotton is dried from 10 

per cent to four per cent during the ginning process, trash is removed 

more efficiently, cotton grades improved, and manufacturing 

waste declines in the textile mill. 

Fibre length (inches) 

Moisture content % 

Ginning & Fibre Quality 

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A tradition of 

service since 1849 

Australian research has shown similar effects on fibre properties 

as a result of drying and moistening fibre through the gin, in particular 

through the gin stand and lint cleaner. Table 1 lists the test 

results from CSIRO trials in 2001 showing the effect of moisture 

preservation on HVI properties. 

Figure 1 illustrates the effect post-gin and post-lint cleaner on 

staple length of increasing moisture regain above the gin stand 

in more recent trials. The effect of increasing moisture content 

from 5.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent through the lint cleaner was an 

increase of more than 1/32nd inches on the staple length with 

concomitant improvements in length uniformity (UNI) and SFC. 

It was also noted that the transport by air caused fibre moisture 

losses of between 0.5 and 1.0 per cent, between the back of the 

gin and the second lint cleaner. 

Drying cotton 

Whilst it is only seed-cotton that is purposely dried in cotton gin 

dryers, ginned lint also loses a significant amount of moisture as it 

is transported by air through the gin and lint cleaners. As air and 

cotton move through the gin dryer and gin duct work, moisture is 

vaporised from the cotton and heat is absorbed by the system of 

ducting, machines and cotton. 

Prior to recent seasons, most of the drying in Australian cotton 

gins was done using heated air. But in the recent dry seasons 

the ambient condition of the air has been dry enough for ginners 

to achieve the ‘desired’ equilibrium moisture content without the 

 

…36s 

Table 1: The effect of moisture preservation on 

fibre quality 

Gin treatment* 

Moist 

zero 

heat 

Dry 

zero 

heat 

Dry 

high 

heat 

Ambient 

std. 

heat 

Moist 

high 

heat 

HVI 

UHML inches 1.17 1.14 1.14 1.12 1.14 

UNI % 84.1 84.2 83.2 82.9 83.3 

SFC % 2.9 2.7 3.2 5.6 4.7 

STR gf/tex 31.8 30.8 33.9 28.6 31.2 

ELO % 12.7 13 13.1 11.8 13.1 

*Dry Storage = 5% moisture pre gin stand, Ambient Storage (module yard) = 

7.5% moisture pre gin stand, Moist Storage = 9.5% moisture pre gin stand, Zero 

Heat = Ambient temperature 25°C – burners off, Standard Heat = Standard 

temperature 55°C, High Heat = Maximum temperature 90°C – burners on high 

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Figure 2: Relative concentration of water in 

air with temperature 

Relative concentration of water 

Temperature degrees Celsius 

w35…IMPORTANCE OF MOISTURE DURING GINNING 

addition of heat, although in most cases the ambient conditions 

resulted in cotton that was too dry, and as a result cotton that was 

damaged during ginning. 

Drying cotton at high temperatures may damage cotton fibre 

and as such the lowest temperature should be used to produce 

satisfactory market grades and allow satisfactory gin operation. 

In no case should the temperature in any portion of the drying 

system exceed 177°C because irreversible damage may occur. Temperatures 

over 121°C cause moderate fibre damage and should not 

be used if at all possible. Cotton will scorch at 232°C, flash at 316°C 

and ignite at 460°C. Temperatures over 93°C have been shown to 

damage fibre and should not be used if at all possible. 

Similarly CSIRO research found that temperatures around 

90°C caused significant damage in terms of fibre length and neps 

compared with cotton dried at 55°C and ambient conditions of 

around 25°C. 

Cotton with too low a moisture content may stick to metal surfaces 

as a result of static electricity generated on the fibres and 

cause machinery to choke and stop. Fibre dried to very low moisture 

content becomes brittle and will be damaged by the mechanical 

processes required for cleaning and ginning. 

When a second drying system is used to process high moisture 

cotton it should be at lower temperatures than the first drying system, 

as the major moisture removal should be done in the first system. 

The primary function of the second drying system is to extend 

the drying time and to keep the seed cotton and the machinery 

hot and prevent condensation of moisture. Dryers should be adjusted 

to supply gin stands with lint having a moisture content of 

six to seven per cent. 

Cotton at this moisture level is more able to withstand the 

stresses of ginning without breaking. But as stated already, cotton 

with a moisture content of five per cent will result in better cleaning 

and a smoother appearance, which is erroneously preferred 

by many classing and marketing systems. 

Almost all of the moisture removed during the short drying time 

in commercial gin dryers comes from the fibres rather than from 

seed and trash. Whilst the seed constitutes 55 to 60 per cent of 

the weight of spindle‐harvested seed cotton, its moisture content 

is considerably less important from a ginning standpoint than the 

moisture content of the fibres, unless the seeds are so wet that 

they are soft. 

Automatic systems able to correct heat inputs to affect the 

moisture of incoming seed-cotton were first researched in the 

early 1960s and although now available, are not widely used in 

Australia. These automated drying systems measure seed-cotton 

moisture; the volume of seed-cotton entering the gin; and then 

manage bypass valves and/or heat inputs (usually by empirical 

calculation of the heat required to change moisture content) to 

realise a prescribed moisture content in the cotton, and to reduce 

energy, usually gas, inputs. 

The capability to rapidly monitor two variables; i.e. seed-cotton 

moisture and volume, crucial to real-time maintenance of an optimal 

ratio of heat input is relatively recent and not without issues, 

which centre around the accuracy of the seed-cotton moisture 

and volume flow measurements. Many gins use non-automated 

control by staging dry modules to be ginned consecutively and 

shutting off gas burners altogether when not needed. 

An example of a commercially available automatic drying system 

is the ‘IntelliGin’ system marketed by Uster Technologies, 

which uses one or more electrical resistance sensors to measure 

the moisture content of seed-cotton and lint, and enable control 

of heat inputs into the system. The Samuel Jackson Inc. ‘Moisture 

Mirror’ system reads moisture using electrical resistance and 

VOMAX microwave sensors and provides the operator with instant 

readings of incoming moisture, post-drying moisture and 

bale moisture. Using standard cotton flow into gin and ginning 

rates, the system allows operators instant and/or automatic control 

of Samuel Jackson ‘Humidaire’ and dryers. 

The system is able to let the ginner set the after-drying moisture 

as a control system target and is able to compensate for sudden 

upward spikes in the module moisture level. Other systems 

like the Cliff Granberry Corporation, Honeywell and Schaffner 

moisture sensor systems are less sophisticated with respect to gin 

control and centre on measuring moisture content, with simple 

bespoke automation or manual gin control. 

Moisture restoration 

To ameliorate the harsh effect of heat and/or dry cotton in 

the gin, moisture restoration systems are available. These systems 

typically add moisture to seed-cotton immediately before ginning 

and in doing so help maintain fibre length and reduce the number 

of fibres broken at the gin stand and lint cleaners. 

Other benefits resulting from moisture restoration include 

reducing the static electricity level of the cotton, reducing the 

volume of the cotton required to achieve a given bale size and 

reducing the force required to press the bale. The resilient forces 



exerted on the restraining bale ties are also lower for the higher 

moisture cotton. 

Many approaches have been used to restore moisture in cotton 

fibre. Moisture restoration may occur at several locations such as 

module feeder, feed control, pre- and post-gin dryer, above extractor 

feeders, into moving-bed conditioners, at battery condensers 

and other apparatus in the lint slide. There is a practical physical 

limit to the quantity of moisture that may be added to seed-cotton. 

Wetting of the cotton by condensation within machinery and 

pipes must be prevented or choking will result. If liquid water is 

present on the seed-cotton mass, gin stand operation will become 

irregular and may cease altogether. 

Cotton with fibre moisture in excess of nine per cent may be 

rough in appearance and will not smooth out properly when processed 

through the lint cleaners. So the recommended fibre moisture 

level of six per cent to seven per cent is based on production 

aspects as well as quality aspects. Lint moisture in the bale must 

be uniform and must not exceed 7.5 per cent in order to avoid 

fibre discoloration and significant weight loss during storage. 

One approach is to use humid air to moisten cotton. The air must 

be heated to carry sufficient moisture to the cotton fibre. Air can 

carry 10 times as much water vapour at 54°C as it can at 16°C – see 

Figure 2. Humidified air systems first heat air to high temperatures 

and it is then exposed to atomised water droplets, which evaporate 

into the air. The evaporation process lowers the air temperature and 

increases the ‘dew point’ temperature of the air. 

The dew point temperature of the air must be well above the 

temperature of the cotton. This humid air is then blown through 

the cotton, which lowers the air temperature below its dew point 

causing fine water droplets to form on the cotton fibres throughout 

the cotton batt. The amount of moisture restoration with this 

system is limited, especially at higher ginning rates. 

The Samuel Jackson Humidaire system where humid air 

is blown into the extractor feeder adds no more than 1.5 per 

cent and typically less than one per cent moisture to seed-cotton 

depending on ambient conditions. While in absolute terms this 

amount seems insignificant, significant improvements are seen in 

fibre quality, gin productivity and bale weight as a result. 

Another approach is to atomise water and spray it directly on 

the cotton. Sometimes a wetting agent is added to the water to 

hasten its distribution through the cotton. Most Australian gins use 

this type of spray system on the cotton at the lint slide in order to 

restore moisture and weight to the bale, although sprays can also 

be applied in other parts of the gin, e.g. in the post-dryer, precleaning 

area. Extreme care must be exercised to avoid wet spots 

in the bale, which promote bacterial and fungal growth and cause 

degradation of the fibre. The addition of moisture to the bale is 

reviewed in the next section. 

A recent study conducted by the USDA investigated the effect of 

installing commercially available atomising nozzles in a commercial 

cotton gin to apply water to seed-cotton between pre-cleaning 

and the conveyer-distributor before ginning. The moisture content 

of lint samples collected between the gin stand and the first lint 

cleaner was increased by between 0.2 per cent and 1.1 per cent 

points with this system. Lint subject to the moisture sprays had 

longer mean length and upper quartile length, and lower SFC. 

Non-lint content was also higher and nep content lower. 

Studies by CSIRO in which water and lubricants have been applied 

by nozzles pre-gin have shown similar results to those of the 

USDA. Atomising sprays must either be applied in line and in the 

middle of the air (cotton) flow and preferably just prior to a working 

roller to ensure the spray is applied as evenly as possible to 

the fibre, and to avoid the building of wet tags in the duct work. 

Add-on rates in excess of one per cent on weight of the fibre (owf) 

under ambient ginning conditions should be avoided. Higher addons 

can be applied with increased duct temperature according to 

Figure 2, although air and duct temperature must be maintained 

to avoid condensation. 

Moisture in the bale 

During 2003 and 2004 bales pressed with moisture levels in 

excess of eight per cent and delivered to overseas spinning mills 

raised concerns in the US cotton industry about the addition of 

water at some US gins. The concerns were based around the 

degradation of fibre quality in cotton stored at high moisture levels. 

These incidents and the industry concern that followed led to 

the National Cotton Council (NCC) Quality Task Force to set the 

following recommendation with respect to moisture in baled lint: 

“As precaution against undue risk of fibre degradation and until 

definitive research data can support higher levels of moisture addition 

at the cotton gin, the National Cotton Council recommends 

that moisture levels of cotton bales at the gin not exceed the targeted 

level of approximately 7.5 per cent.” 

In late 2006 the USDA issued new provisions (legislation) for 

cotton bales entering the Cotton Marketing Assistance Loan 

Program aimed at solving the “wet cotton” problem. The new 

regulations, which deal with the storage, handling and ginning 

requirement for cotton pledged as collateral for marketing assistance 

loans, define “wet cotton” as a bale that exceeds 7.5 per 

cent (wet basis) at any point in the bale when measured at the gin. 

According to the USDA, bales may not surpass this 7.5 per cent 

moisture level and be eligible for a marketing assistance loan, according 

to the regulations, which were part of a final rule issued 

by USDA in August 2006. The rule also established other new 

criteria for cotton gins and warehouses. 

In February 2007 at the NCC Annual Meeting, the Research 

and Education Committee clarified the NCC’s position on acceptable 

moisture content in cotton lint bales. The following policy 

recommendations were adopted. 

That the US cotton industry: 

• Continue their reviews of literature and research to determine 

appropriate moisture levels in baled lint; 

• Communicate that information to the cotton industry, and 

encourage continued research, particularly on a regional basis 

(recognising that widely divergent climatic conditions exist 

throughout the US cotton belt), to determine optimum moisture 

levels in baled lint that will preserve fibre qualities and spinning 

performance and mitigate gin bale weight losses; 

• As a precaution against undue risk of fibre degradation, recommend 

that restored moisture levels of cotton bales at the gin not 

exceed 7.5 per cent (wet basis); 

• Accept the designation of “wet cotton” as defined by USDA as 

one of the criteria for Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) 

loan eligibility; and, 

• As a requirement for CCC loan eligibility, recommends CCC 

require gins to disclose on a revised Form 809 the type of 

moisture restoration system(s) available for use at the gin and 

that such disclosure be made publicly available. 

Prior to 2002, cotton packaging and storage condition research 

investigations mentioned little about bale moisture levels 

with respect to long-term storage. But around and after 2003 a 

number of US investigations describing the effects of high bale 

 

…38s 



w37…IMPORTANCE OF MOISTURE DURING GINNING 

moisture levels over time on cotton fibre quality were published. 

The general gist of these was that excessive moisture in bales 

stored for extended periods creates quality problems for merchants 

and mills. 

The studies showed moisture augmentation of cotton bales with 

excessive amounts of water, mainly via spray systems, leads to 

a reduction in fibre quality. Noted in the studies was that water 

sprayed on cotton fibre can adversely impact greyness and yellowness, 

and thus colour grade, at moisture levels as low as 7.3 

per cent (measured on a wet basis). The difficulties of applying 

uniform moisture via sprays to cotton at the battery condenser 

and lint slide were also noted. 

Two important problems associated with spray systems were 

posed: 

• Applying just the right amount of water to reach the most desirable 

moisture content and; 

• Applying the water in an even and consistent manner. 

The direct spraying of liquid water on the top of a fast moving 

several inch-thick-batt of cotton, achieves only a uniform application 

to the top surface of the batt of cotton. It is generally believed 

that transfer of the liquid water to the remaining four to 12 inches 

of cotton is difficult because raw cotton fibre does not readily absorb 

liquid water by dint of its hydrophobic wax layer and that 

the cotton bale is immediately packaged at high densities, which 

greatly retards any further movement of water vapour or liquid. 

In this respect humidified air, which contains water in a vapour 

phase is more readily absorbed by fibre, and that it is pulled or 

blown through the cotton, means that moisture is absorbed in a 

relatively more uniform manner. 

In the most recent review of the effects of moisture sprayed on 

fibre the USDA reported that where excessive moisture was used 

(up to as high as 15 per cent), fibre quality results indicated that 

after 116 days of storage bales were more yellow and darker as 

moisture content increased. Results from another study, where 

cotton was stored for six months and the target moisture ranged 

from ambient moisture, nominally around five per cent to six 

per cent, to 12 per cent, and the moisture content was found to 

be unevenly distributed in a bale, there were still direct relationships 

between moisture content and decreased reflectance and 

increased yellowness of fibre over time. Increased fungal density 

with increased moisture content was also observed. 

When lower maximum target moisture ranges were studied, 

where final moisture content after storage did not exceed about 

7.5 per cent moisture, the effect on fibre quality and microbial 

activity was minimal. This result in particular supports the NCC 

Quality Task Force recommendation that baled lint not exceed 

7.5 per cent. 

Other reasons for adding moisture to bales 

Aside from adding weight to dry cotton in order to improve gin 

turn-out and financial returns, the addition of moisture by ginners 

is also used to aid the pressing and baling of low-moisture cotton, 

which is often difficult to press to the desired density. Dry cotton 

requires more force and power to compress than does moist cotton. 

Bale tie forces are also strongly influenced by the moisture 

content of the bale. 

Tie forces increase over time after compression and release. 

They also respond to the initial moisture content after packaging. 

An USDA investigation of bale tie forces over a 130 day storage 

period showed that tie forces increased for the first 60 days after 

packaging as the internal moistures of the bales increased and the 

bales equilibrated to the ambient conditions. Forces then remained 

constant and bale weight change stabilised at about the same time. 

Conclusion 

This article has reviewed the effects of seed-cotton and lint 

moisture on gin productivity and fibre quality. Cotton is dried during 

ginning whether or not hot air is used by the large volumes of 

air used to transport it through the gin. Drying at high temperatures 

(>121°C) will damage cotton fibre by making it susceptible 

to breakage (reducing its strength) during ginning and particularly 

lint cleaning. At very low moisture contents, seed-cotton will not 

gin properly as a result of static electricity causing fibre to clump 

and cling to metallic surfaces. Ideally, cotton (lint) is between six 

per cent and seven per cent during ginning and cleaning, and 

above seven per cent in the bale. 

In this range, the fibre will be more resilient to breakage during 

these processes, and will not deteriorate during storage in the 

bale. A level of 7.5 per cent moisture should not be exceeded 

anywhere in the bale. The use of sprays to add water prior to baling 

must be carefully managed. 

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Australian 

Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) and CSIRO 

in preparing this work. The authors also gratefully acknowledge the 

comments made by Drs Robert Long and Greg Constable, and Mr Scott 

Barnes on the draft of this paper. 

1 

CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Henry Street, Belmont VIC 

3216. 

Consultants ride for charity 

Three well known cotton consultants improved their fitness and did a great job for a worthy 

charity in a mountain bike ride from the Barossa Valley to Tamworth in March. Over $100,000 

was raised for the Westpac Rescue helicopter Service in the north west of NSW. 

Steve Warden from Tamworth was joined by John Barber (St George) and Bernie Caffery 

(Darling Downs) on the gruelling journey. 

While most of the riders in this long distance event opted for lightweight, trimmed down bikes 

with no added extras, John (as always) took a different view. His mountain bike had a luggage 

rack, a stand and mudguards – and he carried a substantial picnic hamper on the back. 

It was so heavy, it was christened The Hummer by the other riders. But the important thing is that 

the bike, and John, made it to Tamworth. 

The three consultants were supported by many firms and organisations involved in the 

cotton industry and would like to thank them all for their help. 

Some of the sponsors included Nufarm, Syngenta, Ramsay Health Group, Forsyths, 

Freemans, Cotton Seed Distributors, Crop Management Services, Sumitomo and Caltex. 

Our three intrepid riders on the way 

from the Barossa. From left, Bernie 

Caffery, Steve Warden and John Barber 

(with The Hummer). 


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the best seed treatment at an affordable 

cost. 

Genero 600FS contains 600g/L imidacloprid 

and gives cotton seedlings tried and 

tested protection against thrips, aphids, 

brown beetles and wireworms. 

Col Hibbard, General Manager of 

eChem, suggests that growers have a close 

look at the CSD seed treatment price list 

this year before making their product selections. 

“We have been able to bring the price 

down because eChem is an Australianowned, 

grower controlled company and 

lower prices are one of the reasons for our 

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we have to make a profit. But we also aim 

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cotton conference 

feature 

From dirt to shirt 

Cotton Australia and the Australian Cotton Shippers 

Association are lining up an ambitious program 

of speakers for the 15th Australian Cotton 

Conference that will cover the gamut of cotton production, 

from dirt to shirt. 

With 30 years of conferencing now under their belts, 

organisers say the conference has evolved into an event 

relevant for all sectors of the cotton value chain – growers, 

agronomists, merchants, researchers, spinners and 

brand owners. 

To be held on the Gold Coast from August 10–12, the 

program promises something for everyone and with a 

strong line up of social events and child minding facilities, 

it’s being promoted as a great week for the whole family. 

“The Australian Cotton Conference has become a 

very important networking opportunity and we’re encouraging 

anyone involved in the cotton industry to start 

planning their week on the Gold Coast now,” Conference 

Committee Chairman, Cleave Rogan said. 

“Cotton is an extremely collaborative and united agricultural 

industry and this Conference showcases its latest 

research and development, the innovations of our growers 

and the needs of our international customers who 

sees Australian cotton as global leaders,” he said. 

“For the first time this year we’ll also hold a number 

of interactive workshops where delegates can discuss 

issues like soil nutrition and spinning technologies and 

the popular Hands-on Research sessions will make a return,” 

Cleave said. 

Organisers are particularly keen to attract a greater 

diversity of delegates this year, including the next generation 

of cotton growers, women, farmers from other 

industries and international guests. 

Who’s who of the 

Cotton Conference 

Here’s the million dollar question… which current 

cotton industry identity attended and presented at the 

first official Cotton Conference in Goondiwindi in 1982 

and has attended every one since? 

The answer should be clear – Dr Greg Constable, 

Leader of the Plant Breeding Program, CSIRO and 

Stream Leader, CSIRO Cotton is a part of the very fabric 

of our industry. 

With almost 40 years 

experience as first a 

research agronomist with 

the NSW Department of 

Agriculture, and then a 

plant breeder with CSIRO 

Plant Industry, Greg has 

seen many challenges in the 

industry come and go. 

Conference 

registration 

costs kept to a 

minimum 

Thanks to strong corporate sponsorship support 

and tight budgeting, conference registration costs 

have this year only been increased by a maximum 

of $25 compared to two years ago – with some registrations 

even being reduced in price. 

The Australian Cotton Conference remains a very 

cost-effective investment for growers and their staff, researchers, 

students and commercial industry representatives, 

particularly compared to the cost of other similar 

conferences. 

“Two of our key objectives this year have been to attract 

as many growers as possible, and to keep the costs 

low,” Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay said. 

“To do this, we’ve raised substantial sponsorship dollars 

and worked hard on the budget to ensure no unnecessary 

costs. 

“The result is a conference that is highly price competitive. 

For example, the Australian Summer Grains 

Conference is $925 for a full registration, almost twice 

that of our general registration cost,” he said. 

Registrations for the Cotton Conference are now 

open. Delegate costs have been kept to a minimum, 

and if you register before July 1, you’ll save a further 

$25. If you’re a grower or a general delegate and you 

register three or more people, you’ll receive a further 10 

per cent reduction – so get in quick! 

Delegate type Rate Discounts 

Grower $375 

Early bird (–$25) 

3 or more regos 

–10 per cent 

Spousal $200 




General $520 




Student $220 




Day pass $300 




Day exhibitor $85 No discounts 

To register: www.australiancottonconference.com.au or 

Ph (07) 3848 3823 


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feature 

Markets and trading – key focus 

at this year’s Cotton Conference 

Volatile market conditions – and how to capitalize 

on the opportunities they present – will be a 

core focus of the ‘Trading and Markets’ sessions 

at this year’s Australian Cotton Conference. 

With cotton prices trading through the ‘magic A$500 

per bale’ mark in early May, marketing is now key to 

2010–11 crop planning, and conference vice-chairman 

Arthur Spellson believes the line-up of speakers at this 

year’s event would be critical to the process. 

“This is undoubtedly the highest calibre line up of 

trade speakers we have ever had. It’s a privilege for Australian 

cotton audiences to hear from the likes of Louis 

Dreyfus director Joe Nicosia and FC Stone Asia managing 

director Ed Jernigan – and this conference is offering 

it under the one roof,” Arthur said. 

Arthur said these speakers would be exploring both 

fundamental and technical reasons for the market’s recent 

volatility and would provide a crystal ball for what 

the future may hold. 

“They will also be exploring exactly where Australia 

fits in the global cotton landscape,” he said. 

Arthur expected the speakers to touch on a range of 

topics, including “outside” market impacts such as the 

Euro-zone debt crisis, as well as global cotton supply/ 

demand forecasts, and the impacts of fund participation 

in our markets. 

“We also anticipate they will explore the unique opportunities 

available to Australian cotton due to our advances 

in quality and yield, and proximity to markets,” 

he said. 

Arthur said the market presentations would be held in 

the morning sessions of Wednesday, August 11. 

Joe Nicosia, Head of the 

Global Cotton Division at 

Louis Drefus Corporation 

will address the Cotton 

Conference. 

Ed Jernigan, Managing 

Director of FCStone Asia. 

Chair of the Murray 

Darling Basin Authority 

to address conference 

Chair of the Murray Darling Basin Authority, Mr Mike 

Taylor has been confirmed as a key note speaker for 

the conference session on Water Sharing for the Future: 

Industry, Environment, Communities, to be held on the 

first day. 

Mike was appointed to be the inaugural Chair of 

the Murray-Darling Basin Authority in May 2009. His 

Cotton Conference address will cover the development 

of the Basin Plan’s historical and legislative frameworks. 

At Conference time the Basin Plan will be in its final 

stages of consultation and so it will be an extremely 

timely address for industry. 

Arthur Spellson, ACSA Chairman. 

Chair of the Murray 

Darling Basin 

Authority, 

Mike Taylor. 


Delegates to the Australian Cotton Conference will 

be able to access the science behind the revolutionary 

nitrogen phosphorus fertiliser coatings 

Black Urea, Black DAP and Black Blends. 

Black Urea has been developed and tested by Australian 

farmers. Independent field research and trials, overseen 

by Advanced Nutrients since 2002, show using 

Black Urea results in a significant reduction of nitrogen 

loss in urea. 

It will boost plant growth by improving nitrogen and 

phosphate efficiency – saving fertiliser costs by reducing 

leaching and volatisation into the atmosphere. 

Advanced Nutrients believes it is a real breakthrough 


The science behind the results 

RESIDUAL NITROGEN as percentage 

of applied nitrogen 

TRIAL No 1 LOW MOISTURE 

Weeks Black Urea Urea 

2 95% 55% 

4 84% 30% 

6 75% 15% 

8 70% 3% 

10 62% 1% 

TRIAL No 2 LOW TO MEDIUM MOISTURE 

2 93% 66% 

4 85% 45% 

6 70% 28% 

8 63% 10% 

10 52% 4% 

TRIAL No 3 OPTIMUM MOISTURE 

2 90% 75% 

4 80% 42% 

6 65% 26% 

8 52% 8% 

10 46% 5% 

TRIAL No 4 MODERATELY HIGH MOISTURE 

2 90% 68% 

4 76% 40% 

6 65% 15% 

8 50% 4% 

10 45% 3% 

TRIAL No 5 VERY HIGH MOISTURE 

2 85% 60% 

4 70% 35% 

6 60% 10% 

8 52% 2% 

10 48% 1% 

The trials were conducted for Advanced Nutrients by agronomist Mr 

J Ferguson and his staff at his soil plant laboratory at 188 Moorina 

Road Moorina, Qld. All readings are % of nitrogen left in soil at time 

of testing as compared to nitrogen added to the plots at the start of 

testing. 

for growers of cotton, cereals, legumes, oil seed, dairy 

and horticulture crops 

“The Black Fertiliser range and particularly Black 

Urea, the longest researched Black product, has and 

continues to show results in the field, in the real commercial 

world,” says Craig Salmon, Advanced Nutrient’s 

Managing Director, “growers are getting a dollar return 

not seen from conventional fertilisers.”. 

For Craig and the team at Advanced Nutrients, the 

aim is to reduce farmer inputs – not only dollar wise but 

to reduce the effect on the environment by fertilisers, 

with field results validated by everyday farmers. 

“Good farming, high yields, minimal impact on the 

environment and nutrient rich soil – I think we are all on 

the same page with those goals,” Craig said. 

With the use of the Black Fertiliser products now expanding 

to five countries around the world, and interest 

in such markets as the US, the solid science behind the 

Black Technology is testament to its growth by farmers 

around the world. 

For more information contact Advanced Nutrients Pty Ltd on 

1800 244 009 or talk to Craig and the team at the Exhibitor 

Display at the Australian Cotton Conference August 10–12. 

It’s a Scientific Fact - 

You can save money when you use 

Black Fertilisers 

Black Urea®, Black DAP and our new 

Black Blends 

Eight years of independent Lab, Plot & Field Trial Data 

on Black Fertiliser Technology proves its worth. It’s 

your answer to greater yield and quality for all your 

crops. 

Plus it will save you thousands off your fertiliser bill. 

Join the thousands of growers here in Australia and 

around the world using Black Fertilisers 

For more info on our Black Fertiliser range 

call us on 1800 244 009 

Don’t forget to ask for your free copy of 

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www.advancednutrients.com.au 

JUNE–JULY 2010 THE AUSTRALIAN COTTONGROWER — 43 

Aust Cotton Qtr pg June 10.indd 1 

3/06/2010 3:04:40 PM 

feature

2010 Australian Cotton Conference Program Summary 

Day 1: 10 August 10, 2010 

Session 1: Fashioning • Welcome address: Fashioning the Future, the Way Forward 

the Future 

• The Global Future – food, carbon, water, population 

• 2029 Australian Cotton Industry Vision 

Session 2: Water 

Sharing for the 

Future – Industry, 

Environment, 

Communities 

Session 3: Farming 

Systems for the Future 

Evening 

Welcome reception 

Day 2: August 11, 2010 

Session 4: Trade and 

Markets 

Session 5: Positioning 

Australian Cotton for 

the Future 

Session 6a and 6b: 

Concurrent 


Concurrent 

• Water for the Future, implications for the Australian cotton industry 

• The Murray Darling Basin Plan 

• Water sharing for the environment 

• Water scarcity: socio economic implications on a rural community 

• Priority issues and how do we respond? 

• Cotton yield: King or queen 

• Soil carbon – crop and soil values 

• Nutrition – building a long term picture 

• Energy – implications and industry case studies 

• Irrigation systems 

• Managing for high cotton yields and risks of pushing the future farming system 

• A new R&D knowledge landscape for the future 

• Australian Cotton Shippers Association welcome & introduction 

• Commodities, interest rates, Aussie dollar, economic outlook 

• Managing risk for growers 

• World cotton outlook 

• Australian cotton outlook 

• What ICA does for Australia – Integrity in World Trade 

• Generic commodity to premium product 

• Macro view of global cotton movements and how Australia fits with the competition 

• Sustainable cotton 

• Branding Australian Cotton 

6a: Branding Australian Cotton Value Chain Forum 6b: Transgenic Farming Landscapes 

• CRDC value chain and premium cotton initiative 

• Textile and yarn market overview/trends 

• Textile, clothing and footwear sector trends and opportunities 

• What brand owners want 

• Pest management in the future 

• What’s changed in pest and weed management since the 

introduction of biotech traits 

• Bt cotton as part of the ecosystem in farm landscapes 

• Farm health statistics – are cotton farms safer places to work? 

7a: Branding Australian Cotton Value Chain cont. 7b: Transgenic Farming Landscapes cont. 

• Supply chain management – the Izumiya experience • Managing transgenic versus conventional cotton systems – a 

• New spinning technologies and opportunities for Australian consultant’s perspective 

cotton 

• Testing the strength of the resistance management plan for 

• Advancing our fibre from dirt to shirt 

Bollgard II 

• Australia’s Environmental footprint – organic versus BMP • Managing cotton volunteers – farm case studies 

• Herbicide resistance – prevention is better than cure 

Day 3: August 12, 2010 


Concurrent 

8a: Sustaining the Farm Future 8b: Fashioning the Future of Farm Business 


Concurrent 

Session 10: 

Workshops and 

Hands On Research 

Evening 

• Sustainability and the future 

• myBMP – get online and do it 

• Future tools for farmers 

• New picking systems: how technology is changing the 

industry 

• Our family farms and the second generation of cotton 

growing 

• Climate change – where to from here for cotton 

• Workforce trends 

• Leadership in my business 

• myBMP 

• Business ethics 

• Agriculture and mining: human resource needs and working 

together 

• Placing city students in rural business 

• Future opportunities for the indigenous workforce 

Session 9a: Rain grown cotton and optimising limited irrigation Session 9b: Cotton People: Our Future 

water 

• Putting it all into practice 

• Future capacity: Cotton leaders 

• Fitting cotton into the dryland farming system rotation • Future capacity: Our schools 

• Farming limited water in dryland and irrigation systems • Future capacity: Research 

• Cotton varieties for limited water 

• Blended learning opportunities for cotton people 

• Managing production risks 

• Sustainable cotton farm families 

These interactive workshops and research sessions will cover a wide variety of topics, allowing delegates to move between 

sessions to maximise their involvement. Potential topics include ginning, nutrition, spray application, business leadership, socioeconomics, 

on-farm water quality, attractants, water benchmarking, sucking pests and fibre quality. 

2010 Australian Cotton Industry Awards Dinner and Presentation 

Please note: This program summary is subject to change. For program updates, please visit www.australiancottonconference.com.au 



Past and Present: Two industry 

leaders give 30 years 

feature 

Past 

David Swallow, retired 

David Swallow, now retired 

from the cotton industry, 

was involved in all of the 

Australian Cotton Conferences 

from 1982 to 2008 

with his participation increasing 

over 30 years. 

At the time of the first 

conference, David was the 

Assistant General Manager 

of Cotton Seed Distributors 

(CSD), one of the founders 

of ACGRA and also a foundation 

conference sponsor. 

David Swallow’s 

involvement in the Cotton 

Conference stretched 

from 1982 to 2008. 

ACGRA was established in 1972 but it wasn’t until a 

decade later that the organisation put on its first Cotton 

Conference, at a time of rapid industry expansion. 

Although his involvement was in the background, 

David well remembers the first conference which was 

held in the CWA Hall at Goondiwindi, on November 

4–5, 1982. 

“My involvement in the first conference was more in 

the logistics side of things. I can say that we were probably 

under-resourced and I can remember running around 

getting more chairs and fans because it was very hot and 

we weren’t expecting the numbers we got,” David said. 

“The conference was the idea of the late Richard Williams 

who was the Chairman of ACGRA at the time, 

and came about because there was a real need to share 

the work of researchers with growers. There were many 

fields days and things like that, but the industry was crying 

out for a conference,” he said. 

When made Secretary of ACGRA in 1985, David’s 

role in the Conference started to expand. 

“The 1986 conference was my real initiation and a 

heck of a lot of work went into it. As Secretary of AC- 

GRA we basically organised the whole conference from 

getting the sponsors to organising the speakers and everything 

in between. 

“We ended up at the Ramada Hotel on the Gold 

Coast which we soon outgrew and so moved to Jupiters 

Casino in 1990. This also became too small and 

the conference moved again, this time to Brisbane in 

2000 and 2002. The industry was ever-expanding and 

the conference had to adapt,” David said. 

From 1986 to his last conference in 2008, David was 

closely involved in all aspects of the Conference organsation, 

with the help of his wife Judy and the conference 

committees. 

Present 

Adam Kay, CEO of Cotton Australia 

Cotton Australia CEO, 

Adam Kay, aims to put on 

a world class conference 

that puts dollars in 

Current CEO of Cotton 

Australia, Adam Kay has experienced 

a lot in the cotton 

industry since his first conference 

in 1986, which he 

attended as a young District 

Agronomist with the NSW 

Department of Agriculture 

from Warren. 

Now responsible (along 

with ACSA) for the entire 

oversight of the Conference, 

Adam maintains that this 

event remains the most sig- 

grower pockets. 

nificant in the cotton industry’s calendar. 

“The Cotton Conference has always been world class, 

and since Cotton Australia’s merger with the ACGRA in 

2008, the challenge has been for us to maintain these 

high standards. In that same year we amalgamated with 

the ACSA Conference which broadened the base again, 

from a purely research-oriented focus in the early days 

to one that has added dimensions for all aspects of the 

supply chain,” Adam said. 

At the time of his first conference at the Ramada Hotel 

on the Gold Coast in 1986, Adam recalls being in 

awe of the cotton industry. 

“I was pretty much fresh out of uni and it was a big 

deal to be allowed to go to the conference. I remember 

being blown away by the quality and quantity of the research 

being presented and also being very excited at 

the prospect of taking it back to my growers for implementation 

on farms in the Macquarie,” he said. 

“The early conferences gave me a real insight into 

the cotton industry and made me realise it was where I 

wanted to be for my career. They also helped me realise 

that the issues I dealt with were across the whole industry 

and put me in touch with so many valuable people and 

resources,” he said. 

Adam’s greatest recollection of the 1986 conference, 

where the theme was ‘Cotton On’, was that the industry 

was going through a very tough period with prices low 

and fear of a mass exodus from growers. 

“A huge focus was on reducing production costs and 

also a lot of debate about what cotton prices were going 

to do in the immediate future – it was all fairly doom and 

gloom,” he said. 

On the one hand, Namoi Cotton’s John Howes was 

predicting a signifcant price increase for the following season, 

and on the other ABARE was predicting no price rise 

for a number of years. Luckily, John was correct. 



feature 

Grower loyalty program 

Crop Protection manufacturer Kenso Agcare is 

again running their Yield Stars grower loyalty 

program for 2010. The Yield Stars program directly 

rewards growers for supporting the Kenso Agcare 

range. 

For growers, the Yield Stars program is very simple; 

points earned on Kenso purchases can be redeemed by 

growers via the Yield Stars Redemption Form. Growers 

are then sent Coles Group and Myer Gift Cards directly 

from Kenso Agcare. 

Growers can redeem their vouchers at any time during 

the program using their proof of purchase. Additionally 

they have two months after the close of the program 

to redeem their rewards. 

The 2010 Yield Stars program will run for purchases 

of a selection from the Kenso range from November 1, 

2009 until October 31, 2010; points must be redeemed 

by December 31, 2010. There are 34 Kenso Agcare 

products in the 2010 program including new products 

such as Tri-Allate 500, Haloxyken 520, Ken-Star 450, 

and Ken-Up Dry 680. 

“Yield Stars has been a big hit with growers across 

Australia” says General Manager for Kenso Agcare Rob 

Armstrong, “with the vouchers, growers can buy what 

they want when they want and the vouchers can be used 

at literally thousands of stores across Australia. This includes 

Coles, Myer, Target, Bi-Lo, Liquorland, Officeworks 

and others. 

“An additional advantage is the vouchers are valid for 

two years after the issue date. During the 2009 program 

we issued hundreds of vouchers many of which were of 

quite a high value.” The vouchers offer ‘full value’ where 

farming families can take advantage of store sales or buy 

up for Christmas. 

Kenso Agcare is a subsidiary of Kenso Corporation; 

Kenso has been manufacturing and formulating crop 

protection products for over 30 years. The company 

prides itself on producing quality formulations for tough 

Australian conditions. The company’s formulations are 

used all over Australia and are guaranteed to perform. 

Information on Yield Stars and the Kenso Agcare range 

including labels and MSDS’ can be found on 

www.kenso.com.au, or visit the Kenso staff at the Cotton 

Conference. 

CONFERENCE DRAWS THEM BACK!!! 

A poem by Pete Johnson 

Now there’s a well-known cotton farmer 

Who’s been absent since ‘0-8, 

So when Cleave insisted “Bring Back Dwayne” 

I had to go and find my mate. 

It was a difficult assignment, 

I looked every-bloody-where. 

Seemed he’d ambled off in wetsuit boots 

And just vanished in thin air. 

But with Sherlock like persistence, 

That’d left me tonguing for a bitter, 

I finally tracked old Dwayno down - 

He was posting blogs on Twitter. 

As I read his pointed postings 

I felt more and more amazed, 

By the things my mate had seen and done 

In the years he’d been away. 

He’d been one busy cotton farmer 

He’d been to all the world events, 

So I wagered that he wouldn’t miss 

The Aussie cotton conference. 

He’d been with Kev at Copenhagen, 

Then dodged Molotovs in Athens, 

He’d seen eruptions up in Iceland, 

He was right there when it happened. 

He’d rocked out with ACCA DACCA, 

At their concert in Des Moines, 

He’d even cheered on Jessie Watson, 

As she sailed around Cape Horn. 

So I sent a simple message 

Through the fabled “Twitter-verse” 

To Dwayne – who was in Bangkok - 

Making havoc with “Red Shirts”. 

It said “Dwayne I know your busy, 

But there’s a gig you cannot miss 

It’s called ‘Fashioning the Future’, 

You’ve gotta put it on your list.” 

“There’ll be a heap of ripper speakers 

From Oz, America and such, 

And in the fashion show on Thursday 

They won’t be wearing very much.” 

“And there’s something else you’d better know, 

That’s bound to get you back. 

The cotton market’s going nuts 

So get your suitcase mate – and pack!” 

Well Dwayne’s reply was simple 

And the message very clear, 

“That’s the gig that I’ve been waiting 

For the last two bloody years!! 

SEE YOU AT THE COTTON CONFERENCE!!!” 


Cotton’s top picks announced in the 

2010 Australian Cotton Industry Awards 

The top picks for the 2010 Australian 

Cotton Industry Awards have been 

announced by Cotton Australia. 

Thirteen finalists in five categories will 

line up for top honours in the Awards, 

with winners to be announced at a glittering 

presentation and dinner for 1000 people 

at the Cotton Conference on the Gold 

Coast on August 12. 

The list of finalists includes a cotton 

grower who’s achieved 30 per cent water 

use efficiency gains, a project using biosolids 

to fertilise cotton crops, a property 

that’s used no-till farming practices for 20 

back-to-back seasons, a prolific cotton researcher 

who’s shared his work through 

130 journal and extension articles and a 

young grower challenging conventions. 

“I’ve been involved in these awards for 

seven years and the cotton industry for 

over 30 years, and I am constantly amazed 

at the depth of talent in the industry,” Australian 

Cotton Industry Awards Chairman, 

Geoff McIntyre said. 

“Some people are making their own 

small contributions on the farm that add up 

to fantastic innovations that can be shared 

by the whole industry, and others are at the 

leading edge of world R&D,” he said. 

“It’s no wonder the Australian cotton 

industry is held up as an example for others 

to follow, and it makes these awards all 

the more important in being able to showcase 

our achievements across a very broad 

spectrum of activity. 

“All of the finalists must be congratulated 

on the wonderful contributions 

they’ve made to our industry. While there 

can only be one winner, each finalist has 

made professional and personal commitments 

to advancing Australian cotton, going 

far beyond the call of duty and often 

for the benefit of many. 

“We need to see innovation, talent and 

new ideas being injected into the industry 

and the awards certainly highlight all of 

these,” Geoff said. 

Tickets to the 2010 Australian Cotton 

Industry Awards Dinner and Presentation 

are available now at www.australiancottonconference.com.au. 

“This will be a fantastic night of celebration, 

for congratulating our winners 

and looking forward to some better years 

ahead,” Geoff said. 

“The ticket price includes a first class 

three course meal, all drinks, entertainment 

and a professional MC to keep 

things moving. We look forward to seeing 

you there,” he said. 

CSD Researcher of the Year 

AWARD Finalists 

Grant Herron, 

Industry and Investment, 

Menangle NSW 

Has led the development of resistance 

management plans for cotton aphids and 

spider mites in cotton and horticulture for 

over a decade. 

Nilantha Hulugalle, 

NSW DPI/Cotton CRC, Narrabri 

Eighteen years of cotton research 

including the development of management 

practices for stubble-mulched raised bed 

furrow-irrigated systems and identifying 

minimum tillage systems for pupae busting. 

Warwick Stiller, 

CSIRO Plant Industry, Narrabri 

Part of the team to develop and deliver 

new cotton varieties for all production 

regions with higher yield, better disease 

resistance and fibre properties sought by 

spinning customers. 

Chris Lehman Trust 

Young Achiever of the Year 

Finalists 

Sponsored by Bayer 

CropScience 

Greg Hutchinson, Cotton Grower, 

Moura 

A convention-challenging grower who’s in 

the thick of critical local issues such as water 

reform, mining’s threat to agriculture and Best 

Management Practices. 

 

…48s 


w47…COTTON INDUSTRY AWARDS 

Susan Maas, Extension Officer, 

Emerald 

A leading extension officer involved in the 

evolution of myBMP, farm hygiene practices, 

herbicide resistance management and most 

recently managing the outbreak of a new 

exotic pest, the Solenopsis Mealybug. 

David Warburton, 

Aerial Application Manager, Moree 

An industry ambassador using cutting 

edge technologies like GPS tracking and 

interfacing and highly accurate weather 

tools to eliminate problems with chemical 

applications. 

Monsanto 

Grower of the Year 

AND 

AgriRisk 

Innovative Grower of the 

Year Finalists 

Clapham Family, “Bonnington”, 

Nangwee 

With an open door policy, this farm 

shares its innovative practices including the 

use of bio-solids to replace fertilisers and 

improve soil structure and is also involved in 

a Fusarium wilt research project covering 20 

hectares and 10,000 individual plots. 

Malcolm and Simon Doolin, 

“Cleveland”, North Star 

Long-term commitments to no-till farming, 

control traffic and centre pivot irrigation 

has developed a state of the art cotton 

operation, with over 50 years of involvement 

in on-farm research trials. 

Alan Manwaring and 

Andrew Ruhmann, 

“Battery Hill”, Gunnedah 

Adopting soft chemical options and notill 

farming to focus on reducing production 

costs for maximum profitability, with all 

decisions founded in on-farm research. 

Glenn and Julie Bischof, 

“Arrawatta”, Warra 

A flexible, professional farm business that 

experiments with new farming practices to 

maximise water use efficiency, soil health 

and profitability. 

John Norman, “Kalanga”, 

Toobeah 

Aiming to be in the top 20 per cent of 

cotton production in everything they do, 

this farm uses cutting edge technology and 

industry best practice to enhance every 

field’s ability to capture moisture, maximising 

water use efficiency both in crop and fallow. 

Rob and Susannah Tuck, 

“Newhaven”, Narromine 

An experienced and dedicated team that 

has seen massive water efficiency gains, 

soil structure and water retention improve, 

reliance on synthetic fertilisers decrease and 

yields improve. 

Ian and Georgina Gourley, 

“Blue Hills”, Narrabri NSW 

Dryland cotton operation using water flow 

maps to plan fields, a very soft chemistry 

approach to maximise beneficial insect 

populations and reduce the number of 

sprays and the extensive use of technology 

to minimise costs and make inputs work 

more efficiently. 


Reducing greenhouse gas emissions 

from cotton farming practices 

By Nilantha Hulugalle, Australian Cotton Research Institute, I & I NSW, Narrabri, NSW 

Cotton growers can reduce their 

greenhouse gas emissions through 

reduced tillage, permanent beds 

and wheat rotations. 

A significant cause of greenhouse gas 

emissions in agriculture is claimed to be 

that produced by burning fossil fuel during 

various farming operations. But few 

long-term results exist for Australian cotton 

farming systems. 

This article presents emissions from fuel 

and electricity use (presented as carbon dioxide 

equivalents, e-CO 2 

) from a dryland 

trial in the Darling Downs, and two longterm 

irrigated trials in northern New South 

Wales. One litre of diesel produces 2.89 kg 

of e-CO 2 

and one kWh of electricity produces 

1.051 of e-CO 2 

. 

Treatments included tillage systems, 

stubble retention, rotations and soil amendments 

such as gypsum and cattle manure. 

Emissions were calculated by relating them 

to diesel and electricity consumed during 

individual farming operations, based on 

information from various sources. A tool 

called Energycalc can be used to assess cotton 

on-farm energy uses. 

The trials are outlined in Table 1. The 

results from these trials can be summarised 

as follows: 

• Groundwater pumping can be a major 

contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. 

Emissions produced during irrigation 

with river water are relatively small 

whereas those produced by pumping 

 

…50s 

FIGURE 1: Seasonal variation in e-CO 2 

production from irrigated 

trials at the Australian Cotton Research Institute, near Narrabri 

The ‘rotations on permanent beds’ trial was designed such that both cotton and rotation phases could be 

sown at the same time 

Table 1: Outlines of the three trials and their treatments – all the trials were located on grey 

cracking clays 

Trial 

Treatments 

Tillage and rotation trial, ACRI 1 , 

Narrabri, NSW. Established 

1985. Irrigated. 

Rotations on permanent beds trial, 

ACRI, Narrabri, NSW. Established 

2002. Irrigated. 

Soil amendments trial, near 

Brigalow, Qld. Established 2005. 

Dryland. 

All crops sown after zero tillage. 

Wheat was sown during winter 

2005, cotton during 2006–07 

summer and sorghum during 

2007–08 summer. 

1. Back-to-back cotton/conventional tillage (slashing cotton fb. discing/chiselling/knockdown of 

beds every year) 

2. Back-to-back cotton/permanent beds (slashing cotton fb. go-devilling/bed renovation/cotton 

stubble incorporation) 

3. Cotton-wheat rotation/permanent beds (slashing cotton fb. go-devilling/bed renovation/ 

cotton stubble incorporation and after stripping wheat, stubble retained as standing stubble, 

into which following cotton is sown) 

1. Cotton-vetch-cotton (Vetch slashed and sprayed out and following cotton sown into dry vetch 

mulch) 

2. Cotton-winter fallow-cotton 

3. Cotton-wheat-summer and winter fallow-cotton (Wheat stubble incorporated into beds with 

go-devils) 

4. Cotton-wheat-vetch-cotton (After stripping wheat, stubble retained as standing stubble into 

which vetch is sown. Vetch slashed and sprayed out and following cotton sown into dry vetch 

mulch) 

1. Ripping with two passes of a 6-tine Yeoman’s ripper to an average depth of 0.5 m, pulled by 

a JD 8400 tractor 

2. Deep application of P, Zn and K 2 

3. Deep application of P and Zn 2 

4. Surface application 3 and incorporation to depth of 5 cm of cattle manure at a rate of 16 t/ha 

5. Gypsum at a rate of 9 t/ha 3 followed by a single pass of a 6-tine Yeoman’s ripper to an 

average depth of 0.5 m 

6. Gypsum at a rate of 9 t/ha 3 followed by ripping and deep application of P, Zn and K 2 

1 

Australian Cotton Research Institute. 

2 

P, Zn and K applications were carried out to an average depth of 0.5 m, with a single pass of a 6-tine Yeoman’s ripper with a fertiliser box mounted on the machine. 

3 

Applied using a 12 m wide contract spreader subsequent years, as zero-tillage was practiced, there were no differences among treatments. 


w49…REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS 

groundwater are large – about six times 

higher, in fact. The sharp increases in 

e-CO 2 

after the 2005–06 cotton season 

shown in Figure 1 indicate the point at 

which irrigation with river water was replaced 

by groundwater pumped from an 

average depth of 35 metres. Energy use 

and emissions are high when pumping 

depths are high. 

• Reducing tillage will reduce emissions, 

continuous cotton rotations will increase 

them. High emissions occurred 

when cotton was sown every year (i.e. 

summer cotton-winter fallow or rotation 

crop-summer cotton – Figures 1 and 

2). Within this cropping system, sowing 

cotton onto permanent beds resulted in 

the least amount of emissions, with increases 

taking place when conventional 

tillage was practiced or a vetch rotation 

crop was sown. Conventional tillage 

produces about three times more e-CO 2 

(that is, three times more diesel is consumed) 

during land preparation. Sowing 

a vetch or any other rotation crop into 

dry soil immediately after cotton, when 

rainfall is insufficient to get the crop 

started, requires irrigation which produces 

emissions. 

• Least emissions were produced when 

Figure 2: Average e-CO 2 

production from irrigated trials 

Figure 3: Seasonal e-CO 2 

production from soil amendments 

trial, near Brigalow, Qld 

wheat was part of the rotation (for example, 

cotton-wheat-summer and winter 

fallow-cotton; cotton-wheat-summer 

fallow-winter vetch-cotton). The lower 

emissions can be attributed mainly to 

the inclusion of a fallow in these rotations. 

Including vetch in a cotton-wheat 

rotation had a negligible effect on e-CO 2 

emission because vetch was grown 

mainly as a dryland crop with water 

used by vetch coming from stored soil 

water and in-crop rainfall. 

• Emissions were least when manure was 

applied as a soil amendment (Figure 3). 

e-CO 2 

emissions in this trial reflected 

depth and frequency of tillage operations 

associated with application of the 

amendments at its commencement. In 

subsequent years, as zero-tillage was 

practiced, there were no differences 

among treatments. 

IN SUMMARY 

In summary, reduction in e-CO 2 

production 

ranged between 28 per cent and 

59 per cent when management practices 

such as reduced tillage, permanent beds 

and wheat rotation crops were used in 

comparison to cotton/cotton rotations 

with conventional tillage. The inclusion of 

wheat is able to reduce emissions because 

it includes a stubble-mulched fallow which 

facilitates harvesting of rain water, thereby 

reducing the number of irrigations. Past 

research has also shown that these are the 

very same practices which can improve 

soil health, cotton yield and fibre quality. 

Funding for this research was provided by the 

Cotton Catchment Communities CRC and 

Cotton Research & Development Corporation. 

T1, Ripping alone to an average depth of 0.5 m; T2, Deep application (0.5 m) of P, Zn and K; T3, Deep 

application of P and Zn; T4, Surface application and incorporation (no ripping) of cattle manure at a rate of 

16 t/ha; T5, Gypsum at a rate of 9 t/ha followed by ripping; T6, Gypsum at a rate of 9 t/ha followed by 

ripping, and deep application of P, Zn and K. 


Germinating 

ideas 

By CSD Extension and 

Development Team 

In this issue we discuss the importance 

of continuing to supply new elite varieties 

to growers based on market requirements. 

Over time we have seen a gradual but 

consistent yield increase since the early 

1980s. A large component in the yield 

improvement has come from the advancement 

in new varieties developed by the 

CSIRO Plant Industry Cotton Breeding 

program. The importance of this can be 

seen in Figure 1 with a 40 per cent yield 

increase since the early 1980s or around 

two per cent improvement annually. 

According to Dr Greg Constable, it has 

been estimated that the CSIRO cotton 

breeding program has shown a return of 

over $5 billion of value to the Australian 

cotton industry and to the nation. This 

transposes into a cost/benefit ratio of 

1:86 which is a very significant return. 

The importance of yield improvement 

over time cannot be overstated. Given rising 

production costs yield gains over time continue 

to drive grower returns and underpin 

the industry’s strength to maintain its competitive 

advantage. Furthermore, Australian 

cotton is renowned for its quality and this 

combined with a sustainable production system 

means typically that Australian cotton is 

one of the few sources that is used in high 

quality textiles all over the world. 

Similarly to the yield increases that we 

have seen, we have also witnessed improvements 

in fibre quality over a long 

period of time. This has been driven by 

spinner’s requirements for longer and 

stronger fibres suitable for new mechanised 

spinning mills and fibres with a more 

stable micronaire. Figure 2 illustrates the 

change in fibre length since 2003. 

Improvements in fibre length above 37s 

over this period are in the range of 60 per 

cent and have meant fewer penalties and 

more price premiums for growers. Continuing 

variety improvements in terms of 

 

…52s 

FIGURE 1: Yield of each new conventional variety compared 

with DP16/Namcala across multiple sites in CSIRO small scale 

experiments 

FIGURE 2: Illustrating the change in fibre length since 2003 

Courtesy of the Australian 

Cotton Shippers Association. 


w51…GERMINATING IDEAS 

fibre quality have meant that Australian 

cotton is seen as a high quality product. 

The return on this comes from maintaining 

our well established markets all over 

the world, but in particular, to our closest 

customers in South-east Asia. 

For this coming season a number of 

new varieties will be available from Cotton 

Seed Distributors. The improvements 

to lint yield and fibre quality are the main 

attributes, with some varieties also being 

adapted to dryland systems. 

Sicot 74BRF 

Sicot 74BRF is a full season high yielding 

variety which has a five per cent yield 

increase potential over Sicot 71BRF in full 

season areas based on CSIRO trials over 

the past two seasons. This variety is slightly 

taller than Sicot 71 BRF with a similar fibre 

quality and disease resistance package. 

Sicot 74BRF has been shown to be 

adapted to the Northern and Western regions 

of NSW and Queensland, but is being 

evaluated across all growing regions 

this season. 

Dr Greg Constable, CSIRO plant 

breeder at Narrabri mentioned that, “Sicot 

74BRF has been one of our highest yielding 

lines the past few years in full season 

areas and has shown outstanding yield 

performance and good fibre quality.” 

From CSD trial work this season we 

have found Sicot 74BRF to perform well 

across many growing regions. James 

Quinn, Extension Agronomist from CSD 

observed, “it is still early days in terms of 

trial program results, but this variety has 

Table 1: CSIRO irrigated trials 

Rel yield (%) Lint % Length Strength Micronaire 

Sicot 74BRF 105.3 44.3 1.24 31.6 4.3 

Sicot 71BRF 100.0 41.6 1.22 31.9 4.2 

Mean of 8 sites over two seasons at McIntyre, St George, Bourke and Emerald. 

Table 2: CSIRO irrigated trials 


Sicala 340BRF 95.5 41.5 1.28 33.2 4.1 

Sicot 71BRF 100.0 41.6 1.22 31.9 4.2 

Mean of 8 sites over two seasons Northern and Central growing regions. 

Table 3: CSIRO dryland trials 


Siokra 24BRF 103 40.2 1.19 31.0 4.6 

Sicot 71BRF 102 41.2 1.17 31.5 4.6 

Siokra V-18BRF 100 40.6 1.18 31.2 4.7 

Sicot 80BRF 97 39.1 1.14 31.4 4.6 

Mean of 5 sites over two seasons. 

FIGURE 3: Auscott Moree Bollgard/Roundup Ready Flex trial 

2010 

performed well from a yield perspective, 

but also the quality from this variety is quite 

exceptional.” Figure 3 shows an example 

of one trial from this season. There are 

many more sites to be harvested and that 

data will be presented on the CSD Information 

Tour and in the 2010 CSD Trial 

Results book. 

Sicala 340BRF 

Sicala 340BRF is a high fibre quality 

variety, targeting premium fibre quality 

markets. The previous long staple variety, 

Sicala 350B, had very respectable quality 

but unfortunately didn’t compete on yield 

against the standard commercial varieties. 

This yield gap has been reduced with Sicala 

340BRF while preserving excellent 

fibre quality characteristics. 

Sicala 340BRF is a full season variety 

which is well suited to the Northern and 

Western regions of NSW and Queensland. 

The variety has exceptional fibre characteristics 

and early indications of an F Rank 

similar to Sicot 71BRF. 

The fibre quality package from this variety 

is promising and provided growers are able 

to obtain a price premium through good 

marketing, Sicala 340BRF should offer 

competitive financial returns. Furthermore, 

if conditions are tough, Sicala 340BRF has 

one of the longest fibre lengths of any commercial 

variety which will help minimise the 

risk of fibre quality discounts. 

Siokra 24BRF 

Siokra 24BRF is a new okra leaf variety 

which has had strong performances in 

dryland as well as some irrigated trials in 

Northern regions. This is a vigorous, full 

season variety with good fibre length. Although 

it has a different growth habit, it is 

seen as a replacement to the long standing 

leading dryland variety Siokra V-16BR. 

Dr Warwick Stiller, CSIRO plant 

breeder at Narrabri, has evaluated this variety 

for a number of years. “This variety 

has performed very well in many of our 

dryland trials and has shown impressive 

fibre length.” 

Results from CSD trials have also shown 

that there may be a fit for this variety in 

the Northern valleys with irrigation. This 

variety has the added benefit of the okra 

leaf which has shown significant delay in 

whitefly populations building up in the 

crop. Further evaluation of this variety will 

be done next season. 

All new varieties will be available for this 

coming season and due to the lateness of 

the season, seed quantities have yet to be 

determined. CSD will discuss availability 

of these varieties at the CSD Information 

Tour scheduled to commence in June. 



Picking is continuing in Central Queensland, with 

some crops only recently defoliated. After such a difficult 

season it is not surprising that yields and quality have 

been affected. 

Yields across Central Queensland are significantly 

down on district averages, with many farms struggling to 

achieve 7.5 bales per hectare. Following an extremely 

dry start, cloud and rain have had the biggest impact on 

yields. For most CQ farming districts, rainfall for February 

was generally two to three times the average; March 

was one and a half to two times the average and April 

was one and a half times the average. With so much rain 

on open cotton it is not surprising that quality has also 

been severely impacted with $50 to $80 downgrades 

common. 

As one grower in a slightly wetter part of CQ put it: “It 

was the last seven inches that did it for us. The first 21 

inches were not too bad!” 

Mealybug predators have moved in and cleaned up 

the population quite well. Growers are investing a lot of 

effort in ensuring that farms are clean of hosts, particularly 

volunteer cotton. Combined with a soft early season 

approach, it is hoped that problems from the past year 

will not be repeated. 

It is anticipated that there will be a large planting of 

chickpea and wheat over the winter, with the majority 

already in. With a full dam and some optimism about 

cotton pricing, it appears that 2010–11 will be a big 

year for cotton in CQ. 

Susan Maas 

May 20, 2010 

St George 

Dirranbandi 

Who would have thought after receiving over 400 

mm of rain in the first three months of the year and 

record breaking floods that you would now be hearing 

the words, ‘gee an inch of rain would be good’. Well 

that’s what we needed up until about an hour ago, as I 

district 

sit here typing this I’m currently listening to the steady 

beat of rain on the corrugated roof of our verandah and 

it must now be getting close to that much needed inch. 

Both the St George and Dirranbandi areas have now 

started with the recovery process after the March floods. 

While there has been some extensive damage to homes, 

roads, pumps and the odd storage, the majority of the 

area has survived reasonably well considering. 

Currently with the greater majority of on farm storages 

full we are now looking at a record production area 

for the Lower Balonne in 2010–11, somewhere in the 

vicinity of 52–55,000 hectares. Already country is being 

fertilised and back to back country being mulched and 

centre busted. 

Although yields were initially looking very disappointing 

they did tend to increase once module weights came 

in. One of my growers had counted the lowest number 

of modules from his fields and working on last year’s 

module weight averages of 14,200 kg was not a happy 

camper, but when the module weights came back closer 

to an average of 16,500 kg with some at 18 and 19 

tonnes, yields were looking a whole lot more respectable. 

The area still has a number of late fields to pick but 

back to back fields have ranged from 3.5 to 4.2 bales 

per acre and fallow fields around the 4.0 to 4.5 bales per 

acre mark. At this stage there have been very few five 

bale crops, though a local variety trial had the new Sicot 

74BRF hit 5.03 bales per acre which was 0.4 of a bale 

per acre above Sicot 71BRF. Once again the CSIRO 

and CSD teams should be congratulated on the great 

varieties they continue to develop. 

Quality as expected, due to the high rainfall at the 

tail end of the season, has been a mixed bag with some 

discounts on colour being up to $60 per bale though we 

have had very good results with length and micronaire 

this season. 

Insect pressure was light to moderate with the Bollgard 

generally having one or two applications for mirids 

and one for whitefly or more of other products when 

Admiral and Pegasus was unavailable. The big news for 

the area is that the mealybug (Phenacoccus solenopsis) 

was found in a late crop of cotton in the St George 

area, so the Cotton CRC are running meetings in both 

reports 

District Reports 

are proudly supported by 


district 

reports 

St George and Dirranbandi with Melina Miles and Dave 

Parlato to try and ensure we avoid a similar situation to 

that experienced in Emerald. 

Here’s hoping that inch gives the dryland wheat the 

boost it needs. 

Dallas King 

May 25, 2010 

Border Rivers 

Another season down – and one that most are glad 

to have out of the way – but despite the challenges there 

were some exceptional results for the Macintyre. 

Defoliation was a mixed bag. Crops that had periods 

of stop/start growth during the season, particularly early 

plants and dryland were a real challenge and a lot required 

three applications or more. Those crops with uninterrupted 

growth, particularly later planted crops, were 

a much simpler process. 

Picking started in the week after Easter but didn’t really 

get going in full swing until the middle of April and 

most was finished by the middle of May. The start was 

delayed a bit by the early March rainfall which delayed 

some of the early defoliation. Despite a couple of scares, 

there were minimal weather interruptions throughout 

the picking period. 

Irrigated crops with sufficient water throughout the 

season have achieved outstanding yields with very few 

going below 10 bales per hectare and plenty of reports 

of fields of 12.5 bales per hectare and more. Quality 

has generally been very good but has varied by location 

and crop maturity – particularly in relation to the early 

March rainfall. Those in the western end of the district 

had more rain during this period and, generally, it was 

only crops planted before October 15 that had open 

bolls exposed to this moisture. This meant more leaf and 

lower colour for crops that fell into these categories but 

the parameters of staple length, strength and micronaire 

have been good throughout. 

For dryland growers this year – if you could get it out 

of the ground and keep it alive until Christmas time you 

had a good result. For those growers that got some in, 

the first two to three months was very unforgiving and 

big differences in crop development showed up from minor 

changed in soil type, stubble cover and compaction to 

name a few examples. For most crops, rain at Christmas 

came just in the nick of time, setting up a good plant size 

and allowing the production of good fruit numbers. In the 

end, yields have been generally pleasing, ranging between 

two and five bales per hectare, and fibre quality excellent. 

Good stored soil moisture, a spike in cotton prices 

and depressed cereal prices have led to the most interest 

in dryland cotton in the Macintyre for over a decade. 

This not only includes the traditional areas north 

of Goondiwindi and North Star/Croppa Creek, but also 

areas in the west that have been inundated by flood water 

during the summer. 

Irrigators on the Weir River have good quantities 

of water in storage guaranteeing a near full plant for 

Mungindi. The upper reaches of the Macintyre is the 

only sad story with Pindari and Glenlyon Dams both at 

25 per cent capacity, meaning only a small planting for 

growers relying on this system unless we see a change 

over the winter. 

David Kelly 

May 26, 2010 

Darling Downs 

Picking on the Downs this season has been a long 

drawn out process and is expected to continue well into 

the second half of June. The one saving grace has been 

the relatively ideal weather conditions over this period. 

Up to the beginning of June, there has been minimal 

interruption to picking from the weather and this has 

been reflected in the quality of the cotton. 

The overall quality of the cotton this year has been 

very good, according to the ginners. Some of the early 

cotton was a bit wet and trashy, but this has improved 

through the season. Colour has been very good with 

only very minimal downgrades. There has been a lot of 

high micronaire cotton, but it has been on the high end 

of the base grade, so has not resulted in any penalty. 

There has also been some short staple cotton, but this 

is a reflection of the harsh seasonal conditions the Darling 

Downs experienced through most of the growing 

period. 

Yields this year have been on both ends of the extremes. 

Irrigated cotton has tended to be below average. 

But there have been some exceptional results, particularly 

in the north-western areas where weather conditions 

and rainfall were more favourable, especially later 

in the season. Yields in excess of six bales per acre have 

been recorded. 

Dryland production yields have also varied widely, 

ranging from 0.5 bales per acre in the southern area 

to well over three bales per acre in the north-western 

areas. Even though these record crops experienced less 

than desirable weather conditions, particularly early in 

the growing season, it shows that with good management 

practices and timely rainfall, dryland cotton on the 

Downs has great potential. 

Duncan Weir 

June 4, 2010 

Gwydir Valley 

Picking is almost complete after what has turned out 

to be a challenging and surprising season, which seems 

to be drawn further and further into the year. This would 

have to be one of the latest picking periods recorded. 

Excellent growing conditions were experienced right 

through the New Year. Follow up rainfall and ideal temperature 

regimes accelerated the crop’s growth allowing 


it to recover from slow growth pre flowering. Vegetative 

control using Pix was needed on some of the more compact 

varieties for the first time in several years. 

These ideal conditions have continued right up to May 

which has enabled the crop to finish off extremely well. 

Due to the difficult conditions during the first one-third 

of the season there was a lot of yield generated and harvested 

from the last one-third of the season. 

Yield for irrigated crops have ranged from four bales 

to high five bales and the success of crops in no small 

way is due to how well they were able to survive till the 

rain fell at Christmas. 

Semi irrigated blocks have faired rather well with early 

indications that some blocks will yield over four bales 

per acre paddock. This is an encouraging achievement 

which has opened up a lot of eyes – double skip crops 

which are yielding eight bales per acre in the row are an 

impressive sight. 

Quality has been good to excellent with no reports 

of any issues with the quality even though defoliation 

became more difficult as the crops became later. 

Because of the later planting date, the dryland crop 

was still doing well when the rain arrived and was able to 

fully capitalise on the excellent growing conditions during 

the New Year. 

There is still a bit of dryland to be picked with yield 

range from 1.25–2 bales or more depending on the 

amount of rain received. 

James Quinn 

June 2, 2010 

Namoi Valley 

It has been a very late pick this season, but as of late 

May, 95 per cent of the crop has been harvested. Despite 

all the fears of a wet pick it has been quite dry and 

picking has had very few interruptions. 

Irrigated yields have been a bit better than expected. 

The best irrigated crops have yielded just over 5.0 bales 

per acre while the average in the lower Namoi is about 

3.9 bales per acre and the average in the upper Namoi 

is about 3.7 bales per acre. Dryland yields have been 

well above average. Some fantastic dryland yields in the 

upper and lower Namoi have rivalled irrigated crops. An 

odd crop has exceeded 3.0 bales per acre. 

Overall fibre quality has also been very good. Nearly 

the whole crop is base grade or better. Almost half the 

crop achieved 21s. Length and micronaire have also 

been very good. 

The majority of the valley was planted to Sicot 71BRF 

with smaller areas of the new Sicot 74BRF grown for 

seed increase. Sicot 74BRF performed very well commercially 

and in variety trials. It is expected to become 

the preferred variety in the Namoi over the next few 

years. Sicot 71BRF continues to perform well in dryland 

fields. 

Planting of winter rotation crops is well under way, 

but some growers have decided not to plant wheat this 

season due to the low prices on offer. Chickpea rotations 

have become more popular in the Namoi. 

Prospects for the coming season are only fair at this 

stage. Keepit dam is about 26 per cent leaving very little 

water for irrigators. Ground water allocations continue 

to be reduced but many growers did not use their full 

allocation last year due to timely summer rain. Some of 

this unused water can be carried forward. Most Walgett 

growers on the Barwon have water in their storages for 

the first time in several years. Irrigated area prospects 

are about 11,000 hectares in the upper Namoi and 

30,000 in the lower Namoi. The dryland area could be 

as high as 40,000 hectares in the Namoi region. 

We are still waiting for a wet winter and full dams! 

Robert Eveleigh 

May 29, 2010 

Macquarie Valley 

district 

Dry weather has meant reasonable conditions for 

cotton picking in the Macquarie Valley. With growers 

almost finished picking in the region, many are busy 

planting winter crops. While soil conditions were drying 

on the surface, there is good subsoil moisture and the 

recent rainfall was timely and wide spread, refilling the 

soil profile. 

Defoliation was difficult for many farms and up to 

three applications were needed to remove leaves and to 

open bolls in particularly heavy canopies. The combination 

of abundant summer rain, good levels of nutrition 

and fallow fields may have contributed to heavy crop 

canopies. 

Cotton quality has generally been good with most 

fields going base grade or above. There has been minor 

discounting for the higher leaf count and reports of 

lower gin out turns than expected, with some exceptions. 

Staple lengths and strengths have also been good 

with few if any discounts. There was some discounting 

due to colour issues. 

Yields have been average to good, as many crops averaged 

around 11–12 bales per hectare with only a very 

small number higher than 13 bales per hectare. 

The major dam levels continue to remain low despite 

the huge amount of rain received downstream over summer 

and early autumn. The catchment areas for both 

Windamere and Burrendong dams remain very dry and 

will need substantial rain before any runoff will occur. 

Some areas in the upper Cudgegong valley catchment 

have extremely low on-farm water due to little or no 

runoff for more than three years. 

The prospect of a wet winter continues to entice farmers 

in the region. If the rain eventuates, good inflows 

into the dams with secure allocation and full on-farm 

storages will allow growers to capitalise on improving 

cotton prices. 

The Macquarie Valley Growers Association Cotton 

reports 


district 

reports 

Crop Competition attracted several entries and the in 

field judging was held in mid April. Ginning of the entries 

is currently underway and final yields will determine 

placings. It was good to see and hear about the types of 

innovations being tried about by growers. 

Many are willing to adopt new technologies and management 

techniques to improve soil health, increase 

yields and conserve the environment. Growing more 

with less water and inputs was a common theme. 

Craig McDonald 

May 24, 2010 

Southern NSW 

As per my comments in the last season summary it is 

amazing what a little water can do for optimism. Combine 

this with $500 prices and exceptional yields and 

things really start to hot up. 

The majority of the 2009–10 crop has been picked 

with only small areas to go. Ginning has really only just 

started yet I would not be surprised if the combined valley 

average for the Lachlan and Murrumbidgee nudges 

12 bales to the hectare. The CSD variety trial yields will 

provide a little insight into this season’s yields. In addition, 

these fantastic yields have been in combination with 

earliness and excellent quality. The remarkable thing is 

that it was by no means the perfect season with extreme 

Answer to Ian’s 

mYSTERY Tractor Quiz 

The Mystery Tractor is a 1911 Marshall Class C, 

manufactured by William Marshall Sons & Co. of 

Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. Its massive two cylinder 

engine developed a mere 35 bhp. (PHOTO: IMJ) 

This second photo is of an identical unit which is on 

display at the fabulous Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement 

Village, in Western Victoria. (PHOTO: IMJ) 

cold experienced early and periods of extreme heat. But 

we did not have flooding rains or weeks of cloud plus 

once again we have had a dry and warm finish. 

There is a lot of excitement and anticipation building 

in respect to next season with quite a few first time growers 

forward selling cotton. The picture below was taken 

at Tim and Roger Commin’s farm where approximately 

40 irrigation farmers attended a meeting organised by 

MIA Rural due to demand aimed at potential growers. 

The growers attending this meeting came from all areas 

of the Riverina including Coleambally, Narranderra, 

Darlington Point and Jerilderie to hear representatives 

from CSD, Monsanto, Namoi Cotton and Dunavant 

speak. 

Following on from this has been the demand to run 

another two meetings in coming weeks. There could be 

in excess of 10,000 hectares in Southern NSW next 

season which is a vast increase on this season’s 3300 

hectares. This area expansion is taking place without a 

general security announcement and is solely based on 

carry over and of course bores. 

James Hill 

May 28, 2010 

Tim and Roger Commin’s farm where approximately 40 

irrigation farmers attended a meeting organised by MIA 

Rural due to demand aimed at potential growers. 

Advertiser’s Index 

Aquatech Consulting.................... 20 

Advanced Nutrients..................... 43 

Cargill Cotton.............................. 30 

Case IH.........................................17 

Charlton.......................................16 

Cotton Grower Services................IFC 

Cotton Outlook........................... IBC 

Countryco.................................... 32 

CSD..............................................13 

Dinner Plain.................................. 1 

eChem......................................... 39 

Ecom........................................... 35 

Excel Ag.......................................15 

Gessner....................................... 23 

Incitec Pivot................................... 5 

Kenso.......................................... 41 

Moree Real Estate....................... 30 

Namoi Cotton.............................. 33 

Neils Parts..................................... 3 

Queensland Cotton...................... 31 

Serafin Machinery................... 3, 32 

SMK Consultants............................ 2 

Syngenta..........................7, 8, 9, 10 

Sumitomo.................................OBC 

The Appointments Group............... 2 

Valmont.......................................19 

Volvo Penta Oceania.................... 21 

Westfield Augers......................... 27

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