Bringing you the latest comments from our team, via our CottonInfo blog.

The CRDC-funded action research project SHIFT: Delivering best practice for management of future skills was funded from 2021-2024 and supported cotton growing enterprises to identify and implement strategies, tools and resources to better attract, develop and retain their workforce.

These resources cover a wide range of non-technical skills for people management, including leadership, advising new entrants, and the importance of clear communication.

Below is an extensive list of resources developed as part of SHIFT that covers a range of different skills areas and corresponding…

24 March 2025

After a period of change and renewal, the Australian cotton industry’s extension program, CottonInfo, has welcomed five new Regional Extension Officers (REOs) to the team.

The new team members Rochelle Field (Macquarie), Bob Ford and Blake Palmer (Namoi), Greg Bramley (Gwydir) and Tami Buranda (Central Queensland) join CottonInfo’s existing REOs Annabel Twine (Darling Downs), Andrew McKay (Border Rivers, St George, Dirranbandi) and Kieran O’Keeffe (Southern NSW), bolstering CottonInfo to a full complement of REOs, ensuring industry-good extension across seven…

Better Cotton has traditionally been traded and traced under a mass balance system. However, due to feedback from brands and upcoming EU legislation that will impact on-product claims, Better Cotton has now established traceability for physical Better Cotton.

This document (access here) from Cotton Australia explains what this means for growers as at February 2025.

December 2024.

Recent molecular testing by the NSW DPIRD has confirmed etoxazole (Zeal®) resistance in two-spotted spider mites collected from northern NSW. This finding comes at a difficult time for crop managers in this region who are already facing challenges with mite management due to diafenthiuron and abamectin resistance.

The target site mutation responsible for this resistance has been found in approximately 10% of the mites tested from last season. As confronting as this sounds there is some good news in that the gene responsible for resistance is recessive. This means…

by CottonInfo Program Manager, Janelle Montgomery.

Recently there have been some issues raised about Day Degrees (DD), particularly when growers and consultants are looking at their petiole testing results. There remains some legacy where some tools and understanding still utilize the DD12 approach to accumulating day degrees. The DD12 approach still works well in seasons that have average conditions. The DD1532 approach provided by CSD (or can be calculated) is more accurate and simpler to calculate than the DD12 approach.…

December 2024

At this time of year, many would be considering managing vegetative growth of their cotton crop. Mepiquat chloride is a growth regulator used to manage excessive vegetative growth of cotton crops. However, there can be positive or negative effects associated with its use.

Last season, grower/consultant-led research trials overseen by Katie Broughton (CSIRO) and supported by CRDC and the CSD Richard Williams Initiative, aimed to develop a better understanding of crop growth and…

Monday 9 December 2024 

Australia’s CottonInfo extension program continues to be world-class, connecting industry to research helping growers achieve best-practice cotton production on-farm. 

This was just one of the findings of a recent…

The Australian Cotton Enterprise Non-Technical Guide for New Entrants is now available to all Australian cotton growers.

The Guide takes the highlights of the three SHIFT Guides for New Entrants.

The resource gives cotton growers a great induction resource to ensure new entrants know the mindsets and skills needed to adapt to their new role and workplace.

You can access the Guide here.

2023/24 Disease Survey Results for NSW cotton growing areas are available now.

Download your copy here.