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

This article applies what we have learnt about cotton growth and development in the CQ environment and look at what to expect once the decision is made to grow the crop on.

(Whether or not a field should be retained vs abandoned will not be covered here, as crop insurance and a range of other factors will affect that decision-making process when significant damage has been sustained.)

Hail damage will vary from minor leaf and terminal shoot damage through to extensive canopy destruction, including stem and fruit loss. The highest impact of this damage is likely to…

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1. Be prepared for increased pest activity, particularly aphids.

Pest activity has been relatively subdued in recent seasons due to reduced cotton acreage and a very dry surrounding landscape. Although the cotton area for 2020-21 is well down on previous seasons, increased rainfall will see major changes in the surrounding landscape that will in turn influence pest populations that will affect crops now and in future seasons.

With increasing rainfall, aphids are a pest to be on the lookout for. Whilst aphids have been infrequent pests for several seasons, their rapid…

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1. Keep an eye out for fall armyworm.

With fall armyworm (FAW) detections throughout Queensland and well into NSW, many agronomists are taking a closer look at the caterpillars they come across in different crops. Importantly, please note that FAW have not been detected in in any cotton crops (either Bollgard® 3 or unsprayed non-Bt cotton refuges) grown over the last 7 months in Northern Australia.

Host preference field studies conducted by Dr Brian Thistleton and his team at the Department of Primary Industries and Resources in the NT also found no evidence for FAW…

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If it can move, it can carry pests, weeds and diseases. For this reason, it is important to communicate your biosecurity requirements to all people entering farms. Never assume people know the biosecurity measures you have in place for your farm.

There are a number of ways you can communicate your biosecurity requirements, including:

Limit the entry points to access the farm. Reducing entry points allows you to record all vehicle movements and know who is on farm.
  Use biosecurity signs at farm entry points. Ensure your biosecurity signs are… Read More

Recent research has looked at the impacts of early season water deficits on fruit production, fruit retention, boll distribution, seed and lint yield in high retention Bollgard ll variety Sicot 71BR cotton.

Experiments were conducted over two seasons (2006-07 and 2007-08) at the Gatton Campus of the University of Queensland. The research consisted of four experiments which had different planting dates, area, rainfall and irrigations after the stress period.

All four experiments consisted of three different water treatment scenarios which included:

irrigation… Read More

Roundup Ready® cotton has been grown in Australia since 2002 and since then glyphosate has become a firm favourite: a bit like your footy team, biscuit, or car.

Glyphosate is a once-in-a-generation herbicide - we are unlikely to see a more robust product with this longevity ever again.

But its great strength has also become its greatest weakness! Growers have had so much success controlling problem weeds with glyphosate that they have reduced the use of other modes of action, especially in non-crop areas around the farm. Repeated application of glyphosate along fence…

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Diseases can reduce yield, increase the cost of production and influence how growers and consultants manage their properties, with farming practices having a significant effect on the spread and severity of diseases present.

Effective integrated disease management (IDM) involves using a range of control strategies to assist with managing disease concerns and the risk of disease affecting field and farm productivity. Whilst some may believe that IDM is important when you have a disease problem, IDM practices should be implemented regardless of whether or not a disease problem is…

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What do koalas, the Fitzroy river turtle and the southern bell frog have in common? They're just three of the iconic Australian species found on or near our cotton farms. 

A fantastic new resource has just been launched on our CottonInfo website, showcasing the biodiversity information for every local cotton growing area.

By choosing your local government area (LGA) on our clickable map, you'll see a snapshot of the biodiversity that exists in your area: the iconic plant and animal species in your region, and the threatened ones.

The…

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Coming off the back of drought, crop managers may have concerns that prolonged periods of fallow will cause a rise in the incidence of long fallow disorder.

Long fallow disorder is characterised as emerging crops growing poorly following periods of fallowing paddocks. In the 1970 and 80s, the disorder was associated with low densities of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. The theory was that propagules of the AM fungi decreased over time during long fallows and this caused the disorder. However a body of cotton industry research over 30 years tells a different story.

…

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With the 2020-21 season approaching, now's the time to be undertaking preseason planning to reflect and consider strategies on how to manage pests and beneficials.

Integrated pest management (IPM) uses knowledge of pest biology, behaviour and ecology to implement a range of integrated tactics to supress and reduce pest outbreaks and reliance on insecticides for their management. IPM supports the long-term management of pests, maintains profitability, reduces the risk of insecticide resistance and minimises risks to human health and the environment.

At the heart of IPM…

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