Cotton research and development

Australia has produced up to 3 million bales of cotton with the potential for greater  production in favourable seasons and has a reputation for producing high quality fibre sought by buyers in Indonesia, China, Korea and Japan. In 2010 cotton was the 3rd largest agricultural export crop and the 5th largest rural export earner. The cotton industry generates on average over $1.5 billion per year in export revenue, and underpins the viability of many rural communities. Being an annual crop cottongrowers can plant acreages that reflect seasonal conditions and water availabilty in storage.

I&I NSW scientists at ACRI works closely with growers, collaborate with scientists in CSIRO, Cotton CRC and the universities and conduct research to determine optimum agronomic inputs for cotton. The I&I NSW research effort is focused on enhancing northern broadacre irrigated and dryland farming systems that entails ongoing development  and improvement in integrated insect, weed, water, soil and disease management and the extension of this activity. The primary research objectives of I&I NSW at ACRI are:

Integrated pest and insecticide resistance management research including development of biological insecticides such as entomopathogenic fungi, semiochemicals, beneficial insect food attractants, spray oils, habitat  manipulation techniques and resistance monitoring in irrigated & dryland crops:

• Integrated disease management research
• Integrated weed management research in broadacre crops
• Irrigation and water use efficiency  research including irrigation best management practises
• Soil productivity research including: tillage systems and stubble management systems; carbon sequestration in soil and soil quality
• Agronomic legume research –faba beans and mungbeans and soybeans
• Extension services – irrigated and dryland crops

More about NSW DPI and the Cotton CRC

Soils program

I&I NSW soil scientists undertake field and laboratory based studies to examine soil quality and water conservation, carbon sequestration, sodicity, and soil hydrology. In addition, there are on-station and on-farm long term farming systems studies focussed on issues such as tillage systems, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, crop rotations and in situ stubble retention to determine appropriate management strategies for cotton production.

Research is also conducted on utilising liquid waste (treated sewage effluent) for irrigation and solid waste products (manure cotton gin trash etc) as soil amendments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Integrated Pest and Insecticide Resistance Management program

Transgenic cotton crops (Bollgard II) expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins (Cry 1AC and Cry 2AB) are planted by about 95% of farmers in the Australian cotton industry.  The most important issue affecting the long-term viability of the cotton industry is the potential for cotton pests such as the boll and budworm (Helicoverpa spp.) developing resistance to the transgenic cotton crops and also dependence of insecticides to control Helicoverpa spp. and sucking pests unaffected by the Bt toxins as well as insecticide resistance. I&I NSW scientists at ACRI is recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in the field of insecticide resistance monitoring and the development of integrated pest management (IPM), biological insecticides and resistance monitoring to minimise the use of synthetic insecticides in irrigated and dryland cotton and grain crops.
The integrated pest management (IPM) research focuses on pests and beneficial insect’s ecology, biology, behaviour,  beneficial insects conservation, development of IPM strategies and IPM tools such as entomopathogenic fungal insecticides, semiochemicals, natural plant products, petroleum spray oils (PSOs), beneficial insect food attractants (food sprays), trap cropping. Due to the development and adoption of IPM, the cotton industry has reduced pesticide use in the cotton industry estimated at around 6,200 tonnes per year.

The insecticide resistance management research program focuses on the monitoring of insecticide resistance to major pests of broadacre crops particularly cotton and grains.  This involves research in generating baseline susceptibility data, resistance monitoring and underlying genetics and biochemical mechanisms of resistance.

Principal Researcher: Dr Robert Mensah; Principal Research Scientist

Disease management program

I&I NSW plant pathologists have undertaken disease surveys in cotton for the past 21 years. The greatest disease threats in the cotton industry are Black root rot and Fusarium wilt. I&I NSW scientists are undertaking studies into (1) dispersal of disease pathogens, (2) seed treatment, (3) induce systemic acquired resistance, (4) sowing dates to avoid conditions that favour soil borne diseases, (5) crop rotation with non-host crops to reduce severity of diseases such as Black root rot and (6) management of crop residues to minimise carryover of the Fusarium wilt.

Weed management program

Weed scientists in I&I NSW at ACRI have undertaken weed survey in cotton for the past 20 years. Scientists are undertaking research in the:

(1) management of problem weeds such as Nutgrass, Peachvine & Bellvine, Polymeria takeall which can out-compete cotton,

(2) development of weed thresholds to optimise the value of herbicides and transgenic (Roundup Ready) technology while minimising the reliance on herbicides,

(3) basic ecology of the more important weeds of the cotton systems and

(4) development and implementation of Integrated Weed Management program for cotton growers.

A big step forward for the cotton industry has been the introduction of the Roundup Ready Flex trait in a range of commercially available cotton varieties. The majority of commercially grown cotton now includes this trait. The trait confers tolerance to the broad-spectrum herbicide, glyphosate, allowing weeds in cotton crops to be managed with glyphosate through most of the season. The emergence of a range of weeds with resistance to glyphosate is, however, an emerging problem which challengs the weed management strategy of the entire northern-farming system, including cotton.

The weed management program at ACRI primarily focuses on:

(1) optimising the use of glyphosate in cotton through developing a weed control threshold,

(2) monitoring weed pressure in the farming system, and

(3) developing management information for crops damaged by a range of other herbicides.

The weed management program works in collaboration with the DEEDI weeds group based in Toowoomba who are working on strategies to manage resistance to glyphosate.

Soybean and faba bean breeding program

ACRI is the headquarters of the National Soybean Breeding Program. Soybean breeding at ACRI is undertaken by I&I NSW and has resulted in new varieties of soybeans that offer improved quality for human consumption and agronomic benefits to improve grower profitability. The new varieties have superior yields, disease resistance, and drought tolerance. ACRI also plays important part in adoption of legumes into northern cereal and crop rotations. The Faba bean breeding program is aiming towards higher yields, chocolate spot resistance and frost tolerance.