Australian cotton is purchased for a premium on the basis of quality and consistency. However, coarse (high micronaire) fibre, high nep counts and excessive short fibre are industry concerns. Quality is affected by many interacting factors e.g. variety, seasonal conditions and crop and harvest management. Appropriate varieties, management for each region's climate, and processing to minimise damage to fibre are opportunities to improve fibre quality. Through a significant combined research effort this project aimed to optimise cotton fibre quality of Australian cotton by: direct influences of on-farm agronomic management and climate on fibre development; and post-harvest research that investigated the degree of these influences on textile performance in the mill.