While the cotton industry relies on large inputs of Nitrogen fertilizer, most growers are confident that their management of this input is satisfactory. Even so, substantial improvement can often be made on the most efficient of farms. Also, many growers are now becoming more aware of other nutritional problems. Increasingly, phosphorus, potassium and soil sodicity are creating concern for growers. Some of these problems have been created over a long period of time and hence identification and awareness of impending problems is imperative before they can be addressed. Often, the solution is not immediate. Hence, monitoring the availability of nutrients in the soil is critical, as is monitoring of nutrient uptake by the crop using leaf analysis. This will provide data to ensure deficiencies are recognised before they affect productivity and longer-term problems (eg soil sodicity) are addressed. The NUTRlpak manual was published in 2001 and delivers a detailed coverage and background to nutritional problems encountered in cotton production. It can be used to help interpret laboratory analysis to determine deficiencies, toxicities and imbalances between nutrients. The most important issues related to cotton nutrition are summarised below