CRDC undertakes an annual survey of cotton growers to gather information about farming practices and growers’ views on research, development and extension. This information helps to inform CRDC about the benefits of the research it invests in. Change in industry practice can be quantified by comparing information across the surveys conducted over the past 20 years.

Previous surveys have included a number of core annual questions and then a number of focus areas to investigate specific aspects of the farming system.

In September 2016, the best and brightest of Australian ag's emerging young leaders gathered at the GrowAg Summit in Albury, NSW to hear from government, industry and peers working across the fields of agribusiness, education, technology, finance and leadership.

GrowAg identified 108 emerging leaders from around Australia for inclusion in the program. It heralded a new generation of innovative thinking and problem solving as the group looked at challenges that have the potential to disrupt Australian agriculture over the next few years.

The program was deliberately set to challenge traditional views and practices in agriculture as delegates were encouraged to not only learn about new innovations – but to consider what they need to do right now to capitalise on developments in technology, smart business and leadership.

The three-day ‘think tank’ explored:
 how Australian agribusiness can best capitalise on global opportunities
 future innovations in technologies, markets, and products that are transforming Australian agribusiness; and
 the most effective ways to develop capable and diverse leaders needed to steer Australian agriculture into the future

The title of this project “Science leadership for cotton development in Northern Australia” required technical support for new cotton industries across a huge (1/3 of Australia) new and different region, climatically, biologically and culturally. As anyone associated with cotton in Australia knows since the end of 2019 investment and test farming of cotton in the tropical north was massive. To be efficient and effective in this environment with a small team this project has minimised overlap with other cotton projects, delivered resources and information collated from past northern cotton and relevant other broad acre crop R&D, entered into partnerships with local agencies / farmer groups e.g. CRCNA collaboration in the NT. Flexibility to address new issues was required e.g. the partnership with Vanderfield, CSD and the CRCNA project to address establishment challenges with rain grown cotton. From the onset assisting local technical skill development was a key activity, this encompassed research, crop monitoring and crop management and natural resources (suitable soils).

Every operator has a slightly different requirement from technology due to their location, size, setup, and types of equipment being used all impact the type of systems that can be utilised.  Another factor is the existing telecommunications network if there is adequate 4G signal for example then the options are much broader.  Therefore this study has found, there is no off-the-shelf solution that will suit everyone and there is a need for a reliable supplier to be able to piece together a sufficient solution. 

When developing a scope of work it is important to be clear and concise about the specific requirements of your operation, and to keep a long-term view regarding desired future expansions and how and when you might want to upscale the telemetry or technology towards automation. This is mainly due to such systems being pieced together and the installer not having advanced experience and proficiency with some third-party technology suppliers. 

A further consideration is the type of connectivity available on the farm to enable these digital technologies now and building in the future. 

This project has demonstrated that the Cotton Industry can take advantage of technology to reduce man hours, minimising personal risk, while improving efficiencies to benefit the environment as well as the operation financially.  

To identify where existing or new sensor technologies coupled with knowledge of fibre development and environmental influences, can be used to better manage cotton crops and the interface between the end of crop production and post-harvest handling/ processing, to improve cotton fibre quality.

Soil Organic Carbon

Incorporated stubble retained more than twice as much stubble-C compared with surface applied stubble. The N contained in surface-applied stubble was mostly recovered. With warm temperatures, the incorporated stubble promoted substantial biological N fixation, and indicated that up to 150 kg N/ha may be fixed where stubble is incorporated. Stubble applied to the soil surface reduced water loss. This helps explain the rates of C sequestration reported by Rochester (2011) in his field experiment where all stubble was incorporated.

Timing of Nitrogen

The timing of nitrogen trials (TON) provided clear information in regard to both the timing of nitrogen and varietal response to uptake and answered the question about splitting applications or when to apply N upfront. The TON trials showed that there was no statistical difference in splitting nitrogen application in regard to yield. In regard to splitting the applications or supplying N upfront from September to January, there was no statistical difference. It was therefore concluded that supplying N upfront prior to sowing provides the same yield compared to split or late upfront application dates. This is very reassuring information for the industry. The impact would be significant as there would be a reduction in labour and machinery cost (diesel) as well as NO emissions from over supplied N during splitting/fertigating during the season. The outcome of this research provides both an economical and environmental benefit.

Extension of the Research

Research outcomes have been communicated to industry via phone and email enquiries, Spotlight and Cotton grower magazine articles, technical advice given through the NUTRIpak webpage and NutriLOGIC decision support system and via the industry’s extension networks. The 2014 cotton conference and subsequent Nitrogen management workshop provided the industry with up-to date reports and discussions on the best management practices for the cotton industry.

The final conclusion from the research was that long term high-yielding cotton crops can be produced without high N fertiliser inputs, or excessive water use.

This report identifies Work Health and Safety (WHS) overlaps across nine members of the Rural Safety and Health Alliance (RSHA): AgriFutures Australia, Australian Eggs, Australian Pork Limited, Australian Wool Innovation, Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Dairy Australia, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Grains Research and Development Corporation, and Meat and Livestock Australia.
The report is designed to provide a detailed matrix outlining the commonalities of injuries, deaths and risks across rural sectors. This evidence-based information will then be used to make informed collaborative cross-sectoral Research Development and Extension (RD&E) investment decisions, where investment can have both human and economic impact.

The purpose for attending the XXI N Workshop in person was to present the key findings from the CRDC QUT Targeted N project in remote sensing for N optimisation and precision agriculture.

The key findings presented at the workshop from the project include:

1. Vegetative Indices (VI) can estimate differences in crop N status within management zones,
2. A multivariate approach that considers soil moisture, canopy structure and soil background reflectance is required to accurately predict leaf N, petiole NO3-N and lint yield across the entire field,
3. Sensor comparison has found that VIs derived from Sentinel-2 provide similar results and reflectance patterns to the Crop Circle
4. Sentinel-2 can therefore be used as a cost-effective source to estimate N status and inform N management decisions
5. Future Farm will significantly improve the way in which soil and crop sensors are used to inform decisions about the amount and timing of N inputs to maximise productivity and profit

In 2021 I presented at INI2021 virtually and connected with Dr Jose Gabriel and Dr Jose-Luis Pancorbo from the University of Madrid. I also connected with their team during my visit to Madrid  (lead by Professor Miguel Quemada) and discussed  their research using hyperspectral band sensitivity for nitrate-N and their research using clip and handheld sensors. They are undertaking very similar research with clip sensors, however, in maize and winter wheat. We are using near infra-red sensors developed by Hone in cotton.

There was an opportunity to attend other key sessions that are important to the cotton industry. The sessions were:

1. Remote sensing for N optimisation and precision agriculture.
2. Costs and benefits of halving N waste by 2030
3. N and circular economy. The role of affected stakeholders
4. Policy Strategies for reducing N waste

The sessions all align nicely with the strategic RD&E plan goals of the CRDC. Attending and participating in the meeting exposed me to the strategies implemented internationally to tackle N waste. It also made me aware of the policy frameworks that could be implemented in Australian agriculture and the impact on our productivity as well as the role of circular economy research to assist in reducing waste.