Achievable paddock yields now frequently overreach the science and yields upon which our current crop nutrition practices are based. To date managing high yield cotton has been done with a lack of verifiable evidence based strategies but more based on seasonal tactics. In the current atmosphere of high yield expectations, increasing nutrient prices, and varying cotton prices, continuation of the increasing nutrient addition approach poses risks both to the stability of production and the environment. Increasing rates of nutrients applied must be done in a considered and balance approach with nutrient use efficiency keeping pace with increasing yield. A large divergence in this relationship can be an early symptom of increase environmental risk and potential increase in volatility of production economics