Blending of two or more different fibre types is of crucial significance to the textile industry. Shore [1] reports that several interrelated factors may contribute to the decision to replace a homogeneous textile material by a blend: Economy: The dilution of an expensive fibre by blending with a cheaper one. Durability: The incorporation of a more durable component to extend the useful life of a less durable fibre. Physical properties: A compromise to take advantage of desirable performance characteristics contributed by both fibre components. Colour: The ability to develop novel designs incorporating multi-colour effects. Appearance: The attainment of attractive appearance and tactile qualities using combinations of yarns with, for example, different lustre. The blend of cotton with polyester represents one of the most important textile substrates, being widely used as a fabric for shirring. The synthetic fibre enhances the crease resistance, dimensional stability and easy-care properties of the blend, and the cotton component contributes contort, especially important for products worn next to the skin. In spite of the rapid growth in the use of synthetic fibres, natural fibre blends of, especially, cotton and wool have been of some importance over many years' Inclusion of wool in cotton products enhances properties such as appearance retention, bulk and comfort. Rocklea Spinning Mills has recently launched Colana yarns, manufactured from 70% cotton and 30% wool. CSIRO Textile and Fibre Technology has provided scientific and technical support to Rocklea for this project, with funding provided by CSIRO, The Woolmark Company, and more recently, the Australian Cotton Cooperative Research Centre (Cotton CRC). This paper focuses attention on blends of cotton and wool, drawing on past and present experiences in the Colana initiative.

Successful communications at a community level is not a new concept. It is a valuable and worthwhile process that many of us have been striving to achieve for years' Whether you are involved in the local show society, school P & F, sporting club or church group each one of us would strive to have successful communications. I'm sure through experience you can all think of examples when the communication levels weren't going well, broke down or just didn't exist. The key is to identify what is needed and work towards building communication levels, as well as vision and trust.

Microorganisms in soil regulate a wide range of processes that are critical for plant growth and crop productivity. A large, diverse and active soil biota could help provide soil conditions for sustainable cotton production through (i) crop residue decomposition and improvement of nutrient supplying potential of soils, (ii) preventing aggressive plant pathogens taking hold and improve plants ability to withstand disease effects, (iii) reducing the loss of inorganic fertilizers through erosion and leaching by short-term immobilization (iv) stabilizing soil structure and (v) reducing the reliance for agrochemicals and reduced persistence of pesticides in soil and thus less off-site impacts. In a high input cropping systems such as cotton, it is essential to maintain activities of key microbial groups to maximize input efficiency and to reduce non-target environmental negative effects.

The adoption of biopesticides by the cotton industry in Australia has been impressive. The use of Nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs) has grown from a research project, through a niche product aimed primarily at sorghum, to wide scale use as an importanttool in control of Helicoverpa armigera in cotton, sorghum, chickpeas and sweetcorn. Gemstar has demonstrated that biopesticides are effective in cotton IPM, despite the fact that cotton is one of the most difficult crops in which to achieve maximum efficacy. Increasing grower confidence in biopesticides as IPM tools has led to increased demand for products, which in turn has created a new market niche for suppliers, and considerable interest in potential biopesticides against emerging pests. Gemstar is now readily available, and is joined this year by a new registered product, Vivus, manufactured in Australia by Australian Produced Biologicals. Vivus, like Gemstar, is currently based on the Helicoverpa zea NPV but produced in native H. armigera larvae, with the same efficacy as Gemstar. APB are also beginning production of a product based on the native H. armigera NPV. Both Vivus and Gemstar are registered in cotton. This is good news for growers, with greater security of supply (from two different companies) and an increase in diversity of products.

Revisions to the second edition of the cotton industry's Best Management Practices Manual have been made with an emphasis on improving the useability of the document. A general release to cotton growers is planned in October 2000. A short summary of the changes made to the original Manual follows, including the proposed further new modules and developments.

This document provides a brief outline of the projects CRDC invested in for 2017-18 (current as of May 2017).

It has been accepted for many years that there is an interaction between plants and the microbiological life that exists in soil. This interaction is particularly important in the rhizosphere (Hiltner, 1904), where plant exudates directly feed the microbial population, which in turn is responsible for nutrient cycling, production of growth promoters, and occasionally development of pathogenicity. These factors are important to plant health. However, the difficulties of studying such interactions in the soil and the inability to grow the majority of soil microorganisms in the laboratory have resulted in limited research in this area.

Come Clean Go Clean is one of the simplest yet most effective strategies for minimising the spread of weeds, diseases and pests. With the increase in prevalence of glyphosate resistant weeds, the spread of mealy bug and the constant threats from disease it is important that we all pay particular attention to ensuring vehicles and equipment entering farms are thoroughly washed down prior to gaining access.

A major aim of the Australian Cotton industry is to maintain its position as global leader in cotton quality and yield through sustained improvements in productivity and profitability in all areas of operation, while equipping the industry to handle emerging challenges. Critical to achieving this aim is the development of human capital that is capable and connected, and with the knowledge and skills necessary to drive the industry. In this respect, the industry has focused on building a skilled, educated and progressive workforce in all areas of its operations, requiring attention to workforce planning and management in all areas of cotton production.

It is recognised that while the processes involved in planning and managing workforce are similar across industries, they tend to be more complex for farmers, especially where farmers grow a mix of crops with or without livestock and undertake other farm-related operations. Workforce management on farms involves planning for and obtaining the variety of skills necessary to handle the diverse operations, taking into account the seasonal nature of work, cyclical variations in output emanating from climatic conditions and availability of water, changing skill requirements from continuous automation of operations, and competing demand for the needed skills from other industries.

In pursuit of the objective of building a skilled, educated and progressive workforce and taking into account the challenges that farmers face in sourcing and managing their workforce, this project investigated current and future trends in workforce needs and supply of labour on cotton farms. Specifically, it examined farmers' perceptions of future labour needs, the skills required to meet these needs, adeqacy and sources of skills supply to meet current and future needs, management of skills on farms, and strategies used to retain good performing employees.

The intent of the project was to travel to the 2003 Beltwide cotton conference in Nashville, USA. The Beltwide presents a unique opportunity to interact with many of the World's leading cotton researchers at one time. It also allowed me to present some of the novel and informative research that is originating from the northern Australian cotton project.