In the 2001/02 season Australian cotton growers achieved what is believed to be a world record. They harvested more cotton per hectare than any other major cotton producing nation. This achievement comes with continuing improvement in environmental management. While a favourable season was part of the picture, these improved yields are also an outcome of a comprehensive research program. During the last 30 years the lint yield in Australia has increased by an average of 23 kilograms per hectare per year, one bale per hectare every 10 years or so. The increase is due in part to better plant varieties and in part to improved crop management. The yield improvement is a clear case where a coordinated approach to research delivered the greatest benefits. Dr Greg Constable from CSIRO Plant Industry estimates that plant breeding contributed about 45 per cent of the yield gains, with the other 55 per cent from improved insect control, disease management, plant nutrition and irrigation strategies. Individually these items can have only a limited impact. Packaged together and the Australian industry achieves world records. The move to farming systems approaches means farmers are increasingly examining the interactions between the elements of the production system and the effect they have on cropping outputs. Greater interest in planting trees and establishing wetlands on farms are improving environmental values by providing for greater biodiversity. Other strategies, particularly the Best Management Practices Program, aim to limit negative environmental impacts from cotton production. Each improvement is but a piece in a much larger picture, a picture of a modern agricultural industry maintaining its productivity but not at the cost of its resource base or the environment.

CRDC's Annual Operating Plan for 2011–02 (AOP): the fourth annual operating plan under the CRDC's Strategic R&D Plan 2008–2013.

CRDC's Annual Operating Plan for 2009–10 (AOP): the second annual operating plan under the CRDC's Strategic R&D Plan 2008–2013.

CRDC's Annual Operating Plan for 2008–09 (AOP): the first annual operating plan under the CRDC's Strategic R&D Plan 2008–2013.

CRDC's Annual Operating Plan for 2004–06 (AOP): the second annual operating plan under the CRDC's Strategic R&D Plan 2003–2008.

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Heliothis armigera has been a growing problem for many years, While the cotton producers have borne the brunt of it, reports of increasing damage to crops such as pulses, sorghum an maize have become more frequent. The subtropical climate of the Darling Downs, Burnett and Dawson Callide regions along with the number of host crops grown in the region have created a paradise for Heliothis and devastation for field crop growers. The cotton industry has had avoluntary chemical usage strategy for many years, however, due to many of the same chemicals being used on other crops, chemicals are failing because of the continuous exposure of Henothis to the same chemical in different crops e. g. Carbamates on chickpeas, cotton and mung beans. The last 2 summer seasons have seen many chemicals on the verge of failure as the leve of resistance rose with spray failures occurring when application rates and timing were not 100%. There has been little or no margin for error. In December 1997, Downs growers were warned that cotton may become unviable with years If Heliothis armigera was not managed. In some Downs areas in 1996-97 and again in 1997-98 Heliothis egg lays reached up to 800 per meter with very small and small larvae at to 7 per meter during periods of the season. This pressure meant that many grain crops were also at serious risk i.e all pulse crops and unacceptable damage to sorghum, maize, sunflowers and millets. Added to this list of woes was the poor performance of Ingard cotton. This along with very limited new technology available at a prohibitive price, indicated that a cropping Armageddon was fast approaching

Determining the level of insect infestation which causes economic damage (yield loss or significant crop maturity delays), is no simple task. The more we learn about plant responses to damage and those factors which effect plant and insect growth or survival, the more it is apparent that insect thresholds need to be dynamic rather than set on any one predetermined value

The future of the Australian Cotton industry will be determined by grower's ability to meet the needs of our customers. The first thing that needs determining is 'who is our customer?' Presently I'm sure most growers consider that the merchants our customer, because that is who pays us for our cotton However, we must change our thinking, because it is the spinning mill that is our true customer, and for there to be a future marketplace for our cotton, we must produce a fibre that suits the mills, not the merchants requirements