This topic goes to the heart of the current crisis in the Australian cotton marketing system. The cotton industry is currently in a state of shock.

Cotton production Is the most intensive of all the broadacre industries in Australia, and the science behind the production of cotton is extensive.

Interest in Integrated Pest management (IPM) and Area Wide Management (AWM) continues to increase within the Australian Cotton industry.

Helicoverpa spp are considered the most damaging insect pests of cotton in Australia and consequently have attracted considerable research attention.

Plant diseases are currently threatening the productivity and sustainability of the cotton industry.

Water Use Efficiency WUE) means maximising the returns from and minimising the environmental impacts of every megalitre (ML) of water used for irrigation purposes.

Black rootrot of cotton has been observed in 98 per cent of the farms regularly surveyed by NSW Agriculture in the Macquarie, Namoi, Gwydir and Macintyre valleys.

Cotton Research and Development Corporation is exploring the possibility that a trained sniffer dog may be able to assist in field operations testing for Helicoverpa Armigera pupae.

A water management approach commonly used by cotton growers in the Condamine - Lower Balonne catchment area is to divide farm storages into several cells.

Cotton planted into stubble has shown many advantages over conventional planting practices, including: reducing soil erosion, reducing pesticide and nutrient movement, and improving soil condition (Waters and Sequeira

Cotton is the most important textile crop due to its cellulose-enriched mature fibres, single celled hairs derived from ovule epidermis at anthesis.

In 2000/01, the Australian cotton industry produced approximately 3.4 million bales with a gross estimated value of 1.7 billion dollars.

At various times, strong interest develops within the industry for early crop maturity.

Glyphosate is the single most commonly used herbicide applied through shielded sprayers for controlling Post emergent weeds.

Two key hormones, ecdysone and juvenile hormone, control metamorphosis and moulting in insects.

Helicoverpa spp remain the most important pest in the Australian cotton industry. They are resistant to most of the insecticides used by the industry.

In the past three years two biological control agents, new to Australia, have been discovered attacking cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii.

In some major producing countries, up to half of the returns to cotton farmers come from government subsidies.

Judging by the media headlines over the past three years, the dominant issues for sustained use of the Murray-Darling Basin's natural resources are sanity and security of water supply under the Cap on diversio

Stinkbugs have recently re-emerged as an important late season sucking pest complex of cotton in Australia.