Cotton Bunchy Top (CBT), a relatively new disease, was first observed by growers in Australian cotton fields in the 1998-99 cotton-growing season.

Area-wide pest management (AWM) has had a high profile introduction to the cotton and grains industries on the Downs since 1998 and prior to that in the cotton industry in Emerald.

Cotton production in Australia occurs mainly in cracking clay soils. In the past, it was widely assumed that deep drainage was negligible in these soils (Hearn, 2000).

Cotton planted into cereal stubble has numerous benefits over conventional planting methods, such as reducing soil erosion, reducing pesticide and nutrient movement, and improving soil condition (Waters and Sequeira 2

Ground rig and aerial application treatments were setup to deliver endosulfan to young cotton using 'large droplet placement' (LDP).

Many Australian cotton growers sow rotation crops after irrigated cotton assuming that they will improve soil quality, reduce pest and disease incidence, and maintain profitability of cotton.

Cotton production in Australia is a high-tech industry.

The DPI has been evaluating unsprayed strip crops planted beside dryland INGARD cotton as nurseries for beneficial arthropods over the past three seasons.

Beneficial insects play a vital role in the cotton ecosystem and are a realistic management tool in Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Dryland salinity is on the increase in the upper catchments of the central and northern river valleys of New South Wales (Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council- MDBC, 1999).

Dry season cotton production in northern Australia faces considerable challenges if it is to emerge as a sustainable industry.

It is widely recognized that &quote;Plant diseases are a man-made problem&quote;. Our current farming systems are 'pathogen-friendly'.

The Australian cotton growers for the past 5 years have come to realise the important role beneficial insects play in managing pests in their cotton farms.

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.

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

Satellites, airborne imaging systems and hand held instruments are frequently proposed as indicators of crop stress caused by water, soil compaction, lack of nutrients, diseases and mites.

The Australian Cotton Cooperative Research Centre in association with the Cotton Research and Development Cooperation have funded a number of soil inventory projects which have produced enormous amount of soil data.

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.