Ripe cotton

Quick links to topics on this page:

• key points
• overview of the cotton industry
• forecast
• analysis
  

Cotton is a fibre crop, grown predominantly in New South Wales and Queensland. It is a valuable part of Queensland agriculture and is used in a wide range of products, from underwear to first aid equipment.

Irrigated and dryland cotton are specialised crops requiring very careful management. High input costs include finance, chemicals, machinery and expertise which means that the decision to grow cotton must not be taken without a lot of homework.

Do not grow irrigated or dryland cotton without a consultant or agribusiness agent with experience in insect control in cotton.

See the links below for more comprehensive information:

• varieties, planting, harvesting
• nutrition
• disease management
• insect pests
• best management practices (BMP)
• fusarium wilt
• resources and contacts

Key points

Cotton demands a higher level of management than other field crops. There is a much higher level of risk in growing the crop; insect pressure, disease and climatic conditions during the growing season can affect yield and quality.

Consider disease resistance and maturity when selecting a variety to plant. Soil temperature should be at a minimum of 17ºC at 7 am for three consecutive days before planting. Plant within the recommended planting window for your district. The minimum irrigation water requirement is 4-7 mL/ha, depending on the production region.

• Employing a professional consultant to monitor insect numbers and provide agronomic advice is essential.
• Adhere to the Insecticide Resistance Management Strategy.
• Develop a stringent herbicide regime to control problem weeds.
• Adopt the cotton industry’s best management practices (BMP).
• Come Clean - Go Clean: Implement good farm hygiene practices to minimise the spread of weeds and diseases.

Overview of the cotton industry

Cotton is harvested on 157,400 ha in Australia, with New South Wales growing 74% of the crop and Queensland 26%. This was a reduction of more than 50% from the previous season, due to the ongoing drought in cotton-producing areas.

The 1,242,900 bales produced in 2006-07 was valued at $815 million, with a majority exported to Asia.

In addition, about 394,993 tonnes of cottonseed were produced worth about $158 million, of which half is exported and half used domestically for oil and feed. Australian production of lint/ha of 800-1350 kg is one of the most efficient in the world.

Raw cotton is separated into lint and seed in regional cotton gins from where it is sent to spinning mills, with only 5-10% processed in Australia.

The industry involves about 1500 growers, who are represented by Cotton Australia on the peak industry body, the Australian Cotton Industry Council.

Queensland Cotton is a Queensland-based company and a major supplier of premium cotton to the world's textile markets. It provides raw cotton transport and cotton ginning and its warehouse facilities have storage and packing services. It has extensive operations throughout eastern Australia and western USA. Within Queensland, Queensland Cotton has a presence in Biloela, Brisbane, Cecil Plains, Dalby, Dirranbandi, Emerald, Moura, St George and Theodore.

The Cotton Research and Development Council (CRDC) supports cotton industry research with levies from cotton growers and contributions from the Federal Government.

Issues

Pest management is one of the major production issues. The release of genetically-modified cotton to combat the major pest of cotton, Helicoverpa spp, has resulted in a significant reduction of insecticide use in cotton. However, this pesticide reduction has resulted in other insects, such as aphids, mirids and mites, becoming more dominant pests in cotton production systems. The widespread adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in the cotton industry aims to reduce insecticide use and integrate a range of pro-active management tactics to control cotton pests.

Resource management issues include irrigation efficiency, drainage and downstream pollution, soil compaction and soil health. The most critical disease is fusarium wilt, which is associated with intensive cropping and susceptible varieties.

Forecast

See Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries Prospects: Forecasting, analysis and trends