Since 2009, the FastStart R&D Fund has contributed towards more than 25 industry research projects. The projects focus on addressing key grower & industry challenges such as the control of insect pests and diseases, as well screening adjacent technologies to help drive yield potential and minimise risks associated with establishing cotton in Australia.
Downloadable project reports are made available below.
Seedbed conditions and cotton establishment,
Interim report prepared by Michael Braunack, CSIRO Agriculture & Food
Poor crop establishment compromises productivity and may necessitate the expense of replanting. In cool regions, production can be limited by the need to replant due to prolonged cold conditions.
There is limited information on seedbed conditions which enhance germination and emergence of cotton….
Download the full report:
Can we induce thermo-tolerance in cotton by regulating ethylene biosynthesis?
Ethylene, a simple organic molecule, is responsible for regulating the key plant responses to various biotic and abiotic stresses (Abeles et al., 1992). Cotton plants generally produce ethylene from different tissues throughout their life, while the process is accelerated by various growth and environmental factors (Hyodo, 1991, Glick, 2005). Increased ethylene concentrations in cotton tissues can trigger fruit and flower shedding and overall yield reduction (Guinn, 1982)….
Download the full report:
Cotton Establishment Challenges: Rotations in the Southern Region
Prof Jim Pratley, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga.
Mr Kieran O’Keeffe, Cotton Info, Southern NSW.
Mr Richard Malone, Customised Farm Management Pty Ltd., Griffith, NSW.
Mr Joe Moore, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga.
Dr Karen Kirkby, Australian Cotton Research Institute, Narrabri.
The research project began in October 2014 to examine problems with cotton emergence in southern growing areas. To this end, the work has been focused on the interaction between
cotton emergence and crop rotations, particularly that of rice and cotton in the Murrumbidgee and Coleambally Irrigation Areas (MIA and CIA)….
Download the full report:
A preliminary study on the effect of cold plasma treatment on cotton seed imbibition and germination
Michael P. Bange*, Gerard J.J.B. de Groot**, Andy Hundt*
* CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Narrabri NSW 2390
** CSIRO Manufacturing Lindfield, NSW 2077
Successful and further improved germination of cotton seeds in a range of environmental conditions is of high importance to the cotton industry. In this report we discuss the results of a pilot study investigating the germination of cotton seeds and other results following a plasma treatment using a laboratory-scale dielectric barrier atmospheric-pressure (or cold) plasma system….
Download the full report:
Aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) ameliorates waterlogginginduced damage in cotton by inhibiting ethylene synthesis and sustaining photosynthetic capacity
Ullah Najeeb • Brian J. Atwell • Michael P. Bange • Daniel K. Y. Tan
In this glasshouse study, we investigated the mechanisms of aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG)-induced waterlogging tolerance in cotton. Two cotton cultivars Sicot 71BRF (moderately waterlogging tolerant) and LA 887(waterlogging sensitive) were grown in a clay-loam soil, and exposed to waterlogging at early squaring stage (53 days after sowing)….
Download the full report:
The potential for biodegradable film to improve cotton establishment and conserve water in cool regions
Michael Braunack, CSIRO Agriculture & Food
Planting date experiments were conducted at the Australian Cotton Research Institute and on a co-operators property near Coleambally, NSW. Soil Temperature and soil water potential were monitored in the seedbed; with soil temperature being elevated by 1-2 °C and the seedbed remaining moister for longer under the film compared to the bare soil….
Download the full report: