Narrabri, New South Wales
September 1, 2003

The Cotton CRC’s role in developing new technologies is starting to pay off, with the development and commercialisation of a Helicoverpa attractant, which can be intermittently sprayed on cotton plants.

The new product, to be marketed as MAGNET, is based on natural plant products, and is an outcome from a 4-year Cotton CRC project with the University of New England.

Joint Program Leader for the Cotton CRC's Innovative Technologies Program, Associate Professor Peter Gregg from the University of New England, said this year's trials were the first covering entire fields of cotton.

MAGNET will be the first attractant product used by the cotton industry for the management of Heliocoverpa.

Field trials on the Darling Downs resulted in an estimated 30,000 Helicoverpa moths being killed in one field, preventing the laying of about 13 million eggs following the first spray, without any deleterious effect on most beneficial insects.

Large-scale field trials are planned in the 2003-04 season to test the repeatability of these results and to confirm earlier research that suggests the attractant may be effective well beyond the fields in which it is applied.

MAGNET will provide a new tool in managing Helicoverpa, allowing growers to reduce their use of insecticides, providing significant advantage to their IPM programs.

Holistic approach to cotton research in the north

The Cotton CRC has adopted an holistic approach to its research aims in northern Australia, incorporating a commitment to research beyond cotton production techniques, embracing land, water, environmental and community issues.

The major thrust of the CRC’s research in northern Australia is to develop a viable and environmentally responsible cotton production system in potential new growing regions in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and North Queensland.

Bollgard®II and Roundup Ready® cotton have been identified as the foundation of any proposed commercial developments in the north, where researchers are focussing on the development of sustainable pest management systems, including resistance issues.

CRC scoping studies in the north indicate that the Kimberley region offers significant potential for expansion of cotton production, with sufficient groundwater reserves to irrigate around 30,000 hectares of cotton annually.

Studies at Katherine are aimed at minimising reliance on insecticide use, with significant progress being made in utilising trap crops and developing suitable rotations, including peanuts and sorghum.

Different production models and techniques are required in the north, where it is proposed that cotton be planted in March and harvested in October, followed by a wet season cover crop then a rotation crop.