THE ARGUS - Aus Cotton Awards · Andrew began his cotton career in the Macquarie Valley in the mid...

THE ARGUS

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Wednesday, August 5th 2015 Issue No.2 | FREE

Finalist ForumsIt is intriguing to know what makes a Finalist in the Australian Cotton IndustryAwards. Sandra Williams CSD Researcher of the Year Finalist will be telling her story. (Photo: Sandra Williams)

Full Conference Program Page 3.

2015 Finalists StoriesThe Australian Cotton Industry Awards are an opportunity to showcase those in the industry who are reaching new heights, achieving new goals and trying new things. (Photo: Graham Cook)

Full Finalists Stories Page 5.

AUSTRALIAN COTTON INDUSTRY AWARDS

The cotton industry is a fertile ground for ushering young people up through the ranks. Ross Burnett, Young Achiever of the Year Finalist is an example of an enthusiastic industry member being supported and mentored. (Photo: Ross Burnett, Photographer: Louise Williamson). Full Story 1.

Let the Young Ones Shine

FULL Cotton Collective

Programme Inside: Page 3

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Australian Cotton Industry Awards recognise leadership, excellence and moreIt gives me great pleasure to introduce the Australian Cotton Industry Awards presentation for 2015.

This annual Awards program is more than just a celebration of the industry’s excellence, it also declares our commitment to continuous improvement to the world.

Through our Awards we recognise the leadership of those who have bettered Australian cotton. The Awards program has never been about who is ‘best’, but instead it has always been a way to recognise

those who have made significant contributions to our industry and honour their commitment.

It is also the way our industry tells its great story to stakeholders such as the wider community and political leaders – a story of world leadership and the dedication to the efficient, responsible production of cotton.

This year’s line-up of finalists is an outstanding representation of excellence in our industry. Sadly, only a few can be recipients, but I feel all finalists can be proud of the achievements that have brought

them this far.

Cotton Australia has been a proud supporter and underwriter of the Australian Cotton Industry Awards since its inception 12 years ago. While the industry has changed a great deal in that time, I am pleased to say the Awards program has gone from strength to strength, improving every year.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Awards Taskforce, led by Geoff McIntyre, and the Fundbase team for their tireless efforts to make the 2015 Awards program a success.

I would also like to thank you for supporting the Australian Cotton Industry Awards by your attendance at this event.

On behalf of the Cotton Australia Board and staff, I wish everyone in the industry all the best for the coming season.

Adam KayCEO, Cotton Australia

Australian Cotton Industry Awards 2015 – Finalists

Category Finalists Location

Monsanto Cotton Grower of the Year

Graham & Kylie CookTurkey Lagoon Pty Ltd

“Turkey Lagoon”,Boggabilla NSW

Robert, Jan & Andrew NewellKorolea Farming

“Korolea” & “Royston”,Boggabilla NSW

Robert & Jennie ReardonReardon Operations

“Worral Creek”, “Willarie”, “Mirreyah”, “Wolonga” and “Delina Downs”,

Talwood, QLD

AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year

Peter & Caroline TuoheyDaisy Lodge Pty Ltd

“Daisy Lodge” and “Kulki”,Carrathool NSW

Scott & Jo McCalmanJedburgh Farming

“Kuranda”,Gunnedah NSW

Jason & Briony SinclairBengerang Pty Ltd

“Lakeland Downs”, Condamine QLD

Category Finalists Organisation/Location

CSD Researcher of the Year

Dr Stephen YeatesCSIRO Agriculture Flagship,

Ayr QLD

Dr Geoff Baker & Colin TannCSIRO Agriculture Flagship,

Narrabri NSW

Sandra WilliamsCSIRO Agriculture Integrated Cotton Management Group,

Narrabri NSW

Chris Lehmann Trust Young Achiever of the Year Sponsored by Bayer Crop

Sciences

Ben Dawson B&W Rural, Moree NSW

Ryan Pratten Pratten Muldoon Ag Services, Narromine NSW

Ross Burnett “Barkool” Emerald, QLD

Judging Tour Classic Quotes“What people put on their Facebook page is a truer reflection of them than what they put in their resume” Caroline Tuohey

“I didn’t have time to write you a short letter so I wrote you a long one” Mark Dawson with some help from Mark Twain

“I’d sell my wife before I’d sell any water” Rob Newell

“More root than shoot” Scott McCalman’s aim

“Last season I would look at the cotton and see it dry and suffering, then go to our new development and see what great weather it was for earthmoving!!” Tristram Hertslet

“What’s the gradient on this?” Tim Watson

“To be rather than to be seen to be” Rob Newell’s school

“The toes you step on today might be holding up the ass that you have to kiss tomorrow” Mark Dawson

“My job is to manage risk from daylight to dawn” Peter Tuohey

“My wife likes to get up early and exercise so I said, you want some exercise, lets walk the banks and pull out volunteer cotton instead of going to the gym, so we do” Graham Cook

“Do you want to know the maximum number of round bales Angelo thinks he could fit on a bale trailer?” Peter Tuohey

Time Details

8.15am - 8.55am Arrive at the Crossing Theatre: Morning tea and coffee

8.55am - 9.00am Introduction and welcome with Lyndon Mulligan, Cotton Australia Chair (Auditorium)

9.00am - 9.15am Australian Cotton Industry Awards Finalist Forum – Chris Lehmann Trust Young Achiever of the Year Sponsored by Bayer CropScience

9.15am - 10.00amMichael Murray, Cotton Australia General Manager

Water - future policy directions and grower perspectives on rural water use and infrastructure programs. Chaired by Lyndon MulliganJames Duddy, Goondiwindi, Qld Healthy Headwaters Program; Jason McCutcheon, PIIOP - Trangie-Nevertire Scheme

10.00am - 10.15am Phil Alchin, Boyce Chartered Accountants Managing Director: the latest Australian Cotton Comparative Analysis 2015

10.15am - 10.30am Australian Cotton Industry Awards Finalist Forum – Monsanto Cotton Grower of the Year

10.30am - 11.00am Morning Tea (Crossing Theatre Foyer)

11.00am - 11.15am Australian Cotton Industry Awards Finalist Forum – AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year (Auditorium)

11.15am - 12.00pmBig data: the next frontier for improved ag productivity. Chaired by Hamish McIntyre, Cotton Australia Board member

• Mick Keogh, Australian Farm Institute Executive Director: big data, an intro to the latest buzz word in ag• Dr Robert Fitch, Australian Centre for Field Robotics Senior Research Fellow: data and solutions, use of automated decision making in other industries

12.00pm - 1.00pmGlobal promotion of Australian Cotton: Chaired by Simon Corish, Cotton Australia Deputy Chair

• Simon Talbot, NFF CEO: True Aussie promotion• Corin Wood-Jones, Better Cotton Initiative Partnership Manager

1.00pm - 1.15pm Australian Cotton Industry Awards Finalist Forum – Cotton Seed Distributors Researcher of the Year

1.00pm - 1.15pm Lunch (Crossing Theatre Foyer)

2.00pm - 3.30pm

Concurrent Session 1: Farmers(Crossing Theatre One)

• Big data – opportunities, privacy implications • Soil compaction/productivity

Concurrent Session 2: Industry(Crossing Theatre Two)

• Herbicide resistance• Responsible resource management

Concurrent Session 3: People(Crossing Theatre Three)

• Cotton Workforce Strategy• Fostering a valued indigenous workforce:

3.30pm - 4.00pm Afternoon Tea (Crossing Theatre Foyer)

4.00pm - 5.00pmConcurrent Session 1: Continued

• Nutrition

Concurrent Session 2: Continued

• Bollgard® 3 transition

Concurrent Session 2: Continued• Meeting skills demands

5.00pm - 5.30pm Cotton Australia Annual General Meeting (Crossing Theatre Two)

6.30pm - Midnight Australian Cotton Industry Awards evening (Auditorium & Riverside Room)

WELCOME TO THE 2015 COTTON COLLECTIVE PROGRAMWednesday 5th August 2015

What’s Trending in Cotton?The annual Australian Cotton Industry Awards judging tour provides a unique opportunity to quickly see what is trending in the industry. The tour of the six grower Finalists of the Awards provides an eye to the broader industry; packing the latest innovations, opportunities and strategic thinking into an intense four days.

The tour was held in late June this year, with whistlestop visits to Goondiwindi, Boggabilla, Condamine, Mungindi, Carathool and Boggabri.

Chair of the Grower judging panel, Geoff McIntyre said of this year’s trip; “it was surprisingly exhausting getting around to all the farms of the Finalists, but it sure gives a good taste of what is going on in the cotton industry”.

This year the judges noticed a significant increase in the emphasis placed on myBMP and its

accreditation process.

“The bulk of the Finalists were either already accredited or a good way through it this year, which is the first year that we have noticed that level of uptake” Geoff said. “Growers with a number of staff, such as Korolea Farming and Daisy Lodge commented that they found the system was a great way to educate their staff as well as a good opportunity to implement the policies and practices that they needed for their business.”

Another trend seen across the industry and reflected in the judging tour is the focus on farm energy. One of the greatest production input costs is the electricity and fuel usage of farms, forcing research into alternatives and the analyses of options.

“The Cook’s were working hard to create tractor (and therefore diesel) use efficiencies in their bankless

irrigation system design. The Tuohey’s at Carathool had identified that powering their houses, offices and pumps as a significant cost, making it feasible to install solar” Geoff said.

Daisy Lodge has installed a 99.5 KW solar power system on their river pumps on the Murrumbidgee River.

They have also installed a number of roof and ground mounted solar panels for the staff housing, offices and farm buildings.

They believe at current prices, the farm and house systems will repay themselves in under three years and the river site in under six years. If power prices were to rise

Solar Panels implemented at Daisy Lodge Pty Ltd

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2014 Incitec PivotFertilisers Service to Industry

ANDREW PARKESAndrew Parkes “walks the talk”; he has had a lifelong involvement in the cotton industry, playing a range of instrumental roles from the field to the board room. He has made a significant contribution to the cotton industry over the last 30 years and continues to be highly regarded as a leader in Australian agriculture.

Andrew began his cotton career in the Macquarie Valley in the mid 1980’s working with growers in the Warren and Trangie areas. Andrew then spent a number of years supplying agricultural chemicals to the industry. He pioneered a more cost-effective Australian Ag-Chem supply-chain using an off-patent farm chemical import and distribution business.

Andrew’s next move was into consulting and farm management where he developed a reputation for producing high yielding crops on large areas. He managed over 5,000 hectares of irrigated cropping, incorporating both surface and overhead irrigation. He was responsible for an unofficial world record for irrigated cotton yield of 14.9 bales/Ha.

It was during this time that he started participating in the broader cotton industry. One of his many contributions was his management of a range of demonstration sites for the National Program for Sustainable Irrigation (NPSI). Eventually he rose to

be the cotton industry representative on the NPSI Management Committee. He was also integral to the set-up of the large scale irrigation evaluation trials in the Gwydir Valley. He has managed CSD and Deltapine variety trials for many years and was the first variety trial co-operator to produce a yield over five bales per acre with Sicot 70 yielding 13.1 bales per hectare in 2002.

Andrew has worked hard on ways to improve the sustainability of cotton production. His on-farm initiatives included the development and implementation of minimum tillage farming systems and the use of organic waste products. These

types of initiatives have become increasingly important in the industry as it seeks to operate in a carbon economy.

Andrew was awarded the Australian National Committee for Irrigation and Drainage (ANCID) National Irrigation Award in 2004 for increases in water use efficiency of over 60% and net returns of 140% per unit of water. More recently he received the prestigious Brownhill Cup as recognition of his achievements in demonstrating improvement in irrigation efficiency. In 2008 he was the recipient of the AgriRisk “Innovative Cotton Grower of the Year”.

Andrew has been a long-term member and supporter of the Gwydir Valley Cotton Growers’ Association and the Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association. He was a member representative of the Australian Cotton Growers Research Association (ACGRA) for 5 years. He served on the Executive Committee when ACGRA and Cotton Australia merged continuing his representation of members and joining the Cotton Australia Board. He contributed for a further 3 years as a Director of Cotton Australia.Andrew has served on ACGRA then Cotton Australia Advisory Panels for a decade providing direct grower feedback on research priorities and projects for the industry.

One of his greatest contributions was as the tireless chair of the Transgenic and Insecticide Management Strategy (TIMS) Committee for 8 years from 2006 – 2013 overseeing this critical industry stewardship role.

Currently, Andrew is a Director of an independent consultancy that offers highly innovative agricultural management services, located in Moree. He directs all of the farm and asset management operations and sources potential acquisitions for investors. He is known as an outstanding manager with an ability to motivate staff to produce exceptional results.

Andrew is a selfless individual who has given many weeks (possibly years) of unpaid service to the Australian cotton industry in integral roles. He is passionate about agriculture, cotton, rugby and racehorses.

2014 Incitect Pivot Fertilisers Service to Industry Andrew Parkes


TURKEY LAGOON PTY LTDGraham (Cookie) and Kylie Cook and their son Tom, farm 1,857ha at “Turkey Lagoon” and lease a further 1,300 ha nearby. The Cook family first settled on the farm in 1886 and Graham has been there since leaving school in 1986. It offers a mix of black soils, through to white scalded clay soil types located 6km south east of Boggabilla, NSW.

The 2014/2015 cotton season was the first year since 1978 when Graham first started irrigating, that the enterprise did not receive any of its B Class Allocation from the river due to the dry conditions. The Cooks grew 109ha of cotton, about one fifth of the area grown in a “normal” year. Despite the conditions, the crop yielded an average of 14 bales/ha across the farm.

With the help of Farmhand/Manager, Scott Sweedman, the enterprise also includes a couple of hundred sheep, a few hundred cattle as well as cropping and some contracting. Although the Cooks utilise the agronomic skills of Frank Valentine from MCA (Michael Castor and Associates), Graham is emphatic that there is nothing like walking the fields yourself to keep on top of the management. An annual management meeting in July allows the team to set the planting strategy for the year based on water availability; however this is constantly reviewed throughout the season as conditions change.

“Turkey Lagoon” is a demonstration farm of differing irrigation types. It has a 20ha pivot, 140ha of laterals, 110ha of bankless and the remainder 200ha of siphon irrigation. Graham researched a range of bankless designs following the loss of all his head ditches and siphons in the 2011 flood, believing it to be well-suited to his country and the gradients of his fields. Whilst he doesn’t see a considerable difference in the water efficiency, he believes there are considerable savings in man power and particularly, tractor efficiency. He has estimated the tapered tail drain bankless design has created 20-30% efficiency in his tractor use.

Graham has also been comparing the yields from his different types of water application. He has seen the flood irrigation fields averaging yields of 2.16 bales/ha more than the sprinkler irrigation, which is why in years with limited water he uses his flood irrigation fields.

The tidy, well-run property has a tight configuration of paddocks with a centralised system of water run and highly efficient water movement around the farm, the majority of which is gravity run. Field runs are up to 1,400m long but the maximum time to water any bay in the bankless system is 6 hours. Last season “Turkey Lagoon” used an average of 7.6ML/Ha in 9 irrigations with 260ml of in-season rainfall (including evaporation and transmission losses). The gravity run system is not only water efficient but also highly cost effective averaging $70/ML on the paddock.

An important part of the Cook’s operation is their open farm policy. Their willingness to host a range of field days and events has allowed them to share their experiences in the design and operation of bankless irrigation. By opening the Padman stops of the bankless system in the middle of the field day, participants could practically see the simplicity and beauty of the system which encouraged many of the region’s cotton growers to consider bankless irrigation.

The Cooks are invaluable members of the cotton industry that strive to not only improve their own operations, but that of the industry as a whole.

Martin Mead Manager Auscott Namoi Valley, Narrabri and Bill Back Agronomist

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Match your Co�on Choices™ with your yield by field.

Cotton growers share a common passion, to produce high quality, sustainable fibre.

But each grower, their farm and individual fields are unique.

Please refer to the 2015/16 Bollgard II and Roundup Ready Flex Technology User Agreement General Terms and Conditions before you plant for full details on the Cotton Choices™ program and on growing Monsanto’s cotton traits in the 2015/16 season. Cotton Choices™ only applies to farms located south of the 22° parallel.

Monsanto Australia Head Office: Level 12, 600 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004 Post: PO Box 6051, St Kilda Road Central, VIC 8008 Phone: 03 9522 7122 Fax: 03 9522 6122 www.monsanto.com.au Roundup Ready Flex, Bollgard II and Bollgard 3 are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technologies LLC, used under licence by Monsanto Australia Ltd. Cotton Choices™ is a trademark of Monsanto Technology LLC used under license by Monsanto Australia Ltd. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

To compare different Cotton Choices™ combinations try the calculator at www.cottonchoices.com.au or scan the QR code using your smartphone.

Cotton Choices™ has been developed with this in mind, including a range of options to help you manage your costs, cash flow and risk field by field. You can select your Cotton Choices™ based on the yield potential of each field rather than one across your whole farm.

By selecting Late Crop Removal or End Point Royalty you have the opportunity to change your selection to the most cost effective option based on your yield assessment later in the season:

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MON1167 Cotton Choices Print Ad 180x285mm v2.indd 1 3/07/2015 10:06 am

Grower of the Year Finalists: Turkey Lagoon Pty Ltd. Front L to R: Frank Valentine (MCA), Scott Sweedman, Tom Cook, Back L to R: Graham and Kylie Cook

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DAISY LODGE PTY LTDPeter and Caroline Tuohey operate a diverse and progressive business in the Murrumbidgee valley of NSW. Starting out with principal roles in Peter’s family contracting machinery business, and now almost 15 years of contracting in their own right they continue to derive about 5% of their annual turnover from contracting.

The Tuoheys purchased their first farm “Daisy Lodge” in 1995 and “Kulki” at Darlington Point in 2008. 1,365ha was planted in 2014/2015, 68% of which was back to back. Their contracting operation also planted, managed and picked a further 600ha on “Coonara” a farm the Touhey’s purchased in partnership in 2012 and recently sold their share to the current owners. With agronomic advice from Heath McWhirter and Charles Morgan from Elders, operational staff; B-Jay McKay, Chris Evans and Neil Chessor achieved an average yield of 11.7bales/ha.

Peter has been trialling the use of degradable plastic in his cotton planting as a type of insurance to reduce the risks during seed germination. Whilst he believes it is not yet economical on a large scale, it is a useful tool in that region and intends to do a larger area this season.

Daisy Lodge Pty Ltd has access to high security bore water and to the Murrumbidgee River; temporary water trading is an important aspect of their business since selling their permanent entitlements to local irrigators. This decision improved their ability to successfully and sustainably farm in an environment of uncertain water entitlements and variable climatic conditions.

The Tuoheys have an exceptional ability to develop business relationships, identifying and cultivating skills in others and achieving outcomes.

They presently have a staff of 6 permanent, 1 part

time, up to 10 casuals and 3 subcontractors to help run their contracting and farming enterprises. Their staff enjoys the multi-faceted work of the business which is reflected in the virtually non-existent sick days and the apparent dedication of the team.

There has been a conscious effort to separate the operations from the administration of the business in order to improve efficiencies in both. Considerable effort by Marie Chessor and Katee Porter, has created a range of systems, policies and record keeping for the operation that helps to drive performance and maintain safety.

A key area of focus for the Tuoheys is their energy source, use and cost. Their energy strategy targets solar power; installing a 99.5Kw solar system at the “Daisy Lodge” river pumps, along with outfitting all of their staff houses, farm houses and offices with

solar panels. Also by closely recording fuel usage on every piece of machinery, the Tuohey’s have created a measurable saving on their fuel budget.

The Rivcott Gin is the brainchild of Peter Tuohey and a credit to his significant industry commitment. With the growth of the cotton industry in the Carrathool region the need for a gin became apparent. The concept of a grower-owned cotton gin was the result of intense discussion and brainstorming between Peter and eight local farmers who shared Peter’s vision. Now in its final commissioning stage with a yard full of round modules, eight Directors, a membership of 59 owner-growers and CEO Sam Buster in place, Peter’s dream will be realised. The three stand gin intends to process 140,000 bales this season and is set to support the burgeoning cotton industry in the Southern Valleys.


KOROLEA FARMINGRob, Jan and Andrew Newell and their team farm “Korolea” and “Royston”, 6km south of Goondiwindi. As a third generation Victorian farmer Rob and his wife Jan made a move to the north purchasing 250ha in 1978. Now, with a combined area of 2,644ha the Newells have developed 1,720ha for siphon irrigation. Their irrigation development of these properties is now complete with the remainder land taken up with irrigation infrastructure, planted trees and native vegetation, encouraging beneficial insects, birds and a diverse ecosystem.

For the 2014/2015 season 673ha of cotton was picked, resulting in a yield of 13.3 bales/ha (to date, only half of the cotton has been ginned). With continued assessment, readjustment and tweaking the Newells have seen their yields continually increase. Their key operational focus is on timely operations, management of fallow, conservative use of water and managing input and operational costs to maximise profits.

Rob began his farming career as a wheat grower, but his passion turned to cotton and he has embraced the cotton industry with gusto, planting his first crop of 133ha in 1978. The late Chris Lehmann was the agronomist for the Newells in the early days and encouraged them to start trial work with CSIRO and CSD which has continued ever since. For 19 years they have also grown trials for Monsanto.

For the last three years, the Newell’s have hosted a conventional cotton nursery for CSIRO. This season over 1,000 conventional and Bollgard 3 varieties were planted. This experience has reiterated to Rob and Andrew the importance of Integrated Pest and Weed Management practices. Rob is emphatic that he does not want to return to the days of heavy insecticide spraying, cotton chipping and weed resistance and believes every grower should have to grow some conventional cotton as a living reminder of the advances that have been made.

The Newells appreciate their long-term working association with consulting agronomist, Fred Ghirardello who has advised them for more than 20 years. The farm is a supportive work environment, involving many coffee meetings with the team! Andrew’s return home to the farm ten years ago has meant the operation needs only two other full time staff members; John Moorcorft who has been there for 19 years and Pia Asanuma who joined the team two years ago.

The Newells began a cotton rotation with wheat and barley on “Korolea” in 1987 and now largely use a one-in, one-out rotation, more recently incorporating chickpeas and vetch.

The Newells have enjoyed the process of MyBMP accreditation using it as an opportunity to analyse their whole business and educating their team.

Rob Newell is committed to a healthy riverine environment; effectively and carefully utilising his water allocations totalling 7,922 ML plus 3,562ML of supplementary licences. Pumping from the Macintrye River the Newell’s have 6 storage dams inter-connected for irrigation, allowing them to irrigate 1,000ha in 5 days.

Rob found growing cotton in 1978 a big challenge and he and Andrew still enjoy the challenge today. The Newells make a significant contribution to the continued progress and development of the cotton industry, revelling in the opportunity to support world-class research.

Grower of the Year Finalists: Andrew and Rob Newell


REARDON OPERATIONSRobert and Jennie Reardon have moved mountains in a relatively short period of time. Originating on a 650ha dryland farm in the Moree district, they purchased “Worral Creek” near Talwood, Qld in the Macintyre Valley in 1990 to begin their irrigation operation. Reardon Operations is now an aggregation of 5 properties totalling 25,000ha, with 6,168ha of irrigation infrastructure, 10,000ha of dryland cropping and more than 300 head of cattle.

The 2014/2015 cotton season was exceptionally dry with limited water availability which resulted in Reardons picking 864ha of cotton averaging a yield of 13.6 bales/ha. Whilst the season began with

only 8ML/ha of water available and knowing that 10-12ML/ha was required, the risk was taken and a timely flow in the Weir River provided enough water to finish the crop to its full potential. The achievements that Robert has made in 25 years are a testament to his ability to take these kinds of calculated risks.

Reardon Operations employs 21 staff as well as up to 20 casuals, creating a family atmosphere headed by their Farm Manager, Tristram Hertslet, who has worked for the enterprise for 8 years. The cotton operation is split into three sections, each one has a manager, utilising a little healthy competition to drive production outcomes.

All of the staff is housed on-farm and embedded in the local community; Reardon Operations makes a conscious effort to support local events and organisations in Talwood and Mungindi. The need for a good supply of quality casual staff prompted Tristram and the Reardon’s daughter, Julie, to

initiate a relationship with UNE, which attracted over 40 applications for uni-holiday jobs.

Reardon Operations has an ongoing commitment to MyBMP and to staff development and training which assists greatly in its success.

Whilst much of the planning of new developments considers flood times when fields are staffed by one person in a boat, the last twelve months of earthworks were only hampered by three wet days, an indication of the challenges of the operation.

Tristram, in conjunction with his consulting agronomist Mick Brosnan from B&W Rural, has been closely comparing the results of back to back cotton compared with fallow, noticing an average yield difference of 2.53bales/ha and an average water usage of 1.34ML/ha difference. Identifying the need for more land area to allow for fallow periods, combined with the availability of government water use efficiency incentives has driven their development of “Mirreyah” incorporating; a new 3,150ML storage, a new pump site, upgrades of 2 other reservoirs, 1,166ha of spray irrigation using 4 laterals and 592ha of bankless flood irrigation.

The location of the farms between two river systems (the Barwon and Weir Rivers) as well as the Warral Creek watercourse means a higher likelihood of water security. 60,000ML of storage, 61,227ML of water licences plus storage in four weir pools totalling 2,800ML and 26 pump stations all help to maximise the amount of water that can be captured, stored and quickly and efficiently moved around the farm.

Reardon Operations is a highly impressive operation that benefits from a dedicated, well trained staff and the vision and foresight of the owners. Given the opportunity to maximise their developed area, their operation will have a huge, positive impact on the cotton industry in the future.

Grower of the Year Finalists: Reardon Operations L to R: Robert and Jennie Reardon, Mick Brosnan (B&W Rural), Tristram Hertslet

TURKEY LAGOON PTY LTDGRAHAM AND KYLIE COOK

TOTAL ENTERPRISE SIZE3,157ha

AREA TO COTTON 2013/2014 109ha

AVERAGE YIELD 2013/201414 bales/ha

WATER ALLOCATION/S4,000ML - River

TYPE/S OF IRRIGATIONPivot, lateral, bankless and siphon

Farm Facts - 2015 Finalists

DAISY LODGE PTY LTDPETER AND CAROLINE TUOHEY


AREA TO COTTON 2013/2014 1,400ha

AVERAGE YIELD 2013/201411.7 bales/ha

WATER ALLOCATION/SVaries through water trading

TYPE/S OF IRRIGATIONSiphon and bankless

REARDON OPERATIONSROBERT REARDON AND TIRSTRAM HERTSLET




WATER ALLOCATION/S61,227ML River and OLF

TYPE/S OF IRRIGATIONSiphon, bankless, pivot and lateral

KOROLEA FARMINGROB AND ANDREW NEWELL




WATER ALLOCATION/S7,922ML - River Allocation3,562ML - Supplementary

TYPE/S OF IRRIGATIONSiphon

JEDBURGH FARMINGSCOTT AND JO MCCALMAN

TOTAL ENTERPRISE SIZE630ha



WATER ALLOCATION/SDryland only

BENGERANG PTY LTDJASON AND BRIONY SINCLAIR




WATER ALLOCATION/S5,900ML - River high flow

TYPE/S OF IRRIGATIONSiphon

High Achiever of the Year Finalists: L to R Chris Evans, Katee Porter, Neil Chesser, B-Jay McKay, Peter Tuohey, Caroline Tuohey, Maree Chesser and Charles Morgan

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JEDBURGH FARMING Jedburgh Farming won the Upper Namoi Cotton Grower of the Year in 2014/2015 for their dryland farming operation at “Kuranda” 25km west of Gunnedah in NSW. Scott and Jo McCalman picked 255ha of dryland cotton for the season achieving an average yield of 3.1 bales/ha in an extremely dry year.

Scott has been growing cotton for 25 years. Cotton is the key enterprise, with bread wheat, durum wheat and other opportunity crops grown in rotation. The operation aims for 5.5bales/ha under controlled traffic utilising zero till practices (except for pupae busting) and a program of field rotation.

Scott’s childhood dream of owning land on the Liverpool Plain became a reality three years ago when the McCalmans decided to sell their broadacre cotton farms in the Macquirie region and resettle on the heavy vertisol soils of “Kuranda”. They are also grateful to be able to put into practice a range of unique biological farming methods and reap the benefits to their soil, their crops and their bottom line.

A batching plant on-farm produces custom blended liquid fertiliser for use at planting, basing the mix on the independent lab results from leaf sap samples. The program focuses on a balance of readily plant-available nutrition rather than just nitrogen (N) application and is mixed on a field-by-field basis. The present mix provides less than 8 units of N/ha, yet sap results indicate the plants have very high levels of N. Scott strongly believes nitrogen is not the limiting factor in his soils and his approach costs a mere $55/ha, not even one-tenth of his costs on his Warren business.

Anecdotally, the resultant plants are more robust, drought tolerant and boast a bigger root system. Quantifiably the grain weight (density) has been heavier and the cotton fibre has been of a higher quality. These improved qualities have created opportunities for value adding and niche product marketing which are presently being investigated.

Jedburgh Farming undertakes their own seed grading and sizing, keeping the top 10% of seed. This creates immediate improvements to seed vigour, seedling survivability and ultimately plant spacing density. All seed is treated with their own biological seed dressing and has no fungicides. As a CSD variety trial grower Scott has undertaken large scale trials using black untreated cotton seed with pleasing results.

Scott places very high priority on weed control so faced a significant challenge on arriving at “Kuranda” with the amount of fleabane that was there. However he was undaunted and has been successful using a multi-pronged integrated weed management approach. Scott aims to minimise his reliance on glyphosate and other herbicides, ever mindful of the long term implications.

“Kuranda” is presently in a period of intense development which includes extensive tidying up, the building of a new home, machinery shed, workshop and chemical storage as well as the planting of 2,800 native trees. The McCalmans feel that they have complete control of the input costs of their operation allowing them true sustainability and a massive reduction in risk, whilst building their soil health and improving the quality of their products.

High Achiever of the Year Finalists: Scott and Jo McCalman

AgriRisk HighAchiever of the Year

BENGERANGPTY LTD Jason and Briony Sinclair manage “Lakeland Downs” for Bengerang Pty Ltd, 20km south west of Condamine in Queensland. It is a 1,684ha cotton property with some cattle and dryland cropping, weather dependant. Jason has worked on the property for 11 years, moving to a management role and working alongside Briony and their 4 children for the last 9 years.

“Lakeland Downs” has a 3 year average yield of 14.3 bales/ha and the 2014/2015 season saw 84ha of cotton harvested with an impressive average yield of 16.73 bales/ha. The crop used 10 irrigations of 8ML/ha.

The beauty of the operation is the ability to match the work-load requirements with the availability of the Sinclairs. With Jason and Briony working around the clock they can irrigate the whole farm in 3.5 days if they have the water.

Utilising agronomic advice from Tim Richards of MCA (Michael Castor and Associates) for the last five years, the “yield is king” motto is followed. The fields are only planted if sufficient water is available, usually following a fallow period. Soils are tested coming out of the fallow period and the addition of nitrogen is matched to the target yield compared with the deficit measured in the soil.

“Lakeland Downs” has previously set a target of 14 bales/ha however after this year’s result, this has been increased to 16 bales/ha. Some accidental double nitrogen application this season saw a small area yield 18 bales/ha, so the bar has been raised. The cotton plants stand shoulder high and are extremely

dense prior to picking, forcing the pickers to travel at a maximum of 5km/hr. Pix is used up to 3 times during the flowering period to control excessive growth.

The cattle feedlot next door provides a cost effective source of manure that Jason and Tim are trialling for additional organic matter and nutrients.

“Lakeland Downs” has spectacular alluvial, self-mulching, black cracking soils with lower levels of sodium and magnesium than further east. It has been described as “you can plant a needle and grow a crow bar” kind of soil.

The 2011 floods completely annihilated the infrastructure on the place, providing a surprising opportunity to redesign the farm; once the shock and doom had passed. Every single head ditch, drain, supply channel, pump and siphon was washed away. Of the 1,684ha of the farm only 2ha was not under water completely cutting the family off from the world for 27 days

During the next two years of redevelopment, Jason was able to set up the whole farm to siphon irrigation, all watered from a single 26 inch, high quality river pump. He relazered all of the fields which has also helped in their achievement of extremely high yields.

Two naturally occurring lagoons fill by overland flow and are home to an array of wildlife, including brolgas and koalas. The lagoons, combined with a high flow river licence of 5,900 ML from the unregulated river and two reservoirs of 800ML and 1,500ML provide a highly effective and cost efficient water system for the farm.

Jason and Briony run a deceptively simple yet highly productive operation, constantly pushing the boundaries for what is possible and they foresee even further upside for their yields in the future.

Over the past year Cotton Australia has negotiated agreements with Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), a not-for-profit organisation which stewards the global standards for the Better Cotton program and aligns cotton’s complex supply chain from growers to retailers.

BCI’s objectives are to make global cotton production better for producers, the environment in which it grows and the industry’s future, by developing Better Cotton as a sustainable mainstream commodity.

Through these negotiated agreements, the Australian cotton industry’s best practice management tool - myBMP - is now the most direct mechanism for growers to benefit from growing global demand for sustainable and responsibly produced cotton, as Australian cotton produced under myBMP certification can also carry a BCI licence.

Cotton Australia had previously

joined the Better Cotton Initiative as a member organisation, but the new agreements represent the first time Australian myBMP-certified cotton can be sold into the global market under the BCI banner.

The system has already resulted in a direct financial benefit for growers, with anecdotal evidence showing some growers have negotiated premiums of between $3 and $8 per bale for BCI cotton. On behalf of the industry, Cotton Australia will manage the ongoing

relationship with BCI, and will also work to ensure the myBMP system remains harmonised with any future changes to BCI systems.

For more information on BCI, go to:

www.cottonaustralia.com.au/cotton-to-market/better-cotton-initiative

BCI Agreement a Win for Growers

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*AR Cotton yearbook ad 2014:Layout 1 21/10/13 12:40 PM Page 1

High Achiever of the Year Finalists: Briony and Jason Sinclair and Tim Richards

THUMBS UPA shot in the arm for Australian agriculture.!!!! The

launch of The Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, with Government to address 5 critical areas: (1) foster a more competitive agriculture business environment, (2) build infrastructure for the future, (3) increase resilience to drought and improve risk management, (4) improve research & development and natural resources, and (5) drive access to premium markets.

Congrats to Previous recipient, Dr Greg Constable who won

CSD Researcher of the year 2006 and has just won the International Cotton Advisory Committee World Cotton Researcher of the Year 2015

Matt McVeigh, a 2014 Chris Lehman Trust and Bayer CropScience

Finalist has been awarded a prestigious 2015 Nuffield Scholarship supported by Cotton Australia and the Cotton Research and Development Corporation.

The 2015 Argus was Designed & Created by Blue Duck Design

& The FundBase Team & printed by The Courier Narrabri

Jenny Hicks for a great job on the filming and editing of Finalists Films

Patrick Laine BCI CEO with and Adam Kay agree on Australian cotton being sold under BCI banner

1110

Chris Lehmann Trust Young Achiever of the YearSPONSORED BY BAYER CROPSCIENCE

BEN DAWSONBen Dawson is an agronomist and manages the Collarenebri and Narrabri branches of B & W Rural Pty Ltd. He has worked for B&W Rural for 10 years following his completion of a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and Masters of Agriculture which included completing the Cotton Production Course and Grains Production Course in 2013-2014.

Ben is very passionate about cotton and has fully embraced the promotion of cotton in the North Western region. An important part of his role has been developing partnerships to undertake trials in key areas such as; seedling establishment, pupae digging to evaluate refuge efficiency and the use of pheromone traps to collect moths to determine what crops or vegetation the moths have come from. Additionally Ben is involved with an Israeli irrigation company trialling a plant sensor which measures stem diameter swelling and contractions to determine whether it may be of use in scheduling irrigations. He has also coordinated field trips for growers to inspect cotton farms and their operational practices in other valleys.

Dryland cotton is an industry sector that Ben believes is under-utilised in the northwest and

one that will be revolutionised in the near future by Bollgard 3. He has noticed that the dryland cereal grower perception is that dryland cotton is a challenging and expensive crop to grow. He has been working hard to overcome this misconception and would like to run a “beginners” course to further achieve this. His belief is that without any more water becoming available the only way to expand the cotton industry is through dryland so he is committed to helping increase the number of dryland growers and expanding their representation in the industry. Ben particularly enjoys identifying hurdles to entry and using his knowledge and experience to help potential growers overcome these.

Ben is constantly seeking to up-skill himself through the channels provided by Crop Consultants Australia (CCA) of which he has been a member since 2010. He completed the Field to Fabric course last year, is a My BMP certified advisor, took part in the Future Cotton Leaders program and is the Dryland sub-committee Chairman of the Gwydir Valley Cotton Growers Association.

Ben was heavily involved in a water use efficiency project recently, helping farmers invest in efficient irrigation systems and technologies that return a share of water savings to the Murray-Darling Basin. Ben’s role was collecting seepage and evaporation data from farm water storages to determine any significant losses that could be ameliorated.

Ben has demonstrated his determination and vision for the industry by lobbying Cotton Australia and suppliers to be invited on to the TIMS

herbicide technical panel where his knowledge and experience has been invaluable in developing and enhancing the Resistance Management strategies. Ben’s aim is to have one auditing method that captures weed resistance data from all herbicide technologies that are currently being used or may be used in the future in cotton.

Ben is excited about his continued role in the TIMS committee with the release of Bollgard 3 and the opportunities that this technology will create for dryland growers.

Young Achiever of the Year Finalist: Ben Dawson


RYAN PRATTENRyan Pratten is an enthusiastic cotton advocate in the Macquarie Valley, based out of Narromine, NSW. Ryan has completed a Bachelor of Agribusiness majoring in Rural Science and completed the Post Graduate Cotton Production Course at UNE in 2007, where his passion for the industry was ignited.

Going into partnership with Campbell Muldoon in 2011, Ryan helped fill a void in the provision of agronomic services in the Macquarie Valley. They now service clients across the valley, focusing on increasing yields of irrigated cotton, broadacre cropping and dryland cotton when conditions and markets allow. The business continues to experience good growth as his clients are increasing their landholdings.

Ryan and Campbell have been encouraging the uptake of dryland cotton across the Valley and came up with an innovative way to demonstrate to their clients their level of commitment to the industry sector. In 2011/2012 cotton season they sharefarmed 340ha of dryland cotton themselves, achieving an average yield of 3.13 bales/ha. This trial created a buzz in the valley and practically showed what is possible in dryland, as well as proving that they were willing to back their own skills and knowledge.

Ryan was asked to provide assistance to potential cotton growers and agronomists in the Forbes

area during the 2014/2015 seasons. He hosted interested growers and agronomists at Narromine inspecting local crops, shoulder to shoulder. He then travelled to Forbes to share ideas about their field preparation and discuss the strategy for their 2015/2016 season further. Ryan is excited to oversee the management of the crop and see the outcomes for the forthcoming season.

The Macquarie CGA was pleased to welcome Ryan as a committee member in 2013 and he is now considering taking on a formal role. He thoroughly enjoys his involvement believing it to be a thriving, diverse group that allows for everyone’s input and ultimately is good fun. He uses the CGA as another avenue to provide information back to the community and create excitement with like-minded people; organising field days, workshops as well as golf days, race days and annual cotton trips.

Ryan was thrilled to be nominated for Young Achiever by Crop Consultants Australia (CCA), of which he has been a member since 2011. Ryan has demonstrated his commitment to CCA by travelling significant distances to take part in their professional development programs, including presenting to them.

Muldoon Pratten Ag Consulting (MPAC) have undertaken a range of trials and Ryan has taken particular interest in the issue of seedling mortality and how this can be improved for better yield outcomes. He would like to help develop best practice guidelines for consultants on seed establishment.

MPAC is a sponsor of the Rotary Youth in Cotton camp held annually in Narromine. Ryan has enjoyed the opportunity to work closely with

students aged 14-18, educating and inspiring them about agronomy and the cotton industry.

Ryan is positive about the future of the cotton industry in the Macquarie Valley, believing the opportunities for dryland cotton are great, in the right climatic conditions. His vision for the industry is for it to be sustainable, profitable and environmentally responsible; seeing his role to balance profitable crops in the long term with environmental and water efficiency challenges.

Young Achiever of the Year Finalist: Ryan Pratten


ROSS BURNETTRoss Burnett is an integral part of the Central Highlands cotton growing landscape. He is born and bred on his farm “Barkool” near Emerald, returning to the business at the age of 23 following the completion of a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from the University of QLD.

Ross has a “can do” attitude that has seen him complete the Future Cotton Leaders Program and the Fitzroy Basin Association Leaders program. He has independently invested in his professional development by completing the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course earlier this year.

Over the last ten years Ross has been heavily involved in the Central Highlands Cotton Growers and Irrigators Association (CHCG&IA) holding a range of positions including president until 2014. In this role, Ross was instrumental in regenerating the CHCG&IA through the active re-engagement of growers, industry and contemporary organisations. Under Ross’s leadership, the CHCG&IA, has also increased their engagement with Cotton Australia resulting in improved outcomes for the local industry. Ross has been instrumental in developing partnerships with organisations to develop a range of initiatives such as scholarships and promotional events for the benefit of the cotton industry.

Ross is passionate about the CGA structure and can see that its healthy function is the cornerstone of the industry at a local level. The association has benefited from Ross’ expertise and passion for corporate governance creating a culture of openness and

transparency, which has resulted in an increased level of support and respect.

Ross would like to further enhance the skills of CGA executives by developing a tailor-made course on the roles, responsibilities, risks and the corporate governance procedures that they need to be aware of in the positions they hold. Through this, greater capacity will be developed and maintained in local communities.

Ross’ youth allows him to interact easily with the younger generation of growers and his respect for the older guard sees him drawing on their wealth of knowledge, creating his own unique leadership style.

Ross is equally comfortable kicking dust in the paddock at a field day, cooking the BBQ at a CHCG&IA event, engaging with industry in a formal setting or lobbying politicians. This adaptability has allowed him to have a deep understanding of grassroots concerns which has enabled him to be a strong advocate for cotton growers.

Ross is also active in his broader community such as; a director on the Emerald Local Management Arrangements (LMA) board and an observer on the Emerald Agricultural College board. Ross has partnered with researchers to conduct trial work on his farm and is an early adopter of new technologies demonstrating their uses to other growers.

Ross feels that the cotton industry has significantly supported and encouraged him and given a lot to him, stimulating him to return the benefits. Personally, he struggles with negativity, constantly seeking solutions to challenges and facing them with confidence. He believes industry involvement not only benefits his business but also builds his personal skills and confidence and he looks forward to increasing his roles in the future. Young Achiever of the Year Finalist: Ross Burnett

Supporting young ones is a priority for the cotton industry and is a testament to the industries progressive and innovative nature.

In 2014 Matt McVeigh was one of only three Finalists in the Chris Lehmann Trust Young Achiever of the Year Award sponsored by Bayer Cropscience as part of the Australian Cotton Industry Awards. Following this success Matt went on to apply for and secure a Nuffield Farming Scholarship in late 2014 and is now part way through the 18 month program.

Matt is part of his family’s mixed-cropping business, farming about 6,500 hectares of irrigated and dryland country near Dalby in Queensland. Cotton is the major source of income from the operation and Matt sees improving the fibre quality of their cotton as being critically important which is the focus of his Nuffield Scholarship.

Matt is thrilled to be part of these industry programs; “they’ve helped build my confidence in myself and given me skills in public speaking and engaging with industry people” Matt said of his experiences.

“I have visited 6 countries in 6 weeks so far and have another 2 weeks in USA, and then trips planned to China, Vietnam, Brazil and maybe Korea. My head is filled with fantastic ideas and new contacts that I can’t wait to boil it all down and work out realistic steps I can take towards trying to help improve fibre quality” he said.

The Nuffield Farming Scholarships are one of eleven programs that are supported by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) that help to attract, retain and develop the industry’s most important resource; its people. With M$2.6 of investments made to workforce capacity programs this financial year, the cotton industry clearly demonstrates the value that it places on young people.

The Nuffield Farming Scholarships’ program is the leading agricultural study program for primary producers in Australia. It provides farmers with the opportunity to pursue an area of agricultural-related study overseas, to the benefit of both the individual grower and their wider industry. This year the cotton industry supported two cotton growers to undertake the program with Cotton Australia: Matthew McVeigh and Thomas Quigley.

Let the Young Ones Shine

TO VIEW A FULL LIST OF PREVIOUS YEARS AWARD RECIPIENTS VISIT www.australiancottonawards.com

THANK YOU TO OUR

LOYAL SPONSORS

Matt McVeigh 2014 Young Achiever Finalist

1312

Cotton Seed Distributors Researcher of the Year

DR STEPHEN YEATES Stephen Yeates has been a dedicated cotton research scientist for over 20 years. Whilst Steve is most recognized for his contribution to tropical cotton research in northern Australia, his in-depth understanding of cotton physiology and its implications for improved cotton production has had a significant influence on the wider cotton industry and mainstream research.

Steve’s philosophical approach to his research is to marry grower issues to a research-based solution. He has an extraordinary capacity to breakdown issues rationally and view them according to their ‘cause’ and ‘effect’ components. As a consequence he identifies the right research question, which from day 1 has a clear path to how the results will be communicated back to industry, ensuring from the outset, that his work has relevance to the industry. With a very deep understanding and appreciation for the need for research to be properly disseminated, Steve’s message always connects with his audience. He makes it relevant to the farmer as well as to the farm. He can talk in ‘technical speak’ required at the highest scientific level and is very proficient at tailoring his story to a consultant/advisor audience, recognising their information needs and perspective. This is why Steve’s research has a very high adoption rate. As farming systems in northern Australia are very different to the south, Steve has been able to think freely and take original approaches. Through asking fundamental questions about how a cotton plant grows in relation to the external environment, he has developed a deep and effective knowledge of cotton plant physiological processes. This has allowed him to tailor crop management strategies to successfully grow cotton in new environments as well as improving the productivity of Australia’s existing cotton production systems.

While cotton production hasn’t become a commercially viable venture in the Ord yet, his contribution to a comprehensive agronomic package will provide the technical foundation that a new grower would need. He is currently completing a similar agronomic package for the Burdekin. Once market factors are right for commercial cotton production in these regions his work will facilitate a rapid response.

Recently Steve has been involved in re-examining climate-related challenges for cotton production on the Central Highlands. His involvement has resulted in some original questions being investigated in an effort to increase yield stability in the face of climatic risks.

It’s now five years since Steve’s work on irrigation scheduling for Bollgard II was completed. This timely work provided practical, scientifically supported solutions that saved many growers from “finding out the hard way” and facilitated better custodianship of water resources. Steve’s advice is still frequently referenced by growers and consultants and forms the basis of scheduling decision making for much of the Australian industry’s crop.

Steve is highly willing to share ideas and knowledge as well as being keen to actively mentor younger scientists and extension staff. His beneficiaries have pinpointed his infectious passion for his research, his engaging personality and his drive to conduct quality and relevant science as his keys to inspiring lesser experienced researchers.

Steve is renowned for his unbridled enthusiasm that is contagious amongst his co-workers and growers alike, even in the most horrendous field conditions. His zeal for the work and constant banter creates a fantastic team culture that ultimately generates commitment to the research and terrific outcomes. The cotton industry can be confident that whatever challenges it may face in the future, Stephen Yeates will be there to enthusiastically and rigorously overcome them.


DR GEOFF BAKER & COLIN TANN Dr Geoff Baker and Colin Tann (CSIRO) have had a highly productive and cohesive partnership in cotton entomology for more than 15 years. Based at the Myall Vale research centre near Narrabri and Black Mountain, Canberra, the team has gathered key information on the two species of Helicoverpa. With the extensive data collected, the effects of various environmental variables on these key cotton pests can now be measured over the long-term and inform decision making for the Bt Resistance Management Plan (RMP). Colin and Geoff have been especially involved with the development of the refuge strategy behind the RMP. This strategy has relied on the assumption that refuge moths (non-Bt-selected) mate at random with resistant moths emerging from Bt crops and hence thereby limit the development of resistance. By documenting the ongoing performance of refuge options throughout both the INGARD and BOLLGARD II eras, the team has identified that pigeon pea is clearly the best refuge option. They have also demonstrated that mating of moths from different origins does indeed occur at random. The team has explored a variety of refuge options and looked at Helicoverpa at all life-stages and its habits. They have shown that Helicoverpa moths are very mobile so it is critical to have an adequate spread of well managed, dedicated refuges where cotton is growing, as well having un-structured refuges elsewhere within agricultural landscapes. Colin’s persistence and patience for over more than two decades in the field has seen him spend many long days (and nights) traveling, observing, and sampling; leading to the subsequent processing of collections in the lab. The synthesis of this data by Geoff has shown a substantial decline in the size of Helicoverpa spp. populations since the adoption of BOLLGARD II cotton. This suggests that the advent of Bt cotton has led to area wide suppression of the abundance of these key pests. Their ongoing data sets have also been critical for collaborative work with other researchers investigating the impact of climate on abundance. In addition, Colin and Geoff have recently linked their long-term monitoring of Helicoverpa abundance with Monsanto’s extensive records of agronomic details on cotton planting to assess the significance of planting windows in today’s cotton growing environment. These findings were conveyed to the TIMS committee for RMP decision-making as the industry moves into the BOLLGARD 3 era. Colin and Geoff’s research has thus been vital in developing an ongoing understanding of the effectiveness of and challenges to the RMP and the long-term viability of Bt cotton. Colin and Geoff have played a core role in Cotton Australia’s TIMS Bt-Technical Panel. Their input was crucial in assisting the Panel to develop recommendations to the TIMS committee for the development of the RMP for BOLLGARD 3. Their involvement in the TIMS committee has been an important outlet for the extension of their research. Both Colin and Geoff have also been willing presenters and participants in many important industry forums such as REFCOM, the Cotton Conference as well as various scientific conferences. Colin and Geoff have been instrumental in helping to protect the Australian cotton industry from Bt resistance, prolonging the use of Bt technology and ultimately making the investment in the technology more cost effective. Their long term commitment to research and their vitally important findings make them an invaluable part of the Australian Cotton Industry.

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Researcher of the Year Finalist: Dr Stephen Yeates

Leaders in the fieldFor 48 years, Cotton Seed Distributors (CSD) has had a proud heritage of

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Being member owned and grower focused, no one knows the needs of the

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Researcher of the Year Finalists: Colin Tann and Dr Geoff Baker

1514

The Passingof a CottonPioneer Written by Virginia Tapp, The Courier NarrabriThe late Paul Kahl MBE, OAM leaves a multi-faceted legacy of achievement at local, national and international levels.By any measure, the life-time contributions of Paul Kahl to Australian agriculture are remarkable. The story of how Paul, along with Frank Hadley, and their wives Jean and Norma came to Australia in 1961 and founded the modern Australian cotton industry, is well known. The pioneering partners decided that the soils, water and climate of Wee Waa were just right for cotton production and planted a 26 ha crop of cotton in 1962 at ‘Glencoe’. This was one of the first cotton crops to be planted in the country and it paved the way for today’s multi-billion dollar cotton industry.But Paul Kahl’s story has many more dimensions. Indeed, the long life of the cotton industry pioneer could be said to encompass three or more lifetimes rolled into one. In addition to his contributions to Australian agriculture, a young Paul Kahl risked life and limb during the Second World War in the war against Nazi Germany as a B17 bomber pilot. In 1943 he demonstrated remarkable flying skills in crash landing his stricken aircraft in Germany after the

plane had been crippled by German fighters and then had to endure the deprivations of Stalag Luft III prison camp.After the war he returned to farming in California, and soon after married Jean.A combination of post-war factors brought the potential of Australia’s agricultural future to Mr Kahl’s notice and so it was that the enduring names of Kahl and Hadley became part of Australia’s agricultural history.Throughout his life Paul Kahl exhibited the mix of characteristics which ensured his success in many fields.Adventurous, a man of faith, determined, innovative, visionary, independent, hard-working, and insightful when it came to agri-business, Paul Kahl represented a portrait of the ‘can-do’ American from the golden age of American free-enterprise.Mr Kahl saw in Australia opportunities to further his life-time dreams and goals. While he showed the ‘Aussies’ in his new home how things could be done he also was happy to weave some strong Australian strands into his character. Australia became his home and he became a proud Australian, as did his wife and six children.Today there are 26 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren, and throughout his life, Mr Kahl was known first and foremost as a proud family man who contributed to the local community on many levels.He envisioned a cotton industry that could stand on its own two feet; an industry which could administer, service itself and - importantly - undertake the research and development needed to ensure long-term sustainability.During his life, Paul Kahl was part of a number of boards, panels and councils representing many commodities, which have developed and fostered farming operations across Australia, not just the cotton industry. He took not one backward step when it came to dealing

with governments and bureaucracy and he sought always to further the industry on behalf of all growers and participants. What today is commonly described as the ‘cotton industry culture’ - the successful business and social mesh that brings all industry participants together - had its genesis in the early role of Paul Kahl and like-minded people.Mr Kahl’s influence extended into the global cotton industry, and he played an important role in the establishment of the Chinese cotton industry.As well as being a driven, business focused individual, he also found time to sail and travel the world later in life with his wife Jean.Paul Kahl’s involvement in the district and industry he loved continues to be shared by members of his family.Though Paul Kahl, the man, may have passed on and he will be sadly missed by a great many people, the legacy of Paul Kahl the Cotton Pickin’ Pioneer will live on.


SANDRA WILLIAMSSandra Williams is a highly dedicated experimental scientist within the CSIRO Agriculture Integrated Cotton Management Group with a primary focus of developing and delivering research to improve cotton crop decisions for sustainable cotton production. As a newly appointed Team Leader, Sandra supports the people and activities within the ‘Agronomy’ sector of the Group.

Moving to Narrabri in 1995, Sandra has been working in cotton research ever since. Her passion has always been Integrated Pest Management (IPM), a theme that flows throughout her more than 20 years of roles in the industry.

Enjoying enthusing and inspiring younger researchers Sandra has led two CSIRO Summer Scholarship projects. The students had a rich experience and are proud to have been part of creating new sampling approaches which are now widely used by industry. Sandra is often asked to conduct guided tours of the Cotton Research station for school, college and university groups and was recently invited to teach local primary school students about insect sampling.

Sandra also often takes the initiative to ensure that researchers at Narrabri’s Myall Vale stay well connected with industry, organising bus tours to farms to help close the gap between growers and consultants and researchers.

Sandra has ground-truthed and validated in the field, a variety of crop monitoring methods that

assess crop growth, development, nutrition and pest populations. This work has given greater credibility, accuracy and reliability to the models, ensuring increased uptake by growers and industry.

In collaboration with Dr Michael Bange, Sandra anticipated the need for pre-emptive research in the use of Pix. She implemented large multi-factorial experiments, refining the Pix guidelines and presenting the results to a number of industry forums attended by growers, agronomists, researchers and other industry players, to all of whom Sandra effectively conveyed her messages.

A key success to Sandra’s work as a researcher is her exceptional communication skills that have allowed her to deliver her results and findings to a wide variety of audiences, utilising a wide variety of mediums.

She has authored a number of popular industry manuals, being particularly proud of the ‘Pests and Beneficials in Australian Cotton Landscapes’ manual. She created a new section in this publication outlining management of remnant native vegetation areas for beneficial insects. Sandra also edits and up-dates key annual industry publications incorporating issues of the day and the latest research.

Sandra has been pivotal in the development of decision support tools delivered through the on-line CottASSIST site. Taking new research, combined with feedback from growers and crop consultants, she created the software specifications, oversaw the development and the rigorous testing of the web-based decision-making aids. Sandra then prepared the user manuals and coordinated the promotion of the CottASSIST suite of tools.

As the ‘Technical Specialist’ for IPM in the Cotton Info team, Sandra assists in compiling, synthesising, communicating and writing material for their extension campaigns. She is also a key member of the industry’s myBMP team charged with reviewing current research outcomes, identifying where there may be changes in best practice, negotiating with researchers to capture these in the criteria for different levels of attainment in myBMP.

Sandra loves her work in the cotton industry and has a smile on her face every day that she goes to work. She is deeply committed to the sustainable production of cotton which shines through when she communicates with others. She has an outstanding ability to access and synthesize research, communicate to a wide variety of audiences through a variety of mediums in order to respond to industry issues and drive performance in the industry.

Researcher of the Year Finalist: Sandra Williams

Despite an extraordinary existence, Frank Hadley can only be described as humble and thoughtful.

The co-founder of the NSW cotton industry is keen to step away from the spotlight after devoting his life to the white fibre.

But at a time of great opportunity and challenges for farming, it is comforting to know that the man who helped start it all is positive about the future.

“There are a lot of good, young people coming into the cotton industry,” he says.

Frank sounds younger than his 88 years, with a clear, considered voice still betraying his Californian upbringing after over 50 years on Australian soil.

His story has all the hallmarks of a true pioneering tale and it begins on a small irrigation farm in California, as one of five children.

Frank grew up in a house without electricity; no television, radio, microwaves etc. He started school a little late, at six years of age, because he needed to be strong enough to complete the eight mile round trip on a bicycle to and from town each day.

He worked for his father on the farm as soon as he was able and graduated high school a year before World War 2 ended.

After spending a year in the Navy, Frank returned to farming with his brother and it was then that his fortuitous relationship with Paul Kahl OAM began.

Frank and Paul were farming neighbours in California before joining forces to co-found the cotton industry in NSW.

Both men helped organise a co-operative cotton gin in their home state and it was during this time that an idea was hatched to try their luck in Australia.

“At the time the Australian government was advertising for cotton growers in US farm magazines and offering attractive terms.”

Paul and Frank’s move to establish cotton in Australia coincided with a push by the Australian government to supply the country’s five spinning mills with domestic product rather than imported cotton.

After three reconnaissance missions, the pair chose to move their families to Wee Waa, liking it’s weather, rich soils and ready supply of water from Keepit dam.

“Originally we intended to partner for a few years but it wasn’t until the 1971 flood happened, when we had to refinance everything so we decided to separate then.” Frank explains.

The first cotton crop was planted on Glencoe in 1962 and the successful harvest spurred other farmers in the region to join the white gold rush.

Frank and Paul had counted on having enough growers planting cotton in the district to warrant the construction of a local gin.

Their gamble paid off and, with the support of the state government,

a gin was constructed in time for the very next season.

It was natural that Paul and Frank took on leadership roles. They both became directors of the Namoi Cotton Co-operative and were instrumental in the establishment of Cotton Seed Distributors, with Frank nominated as the first chairman of CSD and a board member for 30 years.

“My main focus remained with cotton and cotton seed production, though I did grow other things,” he adds.

Outside cotton, Frank raised a family in the Wee Waa district, with his children Thomas and Alice both attending Wee Waa High School.

Thomas farmed in the area upon leaving school and still manages a property in the district today.

Frank’s view on the legacy left by both himself and Paul is simple.

“Neither one of us leaves a hole in the industry, we both did a job and there are good people carrying on.”

Reflections of a Cotton Pioneer, The Frank Hadley StoryWritten by Virginia Tapp, The Courier Narrabri

Australian Cotton Pioneer Frank Hadley with Paul Kahl

Australian Cotton Pioneer Paul Kahl

Blue Shadow Group: The Green MachineThe 2015 Australian Cotton Industry Awards will feature a suite of new high-tech, interactive entertainment provided by Blue Shadow Group. There will be a video wall, green screen and light show to build the buzz at the Awards evening event.

“These features will give the night the WOW factor it deserves as well as a touch of cheeky fun!” said Sally Knight from the Awards Management Team. “Blue Shadow is a boutique event management company that provides extraordinary entertainment options and we are really excited about the Video Wall and Green Screen at the Awards”.

The Green Screen is a way for Awards evening guests to create

a personalised memento of the evening. Located in the Foyer of the Crossing Theatre, bring any sized group of friends, choose a pose, background image and frame for the perfect photo. All the images are available for free a couple of days later for guests to upload, print or share how they like. Just look up https://goo.gl/d7iqzo after the 11th August

and download your favourites. Or leave your email address with the onsite crew and they will send you a notice as soon as they are uploaded. Images will be available until the end of September.

The Video Wall is a bank of 16 individual LCD screens, like televisions, that can showcase

different images or footage during the evening. Located at one side of the Auditorium the Wall is your chance to show others the Awards evening through your eyes! Guests can take their own happy snaps and text them to 0405 351 983 to be displayed on the Video Wall for everyone to see.

“I am really looking forward to the Green Screen and Video Wall. These innovations suit the cotton industry mindset – they utilise the latest technology and they provide heaps of fun!!!” Sally said.

16

Growing up in Quirindi on a stock and crop farm, Sam was educated at Scots College in Sydney. A giant of a man, Sam followed in his father’s footsteps (David was a Wallaby in the 1980’s) into Rugby and now represents the ACT Brumbies and the Qantas Wallabies.

Beginning his career with Sydney University, Sam’s position is lock. This means he does everything - runs the ball, jumps in the lineouts and makes tackles. He is an incredibly hard worker playing in the engine room of the forward pack. Joining the Brumbies at the end of 2010, Sam has developed into one of the best locks in Super Rugby. His hard edge and aggressive play was a key driver in the Brumbies making the 2013 Super Rugby Grand Final. In 2014, Sam again led from the front and subsequently earned his Wallaby Debut in June against the French.

Finishing off his best Super Rugby season, Sam won the 2014 Best Forward at the Brumbies and has started every Wallaby match he has been selected for.

As an athlete Sam offers tangible and unique benefits to any aspiring business, brand or locally driven organisation.

Sam represents “Country Australia” not just geographically, but in the way he works at his craft, respects his team mates and maintains his ability to be humble despite his elite achievements.

Sam is a very rare and unique Australian professional sportsman. He has the ability to relate to a variety of different people, to confidently speak and engage an audience and fundamentally to excite all that watch him play. Better yet, he is still learning, and the best is yet to come...

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) ABN 11 005 357 522. Australian Credit Licence Number 234527.ANZ’s colour blue is a trade mark of ANZ. Item No. 92091 07.2015 W450154

LOCAL AGRIBUSINESS

SPECIALISTS THAT UNDERSTAND THE

COTTON INDUSTRY

ANZ has provided banking services to customers in regional Australia for more than 170 years. With access to industry

specialists and an extensive range of products and services, our ANZ Regional Commercial team can tailor solutions to

suit the unique needs of your business.

To find out how we can help, call us today.

JAMES IRVING

DirectorCorporate Agribusiness NSW

M. 0422 609 166

BERNIE MUNRO

Regional ExecutiveNorth West NSWM. 0407 171 567

MC & Guest Speaker – Sam Carter Sponsored by ANZ

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