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Cotton Research at the Australian Cotton Research Institute (ACRI), Myall Vale, Narrabri
The Australian Cotton Research Institute (ACRI) is home of NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) Centre for Cotton, and Pulse and Oilseed Improvement.
Located between Narrabri and Wee Waa - in the middle of New South Wales's main cotton production areas - ACRI is owned by NSW DPI. The facilities are shared with the Cotton Catchment Communities Cooperative Research Centre (Cotton CRC) and the CSIRO Divisions of Plant Industry and Entomology.
Website http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/research/centres/narrabri
Interview with Steve Yeates and James Nielsen, ACRI Research Staff
Role of ACRI, GM Cotton, water efficiency
Listen to acri1.mp3 and answer the following questions.
- How has the drought effected the ACRI funding and research.
- Describe the characteristics of the range of cotton growers.
- What areas are cotton growers moving to, why?
- Why isn’t the Ord River Scheme in northern Australia not permitted to grow cotton.
- What has been the impact of Bollgard ( a gm cotton)
- Why is Partial Root Zone Drying (PRD) not beneficial in cotton?
- What problems exist with alternatives to surface flow irrigation?
- What are some of the losses of water before it gets to a travelling irrigator.
- What methods have been used to increase efficiency in the field?
Science impacts, skills, competition for water, diversification, rotations
Listen to acri2.mp3 and answer the following questions.
- What impacts have plant scientists achieved
- How have they been achieved
- Why are there differences between Furrow and overhead application
- What impact are skills shortages having on farmers
- What are top irrigators doing to achieve greater efficiencies
- Why is deficit level knowledge important
- How is most of Americas cotton grown
- Who competes for water resources
- What indicators are there about historical water flows
- Why have some producers moved to the Burdekin Scheme in QLD
- Why are farmers diversifying
- Why are legume rotations becoming important
Soils, future research
Listen to acri3.mp3 and answer the following questions.
- What factors impact on soil structure
- Why may corn be important in a rotation with cotton.
- What level of Australian production is expected in the future
- What are the future areas of research?
- What research is being undertaken in root development
- What association exists between yield and quality
- Why is cotton still favoured over other crops by many irrigators
- Compare the level of skills and training of people in the cotton industry with other industries.
Next Steps, Political Factors, Social Factors, Economics of forward selling.
Listen to acri4.mp3 and answer the following questions.
- How close is cotton to its physiological limit?
- How will optimising systems and inputs impact on production
- How do political factors effect agricultural development
- How can government policies impact on land prices
- What are some of the challenges faced in developing the Ord?
- How can security of water impact on farm income through forward selling.
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