Cotton production in Australia

Australia is known worldwide for producing cotton of the finest quality. Cotton production has an important position in the economy of Australia, earning foreign exchange of two billion dollars annually. Australian cotton production is highly mechanized, and its production systems are quite specialized with emphasis on more crops per drop. However, several factors are making Australian cotton production challengeable, such as climate change, water scarcity, emergence of new insects, diseases and weeds, waterlogged soils and rising production cost. Australian cotton growers, as well as cotton scientists, put sincere efforts to cope up with these issues. New agronomic tools, for example, the skip‐row technique for water saving in the dry land area, timely planting, and use of glyphosate‐tolerant and Helicoverpa ‐resistant cultivars, were adopted to increase the yield potential. Synergy among weather forecasting, fertilizer, water, and pest management in the integrated crop management mode is being considered for high efficiency of cotton production systems. This book chapter explores current issues of Australian cotton production systems and opportunities to solve these issues

Aplicação seqüencial de cloreto de mepiquat em algodoeiro Sequential applications of mepiquat chloride in cotton plants

Com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito de doses de cloreto de mepiquat aplicadas de forma parcelada, foi conduzido, em Jaboticabal, SP, um experimento com a cultivar de algodoeiro IAC 22. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos casualizados, com 13 tratamentos e 4 repetições. O efeito do cloreto de mepiquat sobre a redução da altura das plantas foi mais evidenciado pela dose total aplicada do que pelo uso do esquema de parcelamento. A menor dose estudada (55 g/ha) foi suficiente para que as plantas, por ocasião da colheita, estivessem com altura inferior a 1,30 m. O cloreto de mepiquat proporcionou redução no comprimento dos ramos e um melhor equilíbrio entre as partes reprodutiva e vegetativa. As características peso de capulho, peso de 100 sementes, porcentagem de fibra e produção de algodão em caroço, não foram significativamente afetadas pelos tratamentos.<br>The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of split dosis of mepiquat chloride on the cotton cultivar IAC 22 at Jaboticabal, SP. The experimental design was in completely randomized blocks constituted by 13 treatments, and four replicates. The effect of dosis on plant height was more pronounced than the splitting effect. The smallest dosis used (55 g/ha) was enough to declare plant height to less than 1.30 m, at harvest. The effect of mepiquat chloride reduced branch length and provided better reproductive/vegetative relation. The effects on boll weight, 100 seed weight, percentage of fiber and seed yield were not significant

Cloreto de mepiquat, thidiazuron e ethephon aplicados no algodoeiro em Ponta Porã, MS Mepiquat chloride, thidiazuron and ethephon applied on cotton in Ponta Porã, MS, Brazil

O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar os efeitos de diferentes dosagens de cloreto de mepiquat, thidiazuron e ethephon, aplicadas parceladamente no algodoeiro (Gossypium hirsutum L.) na Fazenda Itamarati, Ponta Porã, MS. As dosagens de cloreto de mepiquat foram: (0; 12,5 + 12,5 + 25,0 = 50; 25 + 25 + 25 = 75; 0 + 50 + 50 = 100; 12,5 + 62,5 + 50 = 125) g ha-1, com aplicações efetuadas aos 34, 47 e 62 dias após a emergência (DAE) em 1993/94, e aos 42, 60 e 73 DAE, em 1994/95, enquanto o thidiazuron foi aplicado quando 70% dos capulhos estavam abertos, nas dosagens de 0, 45, 60 e 75 g ha-1; já o ethephon foi aplicado sete dias após o thidiazuron, quando já se observava desfolha de 85%, nas dosagens de 0, 960 e 1.440 g ha-1. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados em faixa, com subparcelas subdivididas e quatro repetições. O cloreto de mepiquat proporcionou redução do número de frutos verdes, aumento do peso de 100 sementes e do peso médio de um capulho; a percentagem de desfolha aumentou com as dosagens de thidiazuron e ethephon; constatou-se que a interação cloreto de mepiquat x thidiazuron x ethephon foi significativa para percentagem de abertura de capulhos e produção de algodão em caroço.<br>The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of doses of mepiquat chloride, thidiazuron and ethephon on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), applied in parcels, and were surveyed in Itamarati Farm at Ponta Porã county. The mepiquat chloride doses were: (0.0; 12.5 + 12.5 + 25.0 = 50.0; 25.0 + 25.0 + 25.0 = 75.0; 0.0 + 50.0 + 50.0 = 100.0; 12.5 + 62.5 + 50.0 = 125.0) g ha-1. The applications were made at 34, 47 and 63 days after emergence(DAE) in 1993/94 and at 42, 60 and 73 DAE in 1994/95. Thidiazuron was applied when 70% of bolls were opened at the doses 0.0, 45.0, 60.0 and 75.0 g ha-1. Ethephon was applied seven days after thidiazuron, when 85% defoliation was observed, in the doses of 0.0, 960.0 and 1,440.0 g ha-1. The experimental design used was strips with subdivided subparcelas. Mepiquat chloride decrease the number of unripe fruits, increased the weight of 100 seeds and the boll average weight. The defoliation percentage enhanced with increasing thidiazuron and ethephon doses. Mepiquat chloride x thidiazuron x ethephon interaction was significative to the percentage of opening bolls and production of cotton seed