3. Cotton 2/3

Question 1

Sowing and harvesting times

Answer 1

Sown in the spring, grows over the summer, harvested in autumn.

Question 2

Cotton family

Answer 2

Hibiscus family, can grow up to 1.2m,

Question 3

Water management key points (4)

Answer 3

• federal and state gov control aus water resources
• water users must be licensed
• cottons average water requirement is 6-7 ML/ha.
• farms recycle water for re-use

Question 4

Average Australian annual rainfall

Answer 4

420mm although variable.

Question 5

Irrigation industry value

Answer 5

• one of Australia’s most valuable industries, $9billion + for the economy

Question 6

In Aus irrigation uses ___ GL of water each year.

Answer 6

14,000 GL of water each year

Question 7

How much water % is lost when water is diverted from rivers before it reaches the farm gate

Answer 7

10-30%

Question 8

Lost water within distribution channels on-farm.

Answer 8

Up to 20%

Question 9

What percentage of water is lost to over-watering?

Answer 9

10-15%

Question 10

Open channel flow

Answer 10

A water supply channel
For irrigation.

Question 11

Furrow irrigation

Answer 11

Used for row crops, topography should be between, 0.25 and 2.5% of uniform slope.suitable for medium to heavy soils. Unsuitable for light soils.

Question 12

% of Aus Ag production in the Murray darling basin

Answer 12

40%

Question 13

Rubble drain

Answer 13

Rubble or large rocks/bricks are piled in a dig out drain then soil is layer flat over the top.

Question 14

Mole drain

Answer 14

A bullet shaped plug attached to a ripper Tyne, is drawn through soil creating a mole like burrow drain.

Question 15

Irrigation water use efficiency IWUE

Answer 15

A water use index that relates total production to irrigation water applied. Only useful for comparison of nearby fields, does not account for rainfall nor stored soil moisture.

Question 16

GPWUI Gross production Water Use Efficiency

Answer 16

In cotton is best index for comparing bales per megalitre between farms. It relates total production with total soil moisture used, including irrigation, effective rainfall and used soil moisture.

Question 17

Irrigation period

Answer 17

Hrs you have your irrigation system running

Question 18

Irrigation frequency

Answer 18

How many times/ when your irrigation is running through its irrigation period.

Question 19

Is cotton seed treated?

Answer 19

All cotton seed for planting in Australia is treated with a standard fungicide for broad spectrum disease control. For exampl Vibrance complete.

Question 20

Sicot 748B3F

Answer 20

Variety of cotton seed

Question 21

IRMS

Answer 21

Insect resistant management strategy

Question 22

Bt Cotton

Answer 22

Bt cotton is a genetically modified pest resistant plant cotton variety, which produces an insecticide to combat bollworm.
Bacillus thuringiensis is a bacteria that produces toxins.

Question 23

Plant spacing

Answer 23

5-13 plants per metre

Question 24

Ideal temp for crop establishment

Answer 24

16-28 degrees

Question 25

Three options for planting cotton in regards to soil moisture:

Answer 25

- planting dry and watering up - pre-irrigation (when soil is dry and temps high) - planting on rain moisture (dryland growers)

Question 26

Cotton cutout

Answer 26

Use of last effective flower tool to predict days until defoliation.

Question 27

App for weed ID used in cotton

Answer 27

Weeds of Australian Cotton app (50 key species)

Question 28

Soil diseases of cotton

Answer 28

Rhizoctonia, pythium, black root rot, fusarium

Question 29

Fusarium wilt

Answer 29

- Plant high F rank variety - Bare fallow prior to crop - Maze or sorghum if cash cropping - Come clean go-clean

Question 30

Cotton industry online tool for growers in achieving best practice in growing cotton, it provides a centralised location for industry best practices.

Answer 30

MyBMP Best management practices