In this episode, we unpack the rapid and unexpected spread of the Indian cotton jassid across the US Cotton Belt, just 18 months after first being detected.

Dr Scott Graham - who featured in a recent episode on his visit to Australian cotton farms on the Darling Downs - shares firsthand insights into how the pest likely arrived, how quickly it moved through the southeastern United States, and the challenges growers faced as familiar symptoms were initially mistaken for nutrient stress or spider mites.

We discuss real-world yield impacts, why early detection and timely action are critical, and how management approaches are evolving.

Drawing on hard-earned experience, the conversation closes with practical lessons and biosecurity advice for Australian cotton growers should this high‑risk pest ever arrive in our own backyard.

Megan Woodward chats with CottonInfo Technical Lead and climate specialist Jon Welsh about why eastern cotton regions are starting dry, how El Niño events really behave behind the headlines, and what growers can do now to manage risk using history, not hysteria.

Resources and information

Subscribe or update your details to ensure you receive the CottonInfo Moisture Manager here.

Article by Dr Kim Reid mentioned: Why the phrase ‘Super El Niño’ makes Australian climate scientists roll their eyes.

In early March, Extension Agronomist Eddie McGriff from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Dr Scott Graham, Extension Entomologist at Alabama's Auburn University, travelled to Australia to tour key cropping systems - with Australian cotton high on their list.

Joined by members of the CottonInfo team on Queensland's Darling Downs, the visit to local farms became a genuine two‑way exchange of ideas, from pest management to extension models and grower decision‑making.

Now back in the US, Eddie and Scott reflect on what they saw, what surprised them, and the insights both countries can take from each other.

In this episode, Megan is joined by CottonInfo Technical Lead Sharna Holman, and state disease pathologists Dr Dinesh Kafle (QLD) and Dr Chi Nguyen (NSW) - who are both part of the Australian Cotton Disease Collaboration - to unpack what the 2025–26 cotton disease season has really been telling us across NSW and Queensland.

We chat about the big jump in disease samples coming in, what growers are seeing more (and less) of in the paddock, and a few emerging issues that are now on the radar.

The conversation also dives into why sending in samples still matters — even when you think you know the answer — plus some practical tips on how to collect and post samples so they’re actually useful.

A great listen for anyone wanting to stay ahead of cotton disease trends and make the most of the diagnostic support available.

For more information

Disease management | CottonInfo

Australian Cotton Disease Collaboration | UniSQ

It's official - CottonInfo has a Regional Extension Officer in northern Australia!

In this episode, we sit down with Nicole Bell, CottonInfo’s first-ever REO for the region, based in Kununurra.

Nicole shares her winding path into the cotton industry — from growing up in Narrabri and studying zoology, to working in research, pest management and on-farm trials across the country.

We chat about what drew Nicole to the new role, the excitement of bringing research closer to growers, and why northern Australia offers such a unique and resilient cotton-growing environment.

It’s a great chat about people, passion and the future of cotton in the north.

In this episode, we sit down with fatigue experts Professor Sally Ferguson (CQ University) and Kerri-Lynn Peachey (University of Sydney) to unpack the CRDC-supported research project Farming and Fatigue: Growing Sensible Solutions.

Sally and Kerri-Lynn explore why fatigue is a major risk during peak farming periods (like picking!) and how practical, farmer‑designed tools can help make fatigue manageable - not inevitable.

This conversation focuses on real-world strategies that support safety, productivity, and better decision-making on farm.

You can find out more about the research project here: Farming and Fatigue

As part of the Australian Cotton Disease Collaboration (ACDC), Dr Cassy Percy from UniSQ is leading a project that's working to create the Australian Cotton Pathogen Collection.

The project aims to fill gaps in knowledge around key cotton pathogens that will help Australian cotton growers make better disease management decisions.

In this chat, Cassy gives an overview of exactly what that means and how the collection will help to predict disease potential in the future, as well as inform breeding programs and support resistance management.

The brand new CRDC Cotton Course offers flexible, targeted learning for people across the Australian cotton industry.

Delivered by the University of Sydney in partnership with CottonInfo and Cotton Seed Distributors (CSD), the course consists of three microcredentials designed to build knowledge and skills without traditional university requirements.

Ahead of the first microcredential starting in March 2026, we speak with Ian Simpson and Stephen Cattle from The University of Sydney to find out some more about the opportunities on offer.

For more information: CRDC Cotton Course | CRDC 

It's not the most glamourous aspect of growing a crop, but record keeping when it comes to chemical use is critically important.

In this episode get some practical tips for effective record keeping, especially during the spray season, as well some of the things you might be able to do better to fully reap the benefits of proper record keeping.

Resources

myBMP

Get your spray records right

Spray Management Plan Guide

Chemicals and herbicides | Business Queensland

Department of Primary Industries, Queensland

Compulsory record keeping | EPA

Keeping records of chemical use | NT.GOV.AU

Chemical spray regulations | Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

In the final episode in our three-part series about the 2015 CottonInfo Irrigation Automation Tour we sit down with manufacturer and retailer Shawn Padman from Padman Group.

This is a great chat from a different perspective with someone who was also part of the tour a decade ago, who has ridden the wave of the irrigation automation evolution in the Australian cotton industry.