October valley summaries from CSD agronomists

Ginning continued into late August and early September. Cotton quality has been mostly excellent, and yields have been above average. However, some later fields were caught by rain, which delayed picking.  

Ground preparation is mostly done despite some very wet conditions. Winter crops in the region look exceptional, and any rain now will help with grain fill leading into harvest. 

Burrendong Dam is at 38% capacity, and there is no general security water allocation to date, although there is access to carryover water. A bulk water release from Windamere Dam near Mudgee downstream to Burrendong Dam near Wellington is planned for later in the year. Windamere Dam is currently at 84% capacity. There is increased interest in planting more area as cotton prices have improved recently. 

CSD will have a full program of Variety Trials and Try Before You Buy sites spread across the area. These sites will showcase CSD varieties, with technical updates held throughout the season to learn more about the varieties and management thereof. The new varieties performed extremely well in 2025–26 trials and commercial sites, with strong enquiry and demand for Sicala 320B3XF and the new Sicot 757B3XF for planting this year. 

CSD, in conjunction with Syngenta and Hutcheon & Pearce, held a FastStart™ planting workshop at Elders Trangie in early September. It was an opportunity to get an update on seed treatments, the FastStart™ Soil Temperature Network and optimising planter maintenance to ensure the best possible cotton planting outcomes.  

The MCGA Cotton Awards Dinner was held at Trangie Golf Club on Friday, 18 September. Attendees celebrated the achievements of the past cotton season. 

The award winners were –   Small Farm – MS Dugan, Large farm- Whittaker Farming, Young Achiever – Charlie Coles, Service to The Industry – Tony Quigley. 

The first Cotton Catch Up for the season is planned for 14 October, with further details to be circulated closer to the date. There will be a focus on results to date from CSD’s Disease Action Research Initiative.  

With temperatures warming up, some cotton planting will commence in late September, with the main planting period beginning in early October.  

Craig McDonald 

Planting in Central Queensland began in August, with some growers in the Emerald region getting an early start, although most planting took place during September. In the Callide region, irrigated cotton was also planted during September. 

Following a dry winter, conditions have remained dry through planting, with watering up taking much longer than usual. Seedbed preparation has also been impacted, with limited moisture available to help break down cotton trash and soil aggregates, resulting in some sinking once fields are watered up. Establishment has generally been good on fallow country but has been more challenging in back-to-back cotton fields due to the dry conditions. At this stage, there has been no dryland cotton planted in the region, with many growers hoping for rain in the coming weeks. 

The most advanced cotton in the region has reached around four nodes, with insect pressure remaining low to date. 

At the time of writing, planting of CSD’s variety trials across the region is largely complete, with trial sites located across Emerald, Springsure, Rolleston and Theodore. One remaining trial at Theodore is scheduled to be planted in November. In addition to the variety trials, Try Before You Buy block-style trials have also been added across the region and are being managed by CSD’s Commercial Agronomy team. 

Wrapping up the previous season, ginning for Emerald growers was completed by September, although there is still some northern cotton that has been transported south to be processed. The Moura gin is also still operating but is expected to finish the season shortly. 

Larissa Holland

The short winter on the Downs is now over, and most of the activity from last season has wrapped up, with just a few rounds to gin by mid-September.  The current outlook for the season is a mixed bag, with some positive aspects, such as the higher price for cotton on the market and early warmer temperatures likely to help with establishment. This coupled with some challenges, including ongoing dry weather, and higher than average temperatures forecast for the region during the upcoming summer.  

As for what is predicted to go into the ground, irrigated forecasts are reduced but still looking good. There will be a need to replenish the depleted soil moisture following little to no rain through autumn and winter, and it will likely take more water than usual to establish crops if conditions remain as they are. Dryland forecasts have been affected by the lack of rain and will need good rainfall before planting commences. The long range forecast for southeast Queensland suggests a drier-than-average lead up to summer, but There is still all of spring and summer for fortunes to change.  Most planting in the region takes place in late October.  

The DDCGI Golf Day was held since the last update and was well attended and supported. Going forward, the DDCGI Annual Dinner will be held biennially, alternating years with the Golf Day. Another recent event was CSD’s FastStart Planter workshop, held in August.   

With the full release of Sicala 320B3XF and Sicot 757B3XF, CSD will be busy with variety trials and Try Before you Buy sites spread across the region. 

Larissa Holland 

Cotton harvest has now wrapped up across Northern Queensland, with growers across the Tablelands, Northwest Queensland and Bowen regions completing another season and attention turning to ginning and planning for the next crop. 

Seasonal conditions varied considerably across the region this year, reflecting the diverse environments in which cotton is grown in Northern Australia. While yields generally trended lower than those achieved in recent seasons, cotton once again demonstrated its resilience under a wide range of conditions. As final ginning results continue to come through, fibre quality has remained a consistent strength of northern-grown cotton, reinforcing the region’s reputation for producing high-quality fibre. 

Interest in cotton production remains strong across Northern Queensland, with growers continuing to refine management practices and build experience within their farming systems. As the industry matures, local knowledge and grower confidence continue to increase, supported by ongoing research, extension activities and collaboration across the cotton industry. 

To date, CSD variety trials completed in Northern Queensland have provided valuable insights into how current and emerging varieties perform under northern conditions. While seasonal conditions continue to play a major role in crop performance, results have highlighted the progress being made in fibre quality. In particular, varieties such as Sicala 320B3XF and Sicot 757B3XF have demonstrated improvements in fibre length and strength while maintaining competitive yield performance. As variety development continues, these quality improvements have the potential to support grower returns while maintaining the strong reputation northern-grown cotton has established for fibre quality. 

With planting opportunities across Northern Queensland commencing from mid-November and extending through to March, preparations for the next crop are already underway. Growers are now turning their attention to variety selection, nutrition planning and field preparation as they look ahead to the 2027 season. 

The continued development of the northern cotton industry is a testament to the adaptability and innovation of growers across the region. With each season, experience and locally generated knowledge continue to improve our understanding of cotton production in Northern Australia and support informed decisions for future cotton crops. 

Jodie Pedrana 

Summer has arrived in the valley and with it comes that familiar mix of heat, activity and anticipation. Most of the local gins are now pushing through their final bales, and the long ginning run is drawing to a close. It has been another very big year for every gin in the region, and the effort from staff has been outstanding. After five seasons of heavy throughput, the upcoming maintenance period will be extensive but well earned. 

The lead into summer has also been busy across the district. CSD and John Deere combined to host a terrific planter workshop on the 28 August, and it proved to be a real highlight. The practical demonstrations and open discussion were well received and helped set growers up with confidence as planting began to roll out. 

Ground preparation through spring has been excellent. Beds across the valley look clean, well-shaped and ready for the season ahead. With a dry winter behind us, there will be very little back-to-back cotton this year, but the quality of the preparation work has been impressive. The valley is sitting at around fifty percent of total irrigated area, and many growers have taken the opportunity to try the new Sicot 757B3XF and Sicala 320B3XF. Both varieties have generated strong interest, and early feedback has been positive.  

Sicot 619B3XF has also been well supported in dryland sales, although dryland area remains well down at this stage. A timely November rain event still has the potential to lift this area back toward recent highs, especially if macroeconomic conditions soften and the bale price climbs above $700. 

Community spirit remains strong, as always. The Gwydir Valley Cotton Growers Association will come together on the 5 November for its annual celebration. This year will feature an Amalfi Coast theme at the Town & Country Club in Moree, and it promises to be another great night. It is a chance to pause, reflect and celebrate the hard work that goes into growing cotton in this valley. 

Stuart McFadyen 

The 2026–27 cotton season is now well underway across the Namoi Valley, with planting in full swing. A welcome rainfall event at the end of August provided some much-needed moisture across parts of the valley, although conditions remain variable. For dryland growers, further timely rain would create additional opportunities, while irrigated growers are progressing with watering up and pre-irrigation as planting programs move ahead. At the time of writing, WaterNSW reported Keepit Dam at 61%, Split Rock Dam at 87% and Chaffey Dam at 95%. 

The Lower Namoi CGA Golf Day and 2026 Cotton Awards were held on 18 September, bringing growers, agronomists and industry together to celebrate achievements across the region. A suite of awards was presented on the day, with the following recipients recognised: 2026 Grower of the Year, Paul Flewitt, AFF; Top Average Yield Irrigated >250 ha, AFF ‘Appletrees’; Top Average Yield Irrigated <250 ha, Maxwell Farming Trust ‘Mirrambeena’; Farm Average Yield Dryland, Dave Langfield ‘Bunderoo’; LNCGA Service to Industry, Jeff Hamblin; LNCGA Service to Industry Posthumously, Vic Melbourne; and Young Achiever, Alice Davis. The event provides a great opportunity to recognise local achievements and bring the Lower Namoi cotton community together, and we congratulate all recipients. 

There is plenty happening across the Namoi this season, with CSD Variety and Try Before You Buy sites planned across both irrigated and dryland systems. We will also have GEN (Grower Evaluation Network) sites across the Namoi, along with a Sentinel site at Greenbah, providing opportunities to follow variety performance across different environments and growing conditions. Keep your eyes peeled for more information on field walks and other activities happening across the region in the coming months. 

As crops become established, the focus will turn to early-season management and tracking how the season develops across the valley. With planting programs progressing across both irrigated and dryland areas, we look forward to seeing the 2026–27 crop get underway and working alongside growers and agronomists throughout the season. 

Storage levels sourced from WaterNSW Regional NSW Dam Levels, accessed at the time of writing. 

Natalie Aquilina 

The 2026 cotton season is rapidly drawing to an end across the Northern Territory and Western Australia’s Ord Valley, with picking and crop destruction near completion and preparations underway for next season. 

Northern Cotton (Katherine, NT cotton gin) is now in its third season of operation. Kate Marshall (Grower Service Manager, Northern Cotton) recently provided this update on the current season. Ginning is progressing well, with the gin running smoothly. As we are new to running the gin ourselves this year, it has been fantastic to see how well the team has come together and how smoothly the season is tracking. 

Bales are leaving the gin daily, with a good volume also being warehoused for export through the Port of Darwin. Cottonseed sales have remained consistent, supported by the drier conditions across southern regions and increasing local demand. We are particularly pleased to see the continued growth in local seed sales, with new buyers coming on board each week and recognising the quality and value of cottonseed. 

In the Ord Valley Irrigation Area, picking commenced in mid-August, with the majority of this season’s crop picked throughout September. Just short of 10,000 hectares of cotton was planted this season, and early indications suggest yields across the valley will be around the 10 bales/ha mark. Kimberley Cotton Company (Kununurra, WA cotton gin) is into its second season of ginning and, at the time of writing, has ginned approximately one-third of this season’s crop. 

As of late September, CSD’s variety trials are in the process of being ginned and classed. These results will be presented at the CSD seed and sales meetings, as well as published on the CSD website. This year’s Northern Territory CSD seed and sales meeting will be held at 4 pm on 13 October at the Contour Hotel in Katherine. The Ord Valley (Kununurra) CSD seed and sales meeting will be held at 4 pm on 14 October at the Grande. These meetings will be a fantastic opportunity to hear from a range of presenters, as well as discuss all things cotton seed ahead of Northern Australia’s early seed order date on 23 October. Keep an eye out for CSD emails and social media for further details on these events. 

Alex Roughley, CSD Technical Agronomist – NT and WA 

Further to my August-September Regional Report, micronaire numbers for the Riverina districts continued along the trend indicated in my last report. To recap, a 50K bale sample ran as follows: 

G6 & G7 (high micronaire):     2252 bales or 4.3% of sample 

G5 ( Base Grade): 49407 bales or 95% of sample 

G4 & G3 (low micronaire):          341 bales or <0.5% 

With ginning now complete, across a sample size approaching 250K bales, I can report the following: 

G6 & G7 (high micronaire):         2.75 % of sample  

G5 ( Base Grade):    94.25 % of sample 

G4 & G3 (low micronaire):          3 % of sample. 

This result confirms both the good finishing conditions experienced across the Riverina and the contribution made to continuing Australia’s reputation as a producer of high-quality cotton. 

To the upcoming season, growers are planting as I write, and temperature forecasts out to mid-October are suggesting growers should experience good establishment conditions. For all Riverina districts (Hillston, Murrumbidgee, Coleambally and Murray), we are expecting 30K hectares to be planted. Earlier indications were pointing to maybe half this number, however, a lift in GS water allocations during August and September, an improved price outlook for cotton and some easing of temporary water prices have seen renewed grower interest in planting cotton.  

As at 22nd September, GS allocations are as follows with further updates to come. 

• Lachlan Valley 10% 

• Murrumbidgee Valley 41% 

• Murray Valley 28% 

A reminder to growers that the CSD-Syngenta FastStart weather stations are active across the Riverina. We have 15 active sites. CSD members get access to the daily forecasts being generated by the FastStart network and growers are encouraged to use this service to monitor soil temperatures and planting conditions. Please be mindful that these stations are not operating in fields. They are adjacent to fields, and all growers should check actual field temperatures before making decisions to plant and water crops for establishment. 

Check it all out on the CSD Website. Signing up to be a member is a $20 annual fee, gaining access to the CSD website with all its great tools, designed to help you get the best out of your cotton crop.  

Have a great start to the 2026-27 cotton season and follow our media alerts for field days during the season. There will be events around establishment, cut-out/final flower and defoliation, along with opportunities to again look at ThryvOn Technology in the local area. 

Michael Taylor  

South Burnett 

The South Burnett is now preparing for the upcoming cotton season, with growers taking advantage of the continued dry conditions to complete paddock preparation and pre-plant activities. Ground preparation is well underway across much of the region, with many growers also applying pre-plant fertiliser in readiness for planting. 

With very limited rainfall received throughout the season, soil moisture profiles remain below ideal levels across many paddocks. As a result, a large proportion of irrigated growers are preparing to pre-water prior to planting to ensure adequate moisture for crop establishment. Some overhead-irrigated country may still require additional rainfall before planting can confidently proceed, particularly where irrigation capacity is limited or soil moisture reserves are low. 

Dryland cotton plantings are expected to be minimal this season under the current conditions. Many traditional dryland cotton paddocks are currently occupied by winter crops, while other growers have taken advantage of the prolonged dry period to undertake earthworks and other paddock improvements. 

Overall, the area remains well positioned for the irrigated cotton season, with full irrigation allocations again this year and growers continuing preparations ahead of the planting window. However, rainfall over the coming weeks will be important, particularly for overhead-irrigated and potential dryland production areas. Significant rainfall will be required to build sufficient soil moisture profiles before most growers would consider committing to dryland cotton. 

Fraser Coast 

Another season is upon us, with the 2026–27 cotton season set to commence in the coming weeks. Following last season’s mixed results in both yield and fibre quality, largely driven by challenging climatic conditions, growers across the region are preparing for another opportunity to produce a successful crop. 

Historically, cotton has performed exceptionally well in the region during hot, dry seasons, and current forecasts indicate these conditions may persist throughout much of the growing period. This has generated optimism that the season ahead could provide improved conditions for crop establishment, growth and overall productivity. 

To help manage seasonal and environmental risk, planting dates will be staggered across multiple windows rather than concentrated into a single period. Cotton will also be grown following a range of rotational crops, including sugarcane, soybeans and wheat, enabling assessment of performance across different farming systems and paddock histories. 

All fields have now been cultivated, with fertiliser programs completed to support crop nutrition and early vigour. Both irrigated and dryland cotton will be planted this season, alongside variety trials evaluating new genetics entering the market. With preparations largely complete, planting is expected to begin next week, although some timely rainfall would provide ideal conditions for a strong start to the season. 

Small plot trials featuring several XtendFlex® cotton varieties are also being conducted across the Bundaberg region to determine their suitability for local growing conditions. Planting has commenced at Wallaville, Childers and Alloway, where growers are exploring cotton as an alternative rotational crop within sugarcane and small crop farming systems. These trials aim to evaluate varietal performance while also assessing cotton’s potential to assist with weed management, improve farming system flexibility and diversify production opportunities across the region. 

Somerset and Lockyer Valley 

The 2025–26 cotton season in the Lockyer and Somerset Valleys has now concluded, with all cotton harvested and ginned. Overall, the season delivered some good results across the region, including strong yields and excellent fibre quality. Seasonal rainfall had a minor impact on many crops, influencing both production and fibre characteristics. Despite these challenges, dryland cotton performed particularly well, with many growers achieving impressive yields. While some rainfall occurred just prior to picking, its impact was generally limited, and fibre quality remained good across several dryland fields. 

Looking ahead to the 2026–27 season, preparations are well underway. Some growers are finalising their ground preparation programs, while others are preparing to commence planting. In the Somerset region, planting is expected to begin in late September, supported by soil temperatures of around 15°C and a favourable weather outlook in the coming days. These conditions are providing growers with confidence for successful crop establishment and a positive start to the season. 

Chris Barry