As the 2021-22 planting season rolls around, it’s a timely opportunity to take a closer look at a vital part of CSD’s team, the CSD Farm and its staff. The origin of what is now known as CSD Farms began in 2000 when ‘Little Mollee’ was purchased on the Culgoora Road, Wee Waa. Since then,  the operation has grown with the amalgamation of two additional farms. Currently 1,130 hectares in size, it has been managed by Mark Cathcart for the past six years with the help of Leading Hand, Jesse Nancarrow and Farm Assistant, Jack Kinstler. Both Jesse and Jack are valued team members and will ensure the future of the farm is in good hands into the future. 

CSD Farms has 650 hectares that can be fully irrigated utilising a mixture of overhead, flood irrigation and a newly converted bankless field. The farm team are responsible for the management of all the different activities that take place each year, starting from field preparation, planting, taking care of the crops throughout the season and finally picking the crop. Management of equipment is another task handled by the farm team. 

The cotton program that take places each year varies greatly in nature ranging from early generation seed increase of new varieties, AUSlot post controls, plant breeder nursery line seed increase, seed increases of orphan varieties, and in-house management trials such as delayed flowering and multiple planting dates. In addition to CSD’s own research, CSD farms also collaborates with other leading agricultural companies with trials on farm. CSIRO and CSD work closely together on numerous projects; while each year the FastStart Cotton Program (between CSD and Syngenta) conducts a trial on the farm looking for new products that may be beneficial to the industry for the first 70 days of a crop.  

If you are interested in the research, trials and operations at CSD Farms, keep an eye out for information about CSD’s annual field day in February/March.