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The cotton industry is evolving – climate, market demand, management processes and technology advancements necessitate Australian growers and CSD to remain on the front foot, growing a high-quality product that’s sought after, sustainable and profitable.
That’s why we’ve invested in developing new varieties, built for the conditions you face. The Try Before You Buy trials arm you with local variety performance data and insights to help inform your on-farm decision making and plant new seed varieties with confidence.
2026 Season | Balonne | Trial No. 2026099
Sicot 757B3XF, Sicala 320B3XF, Siokra 253B3XF & Sicot 606B3F Try Before You Buy
Craig Saunders | ‘Thuraggi Overflow’, St George QLD
Key takeaway
Trialling varieties locally is the best way to confirm performance of varieties. Overall, results reinforced that management and paddock placement are critical to achieving yield.
System
Irrigated
1m solid configuartion
Rainfall
102mm
9 irrigators
Top yield
13.92 b/ha
Sicot 757B3XF
Trial snapshot
| Trial No. | 2026099 |
| Planting date | 27 September 2025 |
| Picking date | 19 March 2026 |
| Previous crop | Cotton |
| Varieties | Sicot 757B3XF, Sicala 320B3XF, Siokra 253B3XF and Sicot 606B3F |
Season & field summary
The trial was four varieties planted into a Bankless irrigation field. Sicot 606B3F and Siokra 253B3XF each had their own bays while Sicala 320B3XF and Sicot 757B3XF shared a bay. A hotter than average September enticed an early plant which saw 8 to 9 plants per meter emerge. Very little rain fell which wasn’t helped by a scorcher of a summer coming in as the hottest season in 10 years.
I started off sceptical but had heard good results from other valleys trials results from the previous season with the a couple of the new varieties and wanted to test them in the Balonne region. We put in the Siokra 253B3XF, Sicala 320B3XF and Sicot 757B3XF against the Sicot 606B3F which has been our go to. Had to give it a go to truly see the strengths and weaknesses myself. Worthwhile doing so and a good reminder of the importance of management practices for varieties after seeing the results of the trial.
Siokra 253B3XF struggled with fusarium present in the field and after not seeing the disease in the last few years a good reminder to check F-Ranks and other disease rankings. I would avoid putting it in if there is a known issue with fusarium. The other three looked great all season though Sicot 606B3F was shorter in height but packed on just as much fruit and looked fantastic once the leaf came off. Sicala 320B3XF and Sicot 757B3XF were a little slower for the leaf to drop and shone best with their result through the gin.
There are strong opinions out there about these varieties coming through but I see these sorts of trials as a benefit to the industry in that they allow growers to see for themselves and pass on information to others in their valley. We need these trials and people to achieve the best results.
Trial results
TBYB yield results from Craig Saunders, ‘Thuraggi Overflow’. Results are from LDC (Namoi) Mungindi.
Yield & fibre quality comparison
| Variety | Yield | Staple length (imp) | Strength (g/tex) | Micronaire | Lint turnout (%) |
| Sicot 757B3XF | 13.92 | 1.22 | 33.4 | 4.6 | 50.60 |
| Sicala 320B3XF | 13.28 | 1.19 | 33.0 | 4.5 | 46.3 |
| Sicot 606B3F | 11.80 | 1.13 | 32.1 | 4.9 | 43.0 |
| Siokra 253B3XF | 10.96 | 1.17 | 29.2 | 4.4 | 44.0 |
Agronomy insights
The season was hot and with very little in crop rain had to keep water up through in crop irrigations. There was nine in total and that was likely one short of where it wanted to be. Sicot 606B3F doesn’t like to be kept waiting for water and likely affected its final yield. Siokra 253B3XF was visibly impacted by fusarium and no surprises it brought downs its yield. The disease was detected in all varieties, however. A good first impression for the Sicala 320B3XF and Sicot 757B3XF and would be great if they keep up this consistency.
Fit & management considerations
Sicot 757B3XF looks like it will have a good fit in the Balonne valley and seems suited to hot climates. Based on its F-rank it looks good to handle fusarium which is common in the region. The Sicala 320B3XF also did well with one of its key features is that it tends to have a lower inherent micronaire than most varieties. It does typically have better length that Sicot 757B3XF but not the case in this trial. There is likely a home for Siokra 253B3XF in the Balonne with its lower micronaire and okra leaf allowing air into the canopy but it’s not as suitable to handle fusarium.
