G’day, 

Check out the new varieties containing XtendFlex® technology at our upcoming field walk. Put 8 December in your diary. See the flyer at the end of the newsletter for more info.  

November was warm, being over 2°C warmer than the 10-year average! Some were fortunate enough to receive much needed storm rainfall, while others are still chasing decent rain. Early sown crops are growing strongly and continue to flower, while later crops are squaring and beginning to flower. The two CSD irrigated variety trials in Emerald are looking great, rapidly accumulating bolls and now approaching cut out. They have grown out of early insect damage and regained retention, now sitting between 18-21 nodes. The later-planted irrigated variety trial at Rolleston has established very well, with new varieties CSX 1320B3XF and CSX 1257B3XF standing above the rest early on. Sicot 619B3XF’s early vigour is on show, now at eight nodes and beginning to square. 

ThryvOn™ 

ThryvOn™ is an upcoming trait designed to protect the crop from early thrip pressure. The trait is built on the integration of the Mpp51Aa2.834_16, a single pore-forming insecticidal protein produced by the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), into the cotton genome. Australian field trials are ongoing, with thrips efficacy data being submitted. Bayer’s Crop Science team continue to evaluate activity on other sucking pests such as mirids in our production system.  

Key points:  

• ThryvOn™ protects the crop throughout the season as an egg-laying and feeding deterrent for thrips. 

• ThryvOn™ Technology does not provide complete control of thrips species and has little impact on adult thrips. 

• ThryvOn™ has little impact on beneficial arthropod species. The Mpp51Aa2 protein in ThryvOn™ has no known activity on caterpillars, stink bugs, aphids, or whiteflies. 

• To date, there’s been no evidence of mite flare-ups in either Australian or US trials due to ThryvOn™. 

The current aim is to have a limited release of varieties containing ThryvOn™ in the 2028 season. Though, this is dependant on trial results.  

Tools for your toolbox

• CottonTracka®– Our #1 tool for assessing your crop to ensure it’s on track.   
• Variety Performance Comparison – This tool enables users to compare two varieties performance in trials in your region. Which can be useful when selecting which dryland variety to grow.   

Considerations for December

As we enter summer, it is still crucial to continue to monitor walk-away crops. While we await significant rainfall and inflow crop protection is still relevant. 

Stress-Related Considerations 

• Below-ideal growing conditions result in minimal plant growth, making protection of the terminal crucial. 

• Even with low pest presence, there's value in protecting slow-growing plants until conditions become favourable. 

• Managing insects through beneficials and sprays is important to prevent damage to squares and bolls that affect yield. 

When more allocation water is available it will be crucial to ensure the crop has sufficient Nitrogen along with the 1st irrigation to give it the required boost.  

Water Management Priorities 

• Concentrate water applications during flowering (first flower to cut-out) and minimise stress during this period. 

• Restricting irrigation during the vegetative stage has the least impact on crop yield under limited water conditions.  

• Use canopy temperature sensors combined with soil moisture probes to help schedule limited irrigations and avoid water stress during peak flowering and boll fill. 

Upcoming events

Emerald variety trial Field Walk on 8 December 2025

• Where: “Tandawanna”,  1131 Foleys Rd Emerald QLD 4720.  

• When: Monday morning from 10am to 11am.  

This is your chance to see the new varieties in the field and hear about their performance during flowering. Including a region-first look at CSX 1320B3XF, an exciting new variety.  

Cheers, 

Nick. 

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