A quick look back - and a strong shift forward 

The season opened with its challenges: warm October weather, cool early November, cold shock events, patchy rainfall, and high thrips pressure across much of the valley. Combined with slower day-degree accumulation, many crops took time to get moving. 

But the turnaround through late November and early December has been clear. Warmer days have lifted crop momentum, improved plant structure, and created more consistency from Walgett through to the Upper Namoi. With first flower approaching, the focus now shifts to fruit retention, irrigation planning, and the crop management decisions that will shape much of the season through January and February. 

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Seasonal focus: December in the valley

Crop stages

Crops are now progressing steadily toward the reproductive phase. 

• Early October plantings are on track for first flower from late December into early January. 

• Mid- to late-October plantings will follow from mid-January. 

Plant structures have improved significantly over the past two weeks, positioning most fields well heading into early fruiting. With heat units building more consistently, the priority is now supporting growth and setting up strong early fruit retention - a key yield driver. 

STEFF predictions remain valuable for planning first flower, peak flower, and cut-out. However, CottonTracka® provides the space to see STEFF predictions and see how the crop is tracking along. CottonTracka® also integrates the BARRY tool to enable early season yield predictions. 

🌦 Weather watch

Seasonal conditions have shifted to a more typical summer pattern: 

• Warmer temperatures 

• Higher evapotranspiration 

• Occasional storm activity 

These conditions are helping crops recover from early setbacks. Patchy rainfall continues to influence management decisions in the Lower Namoi and Walgett, where soil profiles vary more widely. Any further rainfall in December across the valley will assist early fruiting and reduce irrigation pressure. 

Irrigation planning

First irrigations are now underway across much of the valley. Well-timed irrigation during this window helps: 

• Promote node progression 

• Support balanced canopy development 

• Strengthen early fruit retention 

• Create predictable intervals into January and February 

Many growers are timing first irrigation with cultivation and nutrition applications to reset crops ahead of flowering. Soil water monitoring - whether via probes or field checks -remains essential, especially in crops still bouncing back from early stress. 

Weed & pest watch

Pests 

Thrips pressure has largely eased, but attention is shifting to: 

• Increasing mirid activity ahead of flowering 

• Mites emerging as a key risk after early insecticide use 

• Whitefly monitoring as temperatures rise 

IPM principles remain essential: 

• Conserve beneficials 

• Avoid unnecessary broad-spectrum chemistry 

• Rotate modes of action 

• Watch hotspots near neighbouring broadacre crops 

This season also offers valuable opportunities to observe native mite tolerance lines and ThryvOn® performance under real field pressure. Get in touch if you would like to see either of these traits in action.  

Weeds 

Cool early conditions provided a window for in-crop XtendiMax® use before the December cut-off - especially helpful for difficult to control broadleaf weeds. 

Focus areas for December include: 

• Double-knock strategies with glufosinate 

• Grass control where needed 

• Post-irrigation clean-ups 

• Pre- canopy closure cultivation  

A clean field heading into first flower improves irrigation efficiency and reduces late-season competition. 

Extension highlights 

Trial Site Updates 

This season’s Namoi trial program is now fully established across the Upper, Lower, and Walgett regions: 

• All trial sites are planted - including nine variety trials and numerous TBYB sites 

• Emergence counts have been completed 

• RoundUp Ready®, XtendFlex®, and new experimental varieties are well represented 

• V-rank and post-control checks are underway 

Crop growth is improving after the cool start, setting up a strong platform for meaningful comparisons this season. 

Welcoming Our Summer STEM Student 

We’re excited to welcome Ange Fittler, who is joining the Namoi Valley team for the next 10 weeks as our Summer STEM student. Ange will be assisting with trial site work, crop assessments, and extension activities across the region. 

It’s fantastic to continue supporting student engagement in cotton through the CSIRO Generations STEM Links program - and we’re thrilled to have her gaining hands-on experience across the valley. 

Photo: Ange and Natalie assessing the ThryvOn trial. 

ThryvOn® Field Walk Success 

A major highlight from November was the ThryvOn® field walk at Locharba, held in partnership with Bayer. 

With 55 attendees, it was a strong turnout and a great opportunity to look at early performance under real pest pressure. Thank you to everyone who took the time to come along. If you missed it, please reach out - we’re always happy to take people through the site. 

Events

Area wide management meetings - Thank you 

Thank you to everyone who attended the AWM meetings across Walgett, Narrabri, and Boggabri earlier this month. It was a valuable chance to connect before Christmas and compare early-season observations. 

What’s coming up in the New Year 

• Native Mite Resistant Demonstration Plots 
  Walk-throughs available in January–February (pending mite pressure!!). 

• Flowering Field Walks 
  Starting early 2026 to look at early fruit retention and crop structure. 

• Bayer Field Day - February 12th, Locharba 
  Revisiting the ThryvOn® site and hearing updates from the Bayer team and Outlook Ag. 

• Namoi Valley CSD Field Day - March 4th, Greenbah 

A key date as we wrap up the season and review variety performance. 

• Grower of the Year Field Day – 18th March 2026 
  Hosted by Merrilong Pastoral Company, Spring Ridge - fantastic to have this event back in our valley. 

More details will be shared in the new year. 

December priorities

• Time first irrigation to support pre-flowering growth 
• Maintain clean rows ahead of canopy closure 
• Monitor mirids, mites, thrips, and emerging whitefly pressure 
• Use CottonTracka + STEFF to track crop momentum 
• Review PGR needs based on vigour and structure 
• Visit mite tolerance resistant demonstrations, ThryvOn®, and variety trial sites for field insights 

Final Note 

From Walgett to the Upper Namoi, the valley has navigated a complex and at times frustrating start, but the lift in crop momentum has been encouraging. December provides the opportunity to set up strong early fruit retention and prepare crops for flowering in good condition. 

Thank you to everyone who attended the ThryvOn field walk, the AWM meetings, and those who continue to share crop updates. Here’s to a productive December and a strong run into the core of the cotton season. 

Nat & Emma 
Upper and Lower Namoi and Western Valley Extension Team 

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