Showcasing new technology…put these two dates in your diary for our field walks on Wednesday December 3rd and Thursday December 4th. See the flyers at the end of my newsletter for more information.
With a challenging November all but behind us, the weather of the last 10 days has put the season back on track, in line with 10 year temperature mean. (See graphs below). This means average yields are still achievable. As we all know from experience, conditions in February and March will have a big say in where yields finally land….a lot of water to flow under the bridge yet.
The CSD Trial Sites continue to establish well. All sites have good plant numbers and are now at 4th node stage. As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, we have two new varieties in our trials, CSX1320B3XF and CSX1257B3XF. Both have shown high yield potential and excellent fibre quality in recent CSIRO and CSD Trials.
As we move into 2026, CSD will be holding field days to give you the opportunity to see these new lines As they are reviewd for potential commercial releaseand how they compare to the current varietal offerings.
Mentioned also in my last newsletter was the two field walks happening on December 3rd and December 4th. These field walks will be looking at the Bayer ThryvOn™ technology.
What do we know so far about ThryvOn™ Technology?
The ThryvOn trait is built on the integration of Mpp51Aa2.834_16, a single pore-forming insecticidal protein produced by the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), into the cotton genome.
The Australian field trials commenced in 2017, with commercial release of Bollgard® 3 ThryvOn Cotton with XtendFlex® Technology planned for 2028. At this stage, only thrips data have been submitted for registration with the APVMA, but Bayer CropScience team continue to evaluate ThryvOn’s activity on mirids across the Australian cotton industry.
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 haslittle impact on adult thrips.
Considerations for December
As for activities in December, it is an important month for nitrogen applications, with late December being a favoured time for many of you to have completed your nitrogen programs.
Watering likewise is an important activity as crops approach first flower. This stage of the crop’s growth occurs from late December and into the first week of January.
A good tool on the CSD Website to use for some guidance as to when this can happen is STEFF (Simulated Time to Estimated First Flower). The aim of the model is to assist with defining the time of first flower. This should complement field observations with the aim to assist with management decisions and scheduling of operations leading up to first flower, which should include considerations about whether it is safe to spray.
Irrigation timing is critical to ensure the crop is set up to generate strong growth during the flowering period, when most yield potential is determined. Like all our tools, STEFF is simple to operate, but is also part of CottonTracka®, which can deliver further insights for later season management of your crops performance. So if you are keen to get insights into flowering late December, set up a CottonTracka® this season.
I look forward to seeing as many as possible at our upcoming field walks.
