- The Australian cotton industry has made significant environmental inroads over the last decade with the adoption of Best Management Practices, Integrated Pest Management, water use efficiency and biotechnology
- The Australian cotton industry is recognised internationally as a leader in sustainable cotton production and held as a model for change by other Australian agriculture industries
- The Best Management Practices (BMP) program aims to achieve true sustainability through improved farm efficiency and productivity along with protecting the environment and its natural resources
- Over $6 million has been invested in the research and development of the BMP Program (Source: CRDC, 2005)
- BMP provides cotton growers with a farm management system where pesticide use is kept to a minimum, weeds and diseases are well controlled, water use efficiency is maximised, soil health is improved, native plants and animals are protected, and riparian areas are valued
- Practical examples of BMP include safe chemical and fuel storage and handling, tail water recycling, stubble retention to improve soil health, reduce erosion and retain soil moisture and nutrients, GPS technology and weather monitoring equipment to apply pesticides accurately and monitor conditions and use of irrigation scheduling and monitoring tools to only apply what the crop needs, to reduce run-off and deep drainage
- The BMP program encourages collectives of cotton farmers known as Area Wide Management groups who work together on broader catchment issues, pest control and pesticide reduction
- BMP, Integrated Pest Management and innovative biotechnology have combined to help the cotton industry reduce overall insecticide use by 85-90 percent
- IPM focuses on reducing the reliance on chemicals by adopting biotechnology such as transgenic (genetically modified) cotton varieties, and insect pressure control methods such as trap cropping, pupae busting techniques, food sprays and using beneficial insects
- The introduction and adoption of biotechnology with an in-built defence to the Heliothis caterpillar (Ingard® and Bollgard II® seed varieties) has significantly reduced pesticide use
- Beneficial insects such as lady beetles are natural enemies of insects that eat the cotton plant and help reduce the need for pesticides by directly preying on them
