Third season of Ord River cotton trials completed

21/11/96

Primary Industry Minister Monty House said the development of an environmentally sustainable cotton industry in Western Australia's Kimberley region continued to move forward with positive results.

Mr House said Agriculture Western Australia and CSIRO recently completed the third season of Ord River cotton trials, the first major trials to incorporate genetically improved cotton varieties known as transgenic Bt cottons.

"Bt cottons have an introduced gene which result in a naturally occurring protein being excreted throughout the plant structure which is toxic to cotton's greatest enemy - heliothis caterpillars," he said.

"This protein allows the plant to protect itself against attack but at the same time is non-toxic for other insects.

"Many people associate cotton with the high pesticide use seen in the Ord district 30 years ago. However, the use of Bt cotton means crops are sprayed usually no more than the average horticultural crop, if at all.

"This year's work has shown that the introduction of transgenic Bt cottons has dramatically cut pesticide applications for the control of heliothis caterpillars - in some cases by up to 80 per cent."

Mr House said yield and quality data would now be assessed. However, initial indications suggested very positive results for the commercial future of the industry, and very pleasing results in terms of environmental impact.

The Minister's Cotton Strategy Group, together with Agriculture WA and CSIRO, strongly believes that the future of a Kimberley cotton industry will rely on the identification of sustainable pest management strategies incorporating transgenic Bt cotton.

The research team has been investigating a number of innovative approaches to sustainable pest management using genetically engineered cotton as the base.

Preliminary results suggest that a dramatic reduction in pesticide applications through the use of Bt cotton, and the use of refuge crops, has allowed 'beneficial' insect populations to thrive.

In turn, these 'beneficials' are naturally controlling the populations of those insects which are pests of the crop.

The Cotton Strategy Group and the research team are now focused on gradually increasing the scale of the Ord cotton trials in order to test the viability of innovative pest management systems for a commercial industry.

"The first three years of trials have given us great confidence that this new technology and an innovative approach will allow a cotton industry to be established in the State," Mr House said.

Last week the Minister announced a cotton gin would be built in Kununurra by the Ord River District Co-operative and Colly Farms Cotton.

He said the announcement was great news for the region because without the gin, the State would be unable to proceed with the development of the Kimberley cotton industry.

Media contact: Nicole Trigwell (09) 481 2044