CSD awards Colorada Cotton the Eveleigh, Marshall and Kay award for highest potential yield

The award recognises a grower's crop in the CSD Ambassador Network which obtained the highest potential yield estimated at first flower for the 2021- 22 season.

This award was named in honour of three initial members of CSD's extension team, Rob Eveleigh, John Marshall, and Adam Kay, who joined CSD in 1996 when biotechnology was introduced to the Australian cotton industry.

Utilising CSD's BARRY® model, developed in partnership with CSD and CSIRO, the program enables accurate yield estimations to be made throughout the crop's growth.

CSD's Central Queensland agronomist Stewart Brotherton, said there are between 40 and 50 cotton growers across Australia in the Ambassador Network, each planting 74 hectares for the ambassador field.

Mr Brotherton said the BARRY model analyses the yield estimations and by using the first flower prediction, was able to forecast the yield before the crop has set.

"Having the highest yield potential at first flower...does demonstrate that this crop has the framework and structure that will allow the grower to push the crop for maximum yield at picking," Mr Brotherton said.

Several variables contributed to the high BARRY yield estimate for the Sicot 746B3F winning crop: the planting date, day degrees to flowering, nodes to first fruiting branch, nodes above white flower, first position fruit retention percentage, squaring nodes and plant height.

Mr Brotherton said the Eveleigh, Marshall and Kay Shield is one of eight crop awards by CSD, ultimately leading to the best overall crop which will be awarded at the end of the season.

"By giving Nigel and his team this award, it's showcasing to the grower that his crop is on a benchmark to the rest of the ambassador program," he said.

"Nigel won this award because he was the best performing yield crop at first flower."

Nigel and Beth Burnett of Emerald, manage Colorada Cotton and the adjoining Langley Downs, alongside their farm manager Dean Thompson.

Mr Burnett said it humbling to be recognized with this award, acknowledging his entire team who helped produce a favorable cotton crop this season.

"It's a good time to appreciate the hard work that our team put in. The performance of the crop, up to the first flower is a credit to all the little things that are done right up to that point," Mr Burnett said.

"To be fair, it's a long way from first flower to getting a crop into a round bale, but it's a good measure to see how the crop is fairing."

Related reading: Colorada Cotton wins top yield and quality award for 2019/20 season

Mr Burnett said the in-crop rainfall could be credited to some of the success for setting up the crop.

"We didn't have to irrigate until after first flower, which is reasonably unheard of in this area," he said.

"Your first and second irrigation can set the crop back a little bit. It's really important to keep it moving on.

"The crop does look strong. It's pretty difficult to put a yield estimate on it at the moment.

"The cotton pickers will go out into the paddock in about three weeks time and we'll know what it is.

"It will be really good to see what the results are and whether it has translated in the yield, but a lot can happen between their first flower and by the time you finish your crop and into a round bale."

CSD recognised that it was necessary to focus on variety performance and crop management through building a team of knowledgeable and respectable agronomists, to better serve the industry.

Mr Brotherton said the roles of Eveleigh, Marshall and Kay provided variety, production, extension and research support to the growers and consultants in the Australian cotton industry.

"These original members paved the way for CSD and are responsible for the culture, systems and methodologies still in use by the team today," he said.

A case study highlighting all factors that contributed to and influenced the results of this award will be developed and distributed via CSD's member newsletter.

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