Cotton | Ag Week 2023 Digital Learning Kit

Learn about Anna’s 23-year career in the broadacre cropping and cotton industry. Over this time, Anna has seen developments in environmental sustainability and transitioning from spraying crops to using biological control methods to manage pests and diseases. 

Hear how Anna and her husband developed the idea of using innovation and technology to efficiently deliver large numbers of insects onto crops using aerial application of ‘ping-pong ball’ sized capsules as a biological control method. 

The innovative Australian biological control business, The Crop Capsules Company, now specialises in rapidly applying and distributing beneficial parasitic wasps to control and suppress damaging populations of pest insects such as silverleaf whiteflies. These inoculative releases of beneficial insects involve a carefully timed release of a pest’s natural enemies, therefore reducing pest populations without the need for chemical control methods. This innovation leads to improved yields and quality, grower profitability, and career opportunities within the cotton industry that are exciting, innovative, and sustainable. 

Learn about the mixed farming organisation that produces a range of horticultural crops, including beetroot, onions, broccoli, pumpkins, carrots, cotton, hay, and grain crops. 

Mitch discusses how technological advancement and innovation have revolutionised the cotton industry, transitioning from hand harvesting to conventional harvest, and now to round-bale cotton pickers. 

Hear how advancements in cotton picking machinery equipment initially involved high capital investment; however, this can be outweighed by improvements in speed, staff management, harvest economy, OHS, and return on investment. 

Learn about the factors involved in operating and maintaining this innovative equipment, including ensuring staff are trained and can gain experience in the machine safely and daily maintenance. 

Mitch knows that it is essential that young people coming into the industry can learn on the job, be upskilled and be flexible to meet the diverse needs of a business. 

This resource was produced as part of PIEFA’s Ag Week 2023 Activities but can be used at any point and incorporated into your lesson plans throughout the year.