New technology shows promise for cotton efficiency

Researchers are developing groundbreaking nanotechnology that could lead to drought resistant cotton.

A project that aims to push the boundaries of drought-resistant cotton could become a reality in the paddock in as little as 18 months with field trials imminent.

Dr Cong Vu, who initially worked with Vietnam’s Mekong Delta Rice Bowl, is currently working on a project to use nanoparticle technology to drought-proof Australia’s cotton industry.

Speaking from Vietnam, Dr Vu said field trials at Narrabri in northern NSW would be planted later this year. The research is being supported by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation.

Nanotechnology can allow materials to be manipulated on a tiny scale and it has adaptations for seed coatings in agriculture.

In cotton this would be done in the form of a seed coating containing herbicides or pesticides and it had applications in reducing the concerns about spray drift that were often associated with the cotton industry.

The aim is to reduce the impact of dry years and drought, minimise water and fertiliser use and drive environmental outcomes.

The research is still in its early stages and there is more field work to complete but early indications show that irrigation needs could be reduced by up to 50 per cent.

A dryland cotton crop on the Liverpool Plains in NSW. Picture: Supplied.

Dr Vu said cotton would still need to grow in the warmer areas. However, the dryland applications could potentially expand.

“The technology could allow us to potentially expand into some areas of NSW,” he said.

The project hinges on the use of nanotechnology for cotton seed.

Nanoparticles are believed to hold the key to how cotton is grown in drier and warmer conditions.

The nanoparticles can help with water-repellent seed coatings, also enhance the root system development.

“We focus on germination and the use of fertiliser,” he said.

In addition to adding options for Australian growers, Dr Vu said he was also working in other countries and had travelled to southeast Asia to share the technology.

Dr Vu said there was the possibility of reducing drought stress by up to 67 per cent.

Coleambally cotton grower Joe Briggs said any technology that would improve growing practices was welcome. However, he said growers had already made inroads with water use. The industry standard is around 6 to 8 megalitres a hectare. Some growers have reduced that down to 5 to 6 megalitres a hectare.

“As an industry we have reduced pesticide use by 97 per cent in the past 30 years,” he said.