The results of CRDC’s latest cotton grower survey have just been released, providing a snapshot of grower sentiment and on-farm practices during the 2017-18 season and allowing us to gauge the impact of our research, development and extension.
246 cotton growers participated in the 2018 Cotton Grower Survey, completing a 20-minute survey which covered a range of topics related to their cotton-growing experience on and off-farm.
A number of focus areas were in the survey including management of weeds and disease control, irrigation, automation, and workforce.
The survey shows an increase in positivity in the industry and an uptake in technology such as solar and automation, with more growers saying they were considering moving to these technologies. According to the survey, 35 percent of growers currently use automation on their farm, while 40 percent are considering their options for the future.
In addition, of those surveyed, 17 percent generated and used solar energy on their farm in 2017-18.
Climate, weather and water are still major challenges. Eight-two percent mentioned water and weather as the primary challenges to improving or even sustaining the farm profitability.
Similarly, herbicide resistance is posing an ongoing challenge. 49 per cent of growers have confirmed weeds that are resistant to herbicides, with a further 26 percent suspecting this, but awaiting confirmation – which demonstrates the importance of growers adhering to the industry’s Herbicide Resistance Management Strategy.
From a CRDC perspective, it’s really pleasing to see so many growers using CRDC and CottonInfo as conduits to research and practical knowledge.
For the second year, the results of the grower survey are available via both a PDF report and an interactive digital dashboard, enabling growers to see key information easily and drill down to regional and farm-size specifics.
We thank the growers who participated in the 2018 survey, and encourage all growers to respond when the 2019 survey opens in June. Details on how growers can participate will be provided in the Winter edition of our Spotlight magazine.
