The Spring 2025 edition of Spotlight captures a season of progress and partnership in Australian cotton. This issue leads with the announcement of the Australian Cotton Industry Data Platform build – a $7 million CRDC initiative with KPMG Australia – set to streamline data management, boost traceability and prepare growers for future market demands. Growers are encouraged to get ‘data platform ready’ as the build phase begins.
Spotlight also introduces the Future Cotton project, a major four-year collaboration between CRDC and Qld DPI, focused on driving productivity, sustainability and biosecurity through targeted research and extension in key regions. Updates from the Australian Cotton Disease Collaboration (ACDC) highlight new research tackling major diseases, with advances in diagnostics and AI.
The edition also celebrates industry achievements, including the 2025 Australian Cotton Industry Awards (congratulations to CRDC Chris Lehmann Young Cotton Achiever Awardee for 2025 Grace Griffiths!), and welcomes two new Innovation Brokers to the CRDC team. Other features include practical advice on carbon and nitrogen management, the benefits of bankless irrigation, new biodiversity resources, and the impact of CRDC Grassroots Grants in building grower networks.
