The Winter 2025 edition of Spotlight showcases the latest in cotton research and innovation, headlined by a $13 million project exploring floating solar panels on irrigation storages. This initiative, led by Ag Econ and supported by CRDC and the Federal Government, aims to reduce evaporation, generate renewable energy, and enhance drought resilience, tackling three of cotton's challenges – water, energy, and emissions – in one stroke.
This edition also highlights the latest news re the CRDC data platform, designed to streamline emissions reporting and unlock value across the cotton supply chain. In preparation for the data platform, Spotlight features practical advice on improving data quality on-farm.
This issue also introduces the full team of CottonInfo Regional Extension Officers (REOs), now on board across most cotton-growing valleys to connect growers with the latest R&D, and features the finalists in this year's CRDC Chris Lehmann Young Cotton Achiever Award.
Other features include a deep dive into nitrogen cycling and soil microbes, the economic and environmental benefits of fish screens, and the latest on cotton’s sustainability reporting and leadership development programs. It also includes the full list of CRDC’s 2025–26 R&D investments, offering a comprehensive look at the projects driving progress across cotton's paddocks, people and planet.
