Australia
October 15, 2019
Irrigated and dryland cotton growers who are pleased with their cotton stand establishment this season could win themselves an expenses-paid trip to Kununurra and Broome courtesy of Cotton Seed Distributors (CSD) and Syngenta.
To enter the 2019 FastStartTM Cotton Establishment Awards growers are encouraged to submit planting details and establishment figures, along with a supporting photo, with awards for the best irrigated and dryland crops.
Entries will be judged based on a combination of the establishment percentage and Planter Uniformity Index (PUI) of each eligible crop.
“There are lots of growers out there doing a fantastic job of optimising their seedling establishment through utilisation of the technology and tools FastStart is providing, and we want to recognise and celebrate this as best practice cotton farming.
"The Awards are a great way of doing this, as well as sharing what good looks like with other growers,” said Syngenta Seedcare Technical Services Lead, Sean Roberts.
In 2018 the FastStart Establishment Awards were taken out by Pittsworth dryland grower, John Cameron, and Merah North irrigated cotton grower Todd Farrer.
Both growers travelled to Kununurra in Western Australia to learn about the emerging cotton industry developing in the Kimberley region, and toured other local agricultural industries including sandalwood, horticulture, and alternative grain crops such as chia and quinoa. The tour finished with a trip to Broome to see some local sights, including the local pearling industry.
John Cameron described winning the award as “a great honour”.
“The FastStart award trip was a great opportunity to spend quality time with both the other award winners and investigate first-hand the day-to-day operation of some of the farms we visited,” he said.
“The opportunity to see how other operators overcome the challenges they encounter was rewarding, and gave insights as to how we can approach problem solving in our own business”.
The FastStart research and development program is funded through a contribution from the sale of CSD seed treated with Syngenta’s cotton Seedcare range. It addresses key grower and industry challenges such as the control of insect pests and diseases, as well investigating complementary technologies to help drive yield potential and minimise risks associated with establishing cotton in Australia.
For more information on the FastStart Cotton Establishment Awards including full terms and conditions, and how to enter, visit www.faststartcotton.com.au/faststart-awards.
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