Did you know?
Stress prior to defoliation (70% open or 4 Nodes above Cracked Boll (NACB)) can cause a reduction in yield and fibre quality.
Cotton managers now have free web access to a new generation of computer extension tools called CottASSIST.
To promote and support the adoption of best-practice in cotton crop management the improved web-based tools provide users with access to the latest research findings.
The research project’s team leader, CSIRO Plant Industry’s Dr Michael Bange, says CottASSIST includes all previously available tools, but has more features and is more user-friendly.
“Cotton managers monitoring their crops can utilise CottASSIST to assess their crop progress and to assist with complex decision making so that crops are grown efficiently,” he says.
CSIRO’s CottASSIST software developer, Loretta Clancy, says the site has been significantly upgraded to improve its functionality and security.
“It is easier to maintain and allows us to incorporate features we were not able to include with the old website, such as sharing information across tools. It will also allow us to develop new tools more easily and more rapidly in the future,” she says.
“The current online registration of the CSIRO/Cotton CRC web tools is 418 users and in the last cotton season 113 crops across the industry were monitored using the crop development tool.
“We expect the upgrading of the program will attract even more users.”
CottASSIST was developed by CSIRO and the Cotton Catchment Communities Cooperative Research Centre (Cotton CRC) in Narrabri. The Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) also supported the project.
“CSIRO, the Cotton CRC and CRDC are all strategically committed to extension of research and to develop tools and techniques to help cotton be more productive and efficient in the farming system,” Dr Bange says.
The CottASSIST website went ‘live’ this month and enhancements to existing tools will be completed within a year.
Image available at:
http://www.scienceimage.csiro.au/mediarelease/mr08-213.html
Further Information:
Dr Michael Bange, CSIRO Plant Industry
Visit the CottAssist website at:
For background information about Dr Bange go to: 02 6799 1540; 0428 991 540; Michael.Bange@csiro.au
www.cottassist.cottoncrc.org.au
www.csiro.au/people/michael.bange
Media Assistance:
Natalia Bateman, CSIRO Plant Industry 02 6246 5323; natalia.bateman@csiro.au
www.csiro.au
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