CottonInfo: Crop to Top

CottonInfo
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CottonInfo is the Australian cotton industry’s joint extension program.In the Crop to Top podcast, we bring you conversations with the program's Regional Extension Officers and Technical Leads, as well as researchers and cotton growers connected to CottonInfo with a story to share.

  1. Everything you need to know about the new CRDC Cotton Course

    5D AGO

    Everything you need to know about the new CRDC Cotton Course

    Leave a message and let us know what you're enjoying or would like to see more of! The brand new CRDC Cotton Course offers flexible, targeted learning for people across the Australian cotton industry. Delivered by the University of Sydney in partnership with CottonInfo and Cotton Seed Distributors (CSD), the course consists of three microcredentials designed to build knowledge and skills without traditional university requirements. Ahead of the first microcredential starting in March 2026, we speak with Ian Simpson and Stephen Cattle from The University of Sydney to find out some more about the opportunities on offer. For more information: CRDC Cotton Course | CRDC

    17 min
  2. The importance of record keeping in chemical use with Geoff Cahill

    JAN 31

    The importance of record keeping in chemical use with Geoff Cahill

    Leave a message and let us know what you're enjoying or would like to see more of! It's not the most glamourous aspect of growing a crop, but record keeping when it comes to chemical use is critically important. In this episode get some practical tips for effective record keeping, especially during the spray season, as well some of the things you might be able to do better to fully reap the benefits of proper record keeping. Resources myBMP Get your spray records right Spray Management Plan Guide Chemicals and herbicides | Business Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Queensland Compulsory record keeping | EPA Keeping records of chemical use | NT.GOV.AU Chemical spray regulations | Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

    10 min
  3. 10 years on: CottonInfo Irrigation Automation Tour (Part 3) with Shawn Padman

    JAN 28

    10 years on: CottonInfo Irrigation Automation Tour (Part 3) with Shawn Padman

    Leave a message and let us know what you're enjoying or would like to see more of! In the final episode in our three-part series about the 2015 CottonInfo Irrigation Automation Tour we sit down with manufacturer and retailer Shawn Padman from Padman Group. This is a great chat from a different perspective with someone who was also part of the tour a decade ago, who has ridden the wave of the irrigation automation evolution in the Australian cotton industry.

    10 min
  4. 10 years on: CottonInfo Irrigation Automation Tour (Part 2) with Andrew Watson

    JAN 19

    10 years on: CottonInfo Irrigation Automation Tour (Part 2) with Andrew Watson

    Leave a message and let us know what you're enjoying or would like to see more of! In Part 2 of our 10 years on from the CottonInfo Irrigation Automation Tour pod chats, we catch up with NSW cotton grower Andrew Watson. We cover off on the evolution of Andrew's irrigation practices - from the trigger points and decision-making process to implementing automation technology on his farm in the Namoi Valley - and discuss the impact of the 2015 tour as well as future trends on the horizon.

    12 min
  5. ((SEASON 5)) 10 years on: CottonInfo Irrigation Automation Tour (Part 1) with Janelle Montgomery

    JAN 10

    ((SEASON 5)) 10 years on: CottonInfo Irrigation Automation Tour (Part 1) with Janelle Montgomery

    Leave a message and let us know what you're enjoying or would like to see more of! Welcome to Season 5 of the CottonInfo 'Crop to Top' podcast! A decade on, the 2015 CottonInfo Irrigation Automation Tour is still referenced as a turning point in how the industry came to understand new irrigation technologies, fostering and supporting the adoption of automation practices in the cotton industry.  In this episode - Part 1 of 3 discussions about the tour - we're joined by CottonInfo Program Manager Janelle Montgomery who was CottonInfo's Irrigation Tech Lead at the time. Janelle describes how the tour - that ran in late 2015 - was organised to address industry curiosity about siphonless and automated irrigation systems, bringing together a diverse group including growers, consultants, irrigation engineers, researchers, and retailers for a four-day bus trip to southern New South Wales and Victoria.

    10 min
  6. How to manage Christmas and the cotton season: tips from fatigue and sleep expert, Prof. Siobahn Banks

    12/13/2025

    How to manage Christmas and the cotton season: tips from fatigue and sleep expert, Prof. Siobahn Banks

    Leave a message and let us know what you're enjoying or would like to see more of! While it's a much looked forward to time of year, there's no getting around the fact that the silly season coincides with one of the busiest times of the cotton season. In this episode we chat with Professor Siobahn Banks from UniSA about how cotton growers and farm managers can best manage the demands of the summer months. Her research to date has focused on the impact of sleep deprivation and shift work on psychological and physiological functioning and how countermeasures may be used to prevent the negative effects of disturbed sleep, in particular work schedules, novel technologies, dietary interventions, napping and caffeine. We cover all of this and more, including some tips for sleep health during busy periods of the cotton season! Resources mentioned: Sleep Health Foundation | Australia's Leading Advocate for Healthy Sleep *Stay tuned for a follow-up discussion on fatigue after the Christmas break about the joint initiative being led by the Rural Safety & Health Alliance (RSHA) - supported by CRDC - the Farming and Fatigue: Growing Sensible Solutions project. This work aims to guide the ag industry to understand, measure and manage fatigue on-farm and there are plenty of key insights available specifically to the cotton industry.

    20 min
  7. Spray drift management for summer with Doug McCollum

    12/05/2025

    Spray drift management for summer with Doug McCollum

    Leave a message and let us know what you're enjoying or would like to see more of! The importance of good spray drift management during the high-risk summer months can't be overstated. In this episode we talk about controlling the controllables (and managing the uncontrollable elements), the critical role of communication among growers and the broader community and the importance of reporting spray drift incidents. Resources mentioned in this podcast: Cotton Australia | Spray Drift app Counter sale guide for phenoxy herbicides | CottonInfo wand.com.au spraywisedecisions.com.au crop.bayer.com.au/tools/weather-inversion

    11 min
  8. Michael Scobie: Tech & Tell (mini series)

    11/29/2025

    Michael Scobie: Tech & Tell (mini series)

    Leave a message and let us know what you're enjoying or would like to see more of! CottonInfo has a new Irrigation Technical Lead - Toowoomba-based Michael Scobie. Mick is a certified irrigation designer and is involved in one of CRDC's new research projects that is focused on reducing water loss from storages using floating solar panels.

    8 min
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About

CottonInfo is the Australian cotton industry’s joint extension program.In the Crop to Top podcast, we bring you conversations with the program's Regional Extension Officers and Technical Leads, as well as researchers and cotton growers connected to CottonInfo with a story to share.

Information

  • Creator
    CottonInfo
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    73
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 CottonInfo: Crop to Top
  • Show Website
    CottonInfo: Crop to Top

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