More than 150 people came together to celebrate 30 years of biotech cotton at the 2026 Bayer ‘Locharba’ Field Day in Narrabri this week.

Agronomists, researchers and industry representatives attended the field day, marking 30 years since the first biotech cotton trait was first introduced to the Australian cotton industry.

Bayer Territory Business Manager for Namoi and Walgett Jack Sharp said it's a significant milestone for Australian cotton.

“I do not believe that the cotton industry would exist in Australia without the introduction of biotech traits, particularly Bollgard traits,” Jack said.

“The introduction of that in the system has essentially taken away the number one pest in Australia, being heliothis, which has allowed growers to focus more on their nutrition, their water management, their rotations, and what are now secondary pests as well.

“In Australia, we’ve managed to stay ahead of the resistance curb, and part of that is due to the excellent growers we have and how they approach stewardship.”

The day also provided attendees with an insight into the current and future innovations in cotton trait technology and crop protection solutions.

Attendees had the opportunity to learn more about ThryvOn technology which provides early season suppression of thrips, and Bollgard 3 XtendFlex Cotton that has been developed to be tolerant to over-the-top applications of herbicide.

Bayer also introduced a range of new crop protection products currently being trialled, including Plenexos Speed, Vayego Forte and Bayer 679.

“Today is all about showcasing where we’ve come from and where we’re going to,” Jack said.