Dawson Valley cotton growers learning from each other

Cotton growers in Queensland’s Dawson Valley have joined together to share knowledge and improve growing practices during a recent event.

The Dawson Valley Cotton Growers’ Association last week staged its Sticky Beak Tour, with the aim of connecting growers, sharing information, boosting collaboration among cotton growers in the valley, and exploring innovative practices.

A total of 16 growers, two private consultants, and 13 industry personnel attended the event, including Cotton Australia’s Dawson Valley regional manager.

The event involved tours of three farms in the region – ‘Kooroowatha’, ‘Warnoah’, and ‘Badminton’.

Attendees inspected Cotton Seed Distributors’ variety trials, bank less irrigation systems, new irrigation developments and engineering processes, grower trials of cotton grown under zero-till farming in irrigation, and cotton grown with cover cropping.

The tour was one of the first industry events in the valley since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and attendees enjoyed learning from each other and mentoring younger growers and farm workers.