Bayer’s Cotton Research Facility in Toowoomba plays an important role in developing new solutions for sustainable cotton production.

Led by Dr Kristen Knight, the team works on new technology and resistance management to support the future of the Australian cotton industry. Their research has supported the introduction of Bollgard, Bollgard II and Bollgard 3 cotton traits, with work now underway on the next insect trait for Australia.

Kristen oversees the insect resistance management laboratory and leads a team that collaborates closely with global colleagues in biotechnology. Together they work to understand resistance mechanisms in lepidopteran and sucking pests and help select future proteins and events for development in upcoming trait platforms. This work underpins Bayer Crop Science’s pre-commercialisation and research efforts, ensuring new cotton insect-resistant traits are effectively developed.

The introduction of Bollgard technology has significantly reduced pesticide applications.

Dr Kristen Knight’s leadership in this area was recently recognised with the 2025 Service to Cotton Science Award, presented at the Association of Australian Cotton Scientists conference.

At the recent Cotton Collective event, delegates toured the Bayer Toowoomba lab to see science in action and hear more about resistance management.