Regional winners of the cotton industry's flagship FastStart Awards have been announced, prior to the overall winners being named on May 9.
Each of the regional winners, who were judged on establishment figures for their crops, have won $1000 gift cards for their efforts.
Cotton Seed Distributors (CSD) and Syngenta Australia, partners in the FastStart program, coordinate the awards as a means of encouraging attention to detail, and adoption of the program's tools developed to support growers in the critical first 70 days of establishment. CSD extension and market development lead Peter White said the awards demonstrated cotton growers' willingness to learn and to assist one another.
"Winning is nice but what sets the cotton industry apart from some other sectors is the willingness to help others along the way, and what we're really aiming to do is showcase the help growers can access to grow great cotton," he said.
"Between CSD and Syngenta, we've pooled a lot of knowledge and created some really handy tools to assist growers with their establishment and sometimes the best way of learning is to see how the best apply this to their crops."
Regional winners
Darling Downs, QLD - John 'Cowboy' Cameron, Pittsworth, Dryland
South East, QLD - Michael Stewart, Wondai, Irrigated
Southern, NSW - Sarah Parkes, Carrathool, Irrigated
Gwydir, NSW - Tim Leyfels, Moree, Dryland
Namoi, NSW - Will Turner, Edgeroi, Dryland
Central QLD - Greg Kauter, Emerald, Irrigated
Macintyre, QLD - Shane Boardman, Goondiwindi, Dryland
Macquarie Valley, NSW - Jim Bible, Narromine, Irrigated
Balonne, NSW - Will Carrigan, Boomi, Irrigated
Western Australia - Christian Bloecker, Kunanurra, Irrigated
Northern Territory - Toney Hayne, Douglas Daly, Dryland
The awards were launched in 2018 and have featured a winning dryland and irrigated cotton grower each year since.
One of the regional winners Will Carrigan, from the Boomi Valley in northern NSW, said that success in crop establishment was in the detail.
"Bed preparation is something we really focus on, so if it needs another pass we make sure to take the time to get it done," he said.
"Then it's a matter of watching the traffic light system (via the industry's FastStart cotton program) to let us know when to make a start to planting."
Come the announcement of the final winners there will be two awards handed out, for the best irrigated and dryland establishment results.