24 IREC Farmers' Newsletter No. 199 — Autumn 2018 IREC Chairman Rob Houghton welcomed over 100 people to the 2018 IREC Field Day at the IREC Field Station at Whitton, where research on a range of cotton production issues was showcased. TACKLING NUTRIENTS, PESTS, WEEDS AND COLD IN COTTON QUICK TAKE l  Integrated use of chicken litter and fertiliser is being trialed for benefits on optimal nutrient use efficiency, crop development and yield. l  Green mirids are under investigation to determine if their presence is affecting final yield; and soft spray options to reduce population pressure of silverleaf whitefly are being tested. l  Herbicide options for grass control on irrigation farms are being assessed, as new herbicide rotations are essential in preventing the development of weeds resistant to glyphosate. l  The use of plant hormones (growth regulants) is being trialed to stimulate cotton plant growth and maintain fruit, in spite of the cooler temperatures of the southern growing regions. As cotton production settles into southern irrigated farming systems, trial work and demonstrations conducted during 2017–18 at the IREC Field Station at Whitton will help growers fine tune crop management. Iva Quarisa Executive Officer IREC OVER 100 people attended the annual IREC Field Day held at the IREC Field Station in January 2018. The field day was the perfect opportunity for irrigators, advisors, researchers and industry representatives to see the variety of research trials and demonstrations being conducted at the site. After major redevelopment in recent years, the field station, which covers 45 hectares of land at Whitton, now hosts a number of trials investigating a range of issues relevant to irrigated cropping in southern New South Wales. However, field work at the site is also of interest to and receives visits from irrigators of northern Victoria, northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. The 2017–18 irrigation season saw a number of trials set up on the 30 ha of cotton production at the field station. The trials are addressing