Cotton biologist Demi Sargent was today announced as the CRDC-supported ABARES Science and Innovation Award winner for 2021, with a project that could help shield the cotton industry from the effects of climate change.

Near impossible to identify and count with the naked eye, silverleaf whitefly (SLW) has increased in prevalence in the Australian cotton industry in recent years. To make identification easier, researchers from USQ, in collaboration with the QLD DAF, have developed a new artificial intelligence smartphone app with funding from CRDC.

Last week, the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology announced the latest round of the government’s Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII) grants. The grants included funding for six small/medium businesses under the BRII cotton challenge - to revolutionise agricultural spray application.