This project aims to preserve the premium status of Australian cotton, which has excellent fibre characteristics and low levels of contamination. The project has five main strands: investigating the effects of different nitrogen fertilisation rates; establishing the impact of stripper harvesting; evaluating defoliation practices; investigating the incidence and severity of seed coat fragments in cotton lint; and investigating the reasons for variability in gin trash composition. It provides technical leadership to CottonInfo and industry associations, as well as technical solutions and post-harvest support via forums, liaison with grower (valley) groups, field days and conferences.