Soil microbial communities mediate key soil functions that are directly relevant to crop productivity, through their effects on resource availability (water and nutrients) and their potential role in disease suppression. This project will investigate the role of soil biology in developing a sustainable and profitable cotton production system by investigating:

1. The role of mycorrhizal association in resource acquisition and disease suppression,

2. The role of root exudation in modifying the microbial community composition and activity, and

3. Cover cropping as a strategy to maximise the potential benefit of soil biology and soil health in Australian cotton production systems.

This investment has funded recent work by Dr Oliver Knox who has been leading the Goondiwindi Circular Cotton Project, with the aim to test whether shredded cotton products at end of life could be returned to the cotton fields, offering both benefits to cotton soil health, and a scalable solution to textile waste, find out more here.