Community & Business
11 August, 2023
Top of the crops
Brookstead cotton growers Johannes and Scarlett Roellgen have taken out the national industry award for their sector as recognition for their innovative and progressive approach.
The 2023 Bayer Cotton Growers of the Year said their agronomist, information sharing among farmers, and Cotton Australia’s myBMP program had been important factors in their success.
“Our focus has been in reducing insecticide use and growing more crop for the same or less water - investing in overhead irrigation has helped there,” Mr Roellgen said.
“We are also growing our cotton in rotation with half the fields planted in wheat and mung beans to capture nitrogen... the wheat is a good cover crop, even if we don’t get rain and we don’t harvest it, it is still a win.”
He said they were also monitoring energy use on the farm and bringing carbon accounting more into focus.
“This year for example we trialled strip tiling,
tilling 20cm strip every metre and applying fertiliser so you can plant straight
into it and either side the stubble is keeping the soil cooler and all those other ebenefits.”
Mr Roellgen said the myBMP program had helped their family-run farm make some smart transitions on the farm.
The Cotton industry’s top awards for 2023 were announced at the Cotton Collective Awards Dinner in Toowoomba with Queenslanders taking out
all but one of the categories.
The Roellgens, from Tyunga Farms at Brookstead were announced the 2023 Bayer Cotton Growers of the year with fellow Darling Downs grower Daniel Skerman, representing Skerman Farms at Dalby, taking out the AgriRisk High Achiever award.
Johannes and Scarlett have been growing cotton continuously on their farm for 29 years and this year produced 1100ha of both irrigated and dryland cotton.
Despite the challenges of drought and floods over the years they have consistently improved their yields.
The Roellgens are passionate about reducing chemical use on their farm through the application of feedlot manure and insect pest management.
They have also increased their water efficiency through laser levelling of their fields to improve flood irrigation, while investing in lateral move over the top irrigators.
Johannes acknowledged their agronomist Matthew Holding for helping to drive efficiencies and for bringing together a group of local farmers who have reduced their combined nitrogen applications 40 per cent lower than the industry average.
The recipient of the CRDC Chris Lehmann Young Cotton Achiever of the Year Award is Gold Coast-based fashion designer Emma Bond who promotes cotton and cotton designs through her own label Madi and Pip.
The recipient of the Cotton Seed Distributors Researcher of the Year Award is Dr Jamie Hopkinson from Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in Toowoomba.
Dr Hopkinson has made a significant contribution to the Australian cotton industry through his research into entomological issues for more than 15 years and has managed the industry Silver Leaf Whitefly resistance testing program for over 13 years.
Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay congratulated all award recipients and all nominees.
“Every person nominated deserves recognition because of their own commitment to an industry they are passionate about.
