Australian Cotton Research Conferences host a wide range of speakers and topics. Abstract submissions for the 2025 conference are now open.
Plenary speakers
Each Research Conference features several plenary speakers. A brief outline of the proposed talks, along with a summary bio is included below. Additional speakers and topics will be added as they are confirmed.
The fabric of a family tree: a journey through the evolutionary history of cotton
Cotton has a remarkable evolutionary history that began with transoceanic dispersal events some millions of years ago. Still today, new species are being discovered or resurrected. The cotton genus (Gossypium) consists of about 50 species, including two diploid and two polyploid species that were each independently domesticated thousands of years ago. This natural evolutionary diversification, followed by parallel strong directional selection under domestication, provide a model framework for exploring the comparative basis of domestication, the origin of form and of diversity in nature, and the evolutionary consequences of genome doubling.
Jonathan F. Wendel is Distinguished Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at Iowa State University. His research focuses on mechanisms underlying plant genomic and phenotypic diversify, with a special focus on the phenomenon of whole genome doubling, or polyploidy. Most of his ~340 publications focus on the cotton genus (Gossypium), in which two diploid and two polyploid species were each independently domesticated thousands of years ago. This natural evolutionary diversification, followed by parallel strong directional selection under domestication, provide a model framework for exploring the comparative basis of domestication, the origin of form and of diversity in nature, and the evolutionary consequences of genome doubling. His research has helped shape the field, as documented in citation metrics (Google Scholar 55,000 citations; h-index of 113). Professor Wendel’s contributions have been recognized in all three major domains of professorial life: Master Teacher (2005) for his role as graduate mentor and educator; Outstanding Achievement in Departmental Leadership (2009), for leadership excellence during his 16 years (2002-2017) as department chair; and Distinguished Professor (2012) for national research prominence. His work has garnered national recognition, including election as an AAAS Fellow (2010), Distinguished Fellow of the Botanical Society of America (2015), Distinguished Scholar, Crop Science Society of America, (2015), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2023), and the United States National Academy of Sciences (2023).
Making your stats sizzle
To have impact, research results need to be reputable and replicable. Being able to support (or disprove) that hypothesis with solid numbers is the cornerstone of research. So why do most of us equate statistics with a trip to the dentist – necessary but thoroughly unpleasant? Dr Alison Kelly will lead you by the hand through the wonderful world of statistics and probability. She will highlight the importance of sound statistical practice, especially that of robust research design and rigorous analysis, and will provide an overview of key statistical concepts and advances in the field as well as the next frontier in statistics.
Alison Kelly began working as an Applied Biometrician at the Department of Primary Industries, Queensland, Australia in 1987 and completed her PhD in Statistics on a part-time basis at the University of Queensland. She has worked extensively on statistical applications in the agricultural sphere, with her practical interests revolving around spatial analysis of field trials, statistical genetics, multi-phase experimental design for laboratory studies and high-dimensional spectral and sensing data. Alison has had a close collaboration with the Grains Research and Development Corporation in Australia and in 2015, she obtained the GRDC Seed of Light award for outstanding scientific communication, making statistics accessible to a broad range of agricultural research scientists. More recently, Alison has joined the Qld Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) Institute at the University of Queensland, and is currently a Theme Leader of Predictive Agriculture for Improved Productivity and Value. One current project highlight is working on a Gates Foundation funded collaboration in Ethiopia. In this project, Alison trains and mentors biometricians and crop breeding teams in implementing modern statistical methods for plant breeding research at the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research.
Translating research into industry impact
Many working is research are motivated by a desire to develop innovative science that ultimately enacts change in the world. However, research impact has, and arguably continues, to be measured by publication metrics. As a consequence of this disconnect, funding bodies and research organisations have an increased desire for realised industry impact. Anthony Hawes, company founder of AgBiTech, will share some of the common pitfalls when translating research to industry impact. Through case studies based on experiences highlighting success and failures, he will highlight what researchers should be thinking about at the inception and during the life of research projects to give the best chance of success surrounding impact.
Anthony will also share expected timelines required to translate a research idea to a product or management/policy change. This plenary is a must see for all researchers who want their research to extend beyond a journal publication.
Anthony Hawes is the Founder and CTO of AgBiTech, a global agricultural biotechnology company specializing in baculovirus-based insecticides and attract-and-kill products for caterpillar pest control in field crops and horticulture. With over 20 years of experience translating scientific research into commercial products, Anthony has led continual major innovations in large-scale insect production and biological pest control. He is passionate about achieving real-world impact through in-house R&D, industry collaboration, strategic development, and on-farm implementation.
The secret to impactful research? Nail the fundamentals!
Impactful field research requires not only technical expertise, but also curiosity, hard work, an in-depth understanding of the farming system, and the development of constructive relationships within both the scientific community and the broader industry. Dr Paul Grundy is one of the Australian cotton research community’s senior scientists. In this presentation, Paul will outline examples of research that he has been involved with and highlight the fundamental aspects for success. This talk will challenge you to think about how you approach research and what you could do differently in your situation to deliver impactful research for the Australian Cotton Industry.
Paul Grundy is a Principal Research Scientist with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and a Technical Lead with CottonInfo for both IPM and Northern Australia. For the last 25 years, Paul has worked on a wide range of pest management and agronomy projects across all cotton growing regions, from Griffith in southern NSW to the Ord in northern WA. Paul received the Australian Entomological Society’s Phil Carne prize in 2002 for his PhD research and has also received two major cotton industry awards: the Chris Lehmann Young Cotton Achiever of the Year (2007) and the Cotton Seed Distributors Researcher of the Year (2017); the latter for research done in collaboration with Dr Stephen Yeates of CSIRO. He also served as President of the Australian Association of Cotton Scientists from 2017 to 2023. Much of Paul’s work has been field-based applied research focussed on developing improved techniques for cotton production and pest management. A highlight of his career has been investigating production strategies to reduce the negative impacts of climatic risks in Central Queensland. Growers who adopted practices arising from that research saw average yield increases of 25-35%, with those gains reflected in regional production statistics since 2017. More recently, he has worked on improving production strategies for northern Australia and sought to re-affirm more sustainable practices for early season IPM in high yielding Bollgard® 3 systems.
Looking forward, looking back: lessons and perspectives from both early career and senior scientists!
Research is constantly evolving and changing- to the point where scientists are at times forced to be the ultimate career contortionists. Furthermore, as a direct result of science outputs, the industries that our research serve also change. Therefore, we stand to learn a lot from our experienced, senior researchers. But in our ever-changing world, it is also valuable for our emerging leaders, who enter research with enthusiasm and new perspectives, to respectfully question the advice of our scientific sages. We also know that there’s more constants in life than death and taxes, where some challenges and opportunities stay the same. Either way, we have substantial technical and soft skills to learn from new perspectives and the experiences of others.
This plenary is a double act, brought to you by senior animal behaviourists Dr Mary Whitehouse, and soon-to-be-Dr Sharna Holman. Mary has a diverse background in terms of research foci, industry and location all thread together with a common theme of animal behaviour. Sharna has worked in the cotton industry in research extension and is studying her PhD on the survival of Spodoptera sp. in Bollgard cotton systems in Northern Australia. Through sharing their research experiences and outputs, Mary and Sharna will paint a picture of where we have come from, and where we are going to in terms of integrated pest management and cotton industry challenges, as well as the skills and behaviours we need for the future.
Mary Whitehouse has nearly 40 years of research experience and over 100 publications, reports and conference proceedings with over 2500 citations. She started her carrier in behavioural ecology, working on thieving spiders in New Zealand, then moved onto ant wars in Venezuela, followed by social spiders in Israel. This led to studying Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Australian cotton where she worked for 20 years from 2001 to 2021, exploring predator/prey interactions and the factors that can make an IPM system successful in an industry. She then applied the insights gained from working on IPM in cotton to other systems, including Australian urban environments, the New Zealand pastural system, the Australian Macadamia industry, and managing varroa mites in bees. She is now able to come full circle and use her experiences of IPM in other industries to re-examine the tool of IPM in today’s Australian cotton industry.
Sharna Holman is a Development Extension Officer with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and a Technical Lead with CottonInfo for Biosecurity and Disease. She is also finalising a PhD thesis investigating the survival of Spodoptera litura (cluster caterpillar) in cotton crops in northern Australia. Sharna’s cotton career began with a CRDC Summer Scholarship at ACRI in Narrabri, working with Dr. Mary Whitehouse on Bt resistance in Helicoverpa punctigera. In the decade since, she has been based in both central and southern Queensland and has recently spent several cotton seasons undertaking trial work at Kununurra in WA, supporting the sustainable expansion of cotton in northern Australia. Sharna has been instrumental in driving industry-wide awareness of the importance of farm biosecurity practices, with more than 50% of Australian cotton farms now adopting a farm biosecurity plan. In recognition of her contribution to the industry, Sharna received the CRDC 2024 Chris Lehmann Young Cotton Achiever of the Year award. Sharna’s approach of blending practical field engagement with scientific research is strongly focused on building industry resilience through improving pest management and on-farm biosecurity preparedness.