COTTON
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Requiring attention, dedication and skill, a high yielding and high quality cotton crop takes careful planning and management year round.
Environmental impact, business management and operational efficiencies are all carefully balanced by growers to maximise profit, and we provide each grower with reliable, timely and efficient application to help them achieve this.
We work closely with cotton growers and agronomists to understand the nutritional needs, pest and weed pressures, and harvest aids of each crop. Listed below are the applications we provide throughout the season, and information on what differentiates our service.
Aerial Spraying
Kidman Aviation provides procedural based aerial spraying, methodically planning each application to ensure the right chemistry is applied to the right target. Coupling pre-application planning for wind direction and speed, atmospheric stability, susceptible crops, beneficial insects and hazards, with active monitoring during every application, ensures efficiency of application with unsurpassed quality.
Foliar Fertiliser
Effective foliar fertilisation requires nozzle configuration for finer droplet size, and reduced swath width for even canopy coverage and penetration. Kidman Aviation services all foliar fertilisation needs, for nutrient deficiencies and split applications, including macro nutrients such as Nitrogen and Potassium, and micro nutrients such as Zinc, Iron and Copper.
Pests
Timely application, preservation of beneficial insects and a strong understanding of the cotton industry's Insecticide Resistance Management Strategy, is central to Kidman Aviation's provision of industry leading insecticide application. Accurate coverage and penetration requires increased swath width and pest dependent droplet spectrum and water rates.
Weeds
Herbicide resistance in both dryland and irrigated systems is becoming increasingly prevalent. Common grass weeds such as barnyard, liverseed, sweet summer, windmill, feathertop and ryegrass, and broadleaf species such as fleabane, sowthistle and flaxleaf have developed resistance to glyphosate. Kidman Aviation maintains a strong understanding of the cotton industry's Herbicide Resistance Management Strategy, always follows label recommendations, and mixes using a wetter or crop oils accordingly.
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The ability to prevent yield loss with herbicide is dependent on the timing of application and technique. Always applying at the recommended spray volume with a course droplet spectrum, canopy penetration is achieved providing coverage of the weeds underneath it. Kidman Aviation's procedural application of herbicide ensures the correct set up of our aircraft, with boom pressure, nozzle selection and swath width.
Defoliation
Successful applications of harvest aid chemistry are determined by timing, application method, chemicals used and the rate applied. Our defoliation services include the application of herbicidal and hormonal defoliants, boll openers and desiccants.
Kidman Aviation actively communicates with growers and agronomists to ensure we understand and plan for individual crop needs. Correct nozzle configuration, boom pressure and swath width are utilised for the required amount of canopy penetration. When applications occur during low humidity, cold temperatures or water stress, Kidman Aviation uses wetting agents or spray adjuvants if required. When applying hormonal defoliants or boll conditioners in low temperatures, applications are made at higher rates to offset lower enzyme production.
Did you know?
The first known commercial topdressing applied by air occurred in New Zealand in 1946. A total of 1100 acres was fertilised, at a cost of around 15 shillings per acre.
Aerial Spreading
Kidman Aviation meticulously plans for each spreading application that we undertake, whether it be top dressing, soil conditioning or baiting.
Top Dressing and Soil Conditioners
Whether top dressing for nutrition with urea and gypsum, or conditioning sodic soil with gypsum and lime, all applications require accuracy and consistency in dispersal.
Kidman Aviation achieves this by using genuine Transland spreaders, which provide even distribution of solids across the swath by offsetting the asymmetrical spread caused by the propeller’s slipstream.
Mouse Baiting
Kidman Aviation understands the need for timely application of both perimeter and in-crop mouse baiting, and we work with growers to minimise damage to crops.
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Our application staff are qualified to handle and disperse zinc phosphide, under the Pesticides Act 1999 and the Pesticides Regulation 2009, holding ChemCert accreditation.