The Nyirrunggulung-RISE Beswick and Binjari teams, alongside RISE Ventures Katherine, spent a day learning about cotton growing at the Katherine Research Station.
A big part of the job was getting out into the fields and picking the cotton with the Station’s horticulture team. Alongside being taught the best picking techniques, the fullas learnt about how cotton grows and its value as an agricultural product.
The Katherine Research Station is an agricultural science facility located just outside of Katherine.
Their cotton research project is focused on experimenting with cotton growing techniques and conditions.
The team are researching types of fertilisers, the best time to fertilise and how nitrogen is absorbed by the cotton plants. They are also interested in how the cotton adapts to Northern Territory conditions.
Interestingly, this is Dry Land Cotton which requires no irrigation and just grows on the water in the soil around it.
Our men’s groups are very lucky to be involved in the variety of work the Katherine Research Station does. The science and technology can be complex but the guys are keen to learn.
We’re really proud of their involvement and how many practical horticultural skills they pick up with each visit.