SYDNEY - Cotton growers in Australia have almost halved the water needed to grow one bale of cotton over the last 25 years, according to new research.
A study by the New South Wales state government's Department of Primary Industries (DPI) found that water usage had fallen from 1.43 megalitres per bale (ML/bale) in 1995 to 0.74 ML/bale in 2020.
The study, supported by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC), a partnership between national government and cotton growers, said the reduction was mostly down to irrigation improvements and efficiencies.
