Fibre crops are incredibly versatile and many are experiencing rapid growth in Australia. Ideal for farmers, farm workers and consultants, our online agronomy course will give you insights into modern and traditional crops, including those that produce clothing, food and other materials.

In our Certificate of Agronomy – Fibre Crops you will learn about the fundamentals of how to grow successful fibre crops, including cotton, hemp, jute, flax and leaf, grass and fruit fibres. You will also study fibre processing, production systems, commercial viability, crop rotation and management principles, land suitability and the future of fibre crops.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking an online agronomy course include:

• Learning about fibre properties, uses and the types of fibre crops
• Exploring commercial viability and assessing and characteristics and suitability
• Gaining an understanding of broad acre farming and crop production considerations
• Studying production systems, crop rotation and management and sustainable agriculture
• Examining cotton production, conservation tillage and insects (aphids, armyworm, cotton bollworm)
• Understanding cotton diseases, grey mildew disease, wilt diseases and asochyta blight
• Attaining knowledge of alternaria leaf spot, viral diseases, cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD), cotton bunchy top disease and bacterial blight
• Gaining insights pesticides and insecticides, the cotton life cycle and the types of cotton
• Studying coloured cotton, textile dyeing, load bearing materials and harvesting
• Examining cotton pickers, cotton strippers and the uses of cotton
• Understanding the types and properties of jute and jute characteristics
• Attaining knowledge of jute production and the climatic requirements for jute
• Gaining insights into genetic yield improvements
• Learning about harvesting, pest and diseases and uses and consumptions
• Exploring hemp terminology, the types and properties of industrial hemp, cultivation and the countries of production
• Gaining an understanding of hemp climate, soil fertility and water, pests and diseases and seed cost
• Studying genetic modification, harvesting, uses and consumption and geotextiles
• Examining fabric, carbon capture, phytoremediation and hempseed
• Understanding building, paper and cannabidiol
• Attaining knowledge of sunn hemp and kenaf (deccan hemp)
• Gaining insights into sunn hemp- properties, cultivation, soil fertility, water, cost and phytoremediation
• Learning about sunn hemp – pests and diseases, genetic modification, harvesting, retting and uses
• Exploring sunn hemp – fibre, weed control, grazing, green manure and biofuel
• Understanding flax – pests and diseases, genetic modification, harvesting and processing
• Attaining knowledge of flax – uses and consumption, fabric, bio composites and industrial materials
• Gaining insights into flax – paper, bioplastic and food
• Learning about leaf and grass fibres, leaf fibres abaca and sisal, abaca
• Exploring leaf and grass fibres – types and properties, production and cultivation, pests and diseases and harvesting and processing
• Gaining an understanding of leaf and grass fibres – uses and consumption, sisal, cultivation, harvesting and processing and grass fibres – sugarcane and bamboo
• Exploring fruit fibre (coir) — uses and consumption, cordage, horticulture and construction material
• Gaining an understanding of fibre processing and the fibre future
• Studying fibre quality and biological, dew, water, enzyme, chemical, mechanical and physical retting
• Examining drying, fibre future, hybrid composites, geotextiles, the building industry and car interiors
• Understanding genetic improvements and other sources of fibre crops

And more!

Case Study: Australian Cotton Industry

If you are interested in studying an online agronomy course, particularly in the area of cotton crops, you may be interested in a recent report released by the Australian Cotton Shippers Association. It has cited that 2022 is shaping up to be one of the largest production seasons in in the Australian cotton industry’s history.

Two seasons after the smallest Australian crop in recent memory due to the drought conditions, things are looking up! This is partly due to the widespread rainfall across the major irrigation system catchments and cotton producing regions over 2020 and 2021, which has resulted in water storages filling to near capacity in time for the planting of the 2022 crops.

Importantly, water allocations to irrigation license holders have also reflected the significant increases in government regulated water storages. In addition to widespread gains in stored water for irrigation, soil moisture level improvements will also encourage significant dryland plantings. In the lead-up to the commencement of the planting period, significant rain has also fallen across key dryland growing regions in Queensland.

Hence, a large increase in production is predicted in 2022 with current estimates from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABRES) forecasting a cotton production of up to  1,200,000 MT.

Growers are focussed on the sustainable production of high quality, contamination-free fibre. Ginners are concentrating on maintenance and upgrades in anticipation of a busy season, and warehouses and shippers are focussed on ensuring the smooth movement of bales to customers. It’s an incredibly exciting time for the Australian cotton industry!

Mega-trends Shaping Australian Agriculture

As you’ll discover in our online agronomy course, innovation is at the heart of any agricultural business. According to a report released by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARES) in 2021, Australia’s food and fibre industries will be shaped by multiple interacting changes over the coming decades. These will occur at local, national and global scales and create challenges and opportunities for all farm businesses and food and fibre industries. They will also impact Australian landscapes, communities, lifestyles and the wider society and economy.

In order to better understand these evolving changes, the report updates previous CSIRO analysis, and sets out five global “megatrends” that will shape Australian life, and impact the Australian food and fibre industries to 2040 and beyond.

A megatrend is defined as a trajectory of change that will have profound implications across many areas of industry and society. Each megatrend occurs at the intersection of multiple specific trends and patterns of change,  including economic, environmental, geopolitical, social and technological trends.  Forecasted megatrends include:

Rapid growth

Rapid growth in emerging economies, particularly in Asia, will lift expectations, incomes and economic capacity. An expanded middle class  — including three billion empowered customers — will demand higher quality and volumes of fibre and food, including more protein and diverse diets, with rising demand for ethics, health, provenance and sustainability.

Fractal politics

Deep shifts in cultural, economic and military power will continue to reshape the world, as the rise of multiple global powers erode previous certainties, notwithstanding increasing global integration. International trade and relations — along with relationships, food and fibre markets and supply chains — will all become more complex as nations assert their sovereignty, often in pursuit of populist appeal rather than mutual economic gains.

More from less

Relentless innovation drives improved productivity, and a more efficient use of energy, materials, labour, land and water. Maintaining competitive and profitable fibre and food enterprises will require ongoing change and innovation. But the benefits of change will not be shared evenly, often exacerbating existing pressures on regional communities and rural industries. However, improved productivity may benefit consumers (through lower prices) more than producers. Regional populations will also continue to drift from smaller towns and farms to capital cities and larger regional centres.

Cascading planetary risks

Accelerating changes in earth systems at all scales — from global to microbial — are creating

multiple challenges and risks and some opportunities. Agriculture is already impacted and is adapting. Climate and commodity prices will become more volatile, while emerging markets for carbon and ecosystem services could transform business models and landscapes.

Disruptive technologies

Advances in automation, digital technology, genetics and synthetics will disrupt and change how food and fibre products are made, marketed, and delivered. Production systems, supply chains and customer engagement will become more interconnected and agile, requiring new partnerships and skills and creating opportunities for regional communities and agricultural producers.

Positioning for the future

Australia is indeed lucky. Some call it a “lifestyle superpower” with vibrant communities, competitive industries and unique landscapes and environmental assets. But unearned advantage risks complacency, so each generation will need to create advantages to pass onto future generations.

Source:

2021, ABARES Insights, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment ABARES

 

Gain a foundational understanding of how to farm fibre crops — including cotton, jute, hemp, flax and leaf, grass and fruit fibres — with an online agronomy course such as our Certificate of Agronomy – Fibre Crops.