and 
Tools, Tips & Downloads.
Get your crop off to a FastStart™ with practical guidance, tips and decision-support tools.
Tools & calculators
Filter by the job each tool helps with — Plan, Plant or Monitor your crop.
FastStart™ Weather Network
Make timely crop management decisions using real-time weather data and forecasts.
Open tool →FastStart™ Field Forecast
Access soil temperature forecasts powered by local weather data.
Open tool →Green Light for Planting
Get the green light for planting — assess planting conditions with the traffic light system.
Open tool →Cotton Replant Calculator
Evaluate your replant options and make informed decisions with the replant calculator.
Open tool →Variety Performance
Discover the performance results of varieties across different cotton growing regions in Australia.
Open tool →Variety Performance Comparison
Compare yield and fibre quality results from trials completed on all CSD varieties.
Open tool →Top 10 tips for cotton establishment
Two decades of trials boiled down to the things that matter most when getting the crop in.
1Prepare fields early.
Create a firm, well-structured seed bed, free of weeds and impediments in the planting line.
2Don't let nutrition be a limiting factor.
Know the yield target you want to achieve, test your soils and know your nutrient levels. Have a strategy for fertiliser application to achieve your goal. Be mindful that excessive application of nitrogen is bad for the environment, can have disease implications and result in defoliation and regrowth issues.
3Select the right variety and seed treatment for your conditions.
Know the seed quality before planting and adjust sowing rates accordingly. Syngenta seed treatments control insect pests and soil-borne diseases.
4Be ready to go — don't let your planter let you down.
Ensure the planter is level and all components are well maintained and operational.
5Plant when conditions are right.
Make sure you have the green light for cotton planting.
6Planting is an important operation — do it once, do it right.
Continuously monitor within fields, across fields and the property. Ensure planting speed, depth and pressure are correct for your situation and use lubricant to assist seed flow.
7Select the desired plant population to maximise yield per hectare.
Understand the impacts and adjust sowing rates accordingly for: low soil temperatures; variety/seed type; establishment method; and seedling mortality. Planting a few more seeds is good insurance.
8Reduce competition and promote good early season growth.
Control weeds early and when they're small. Monitor the economic threshold for insect pests depending on the type of species, number and region.
9Ensure adequate soil moisture at first flower (first irrigation).
Closely monitor soil moisture status, crop growth and development rates, temperature and rainfall forecasts.
10Have the crop growing healthily at first flower.
Create strong plant architecture and aim to have 8 to 9 nodes above white flower (NAWF) at first flower.
Downloads
Guides and resources from the FastStart™ program.
Other downloads
Need support using the tools?
Get assistance from your local CSD Sales & Agronomy specialist.