01/12/2025

COTTON growers continue to express extremely positive feedback regarding ADAMA Australia’s RX-380^™ concentrated growth regulant that offers significant benefits for farm logistics and storage, as well as reduced packaging.

RX-380 contains ten times the concentration (380 g/L) of the active ingredient, mepiquat, as contained in “standard” industry 38 g/L formulations of the popular cotton growth regulant. RX-380 was launched by ADAMA for the 2021/22 season, replacing Reward^® which contained 38 g/L of mepiquat.

Jim O’Connor, the company’s Market Development Manager in Queensland, said RX-380 can be applied at a number of growth stages, including from squaring and through flowering to cut-out, to help modify fruiting and vegetative growth.

Jim said a wide application rate range also can be used throughout these stages, from 25 mL/ha up to 200 mL/ha.

He said softer seasonal conditions combined with higher moisture levels, as well as higher fertility and specific management practices, can result in excess vegetative and rank cotton growth, however growers and agronomists now had an easy option to influence node growth.

“They may have a certain crop height idea, internode distance or Nodes Above White Flower (NAWF) parameters upon which they then decide to intervene and can regulate with RX-380,’’ Jim said.

“At the top rate of 200 mL/ha with RX-380, that was equivalent to 2 L/ha when using 38 g/L formulations, so one drum of RX-380 will go a lot further. Plus there are benefits with transport, handling, storage and reduced packaging.’’

During its development phase, RX-380 was included in side-by-side trials with Reward, investigating its performance in different situations and at various rates.

Large-scale trials with several growers provided further testing in field situations, all of which attracted positive feedback.

Additional trials were conducted in case RX-380 was accidentally applied at Reward rates in the field. These showed that even when RX-380 was applied at ten times the rate, equivalent to the labelled Reward application rate, commercially acceptable yield outcomes could still occur.

Customers who purchase the ADAMA RX-380 cotton growth regulant, or any product within the ADAMA range from Nutrien Ag Solutions before 31 March 2026 will go in the running to win a position on the 2026 UK ADAMA Study Tour.

The 9-day study tour will invite 8 customers to attend the UK’s leading arable technical event, Cereals 2026, hosted at the well-known Diddly Squat Farm in Cotswolds near Chipping Norton in West Oxfordshire. This property, owned by television personality Jeremy Clarkson, has gained global attention for his bold attempts at running the 1,000-acre farm. Beyond the technical program, participants will enjoy guided tours of London’s most popular attractions, visits to trial sites and farm tours in the surrounding country-side. It's an adventure not to be missed! For more information, please visit https://au.campaigns.adama.com/nutrien-uk2026-study-tour

For further information on RX-380 cotton growth regulant from ADAMA Australia, growers, advisers and agronomists can contact their local ADAMA representative or visit ADAMA.com.

[Photo 1: ADAMA Australia’s Portfolio Manager, Robert Lomman pictured in an untreated area of a cotton trial.

Photo 2: Robert is pictured with the regulated cotton crop growth following an application of RX-380 at 100 mL/ha at flowering in the trial.]

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The information provided in this article is intended as a guide only. Information contained in this article has been provided by the manufacturer/ You should not rely on the information in this article, and it should not be considered advice. You should seek professional advice regarding relevant factors specific to your situation. This article does not take into account variable conditions that may impact performance. Always read and follow label directions before using any product in this article. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Nutrien Ag Solutions Limited and its related associated entities will not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by any person arising out of any reliance on any information contained in this article.