The Oaky Creek Try Before You Buy (TBYB) trial was conducted during the 2025/26 season near Tolga, Queensland, in collaboration with Howe Farming. The trial was established under irrigated conditions to evaluate varietal performance and provide locally relevant information to support variety selection decisions for Atherton Tablelands cotton growers. The trial was planted on 4 December 2025 following a short-fallow cane crop and grown over a 170-day season. Establishment conditions were favourable, with warm soil temperatures supporting rapid germination and early crop development. Crop nutrition was managed to support high yield potential, with pre-season soil nitrogen supplemented by fertiliser nitrogen applications. Additional potassium and zinc were also applied to support crop growth and maintain nutrition through boll development. Seasonal conditions were characterised by high rainfall, with approximately 925 mm received during the growing season. While temperatures remained favourable for cotton production and no significant heat stress events were recorded, frequent rainfall, cloudy conditions and periods of high humidity likely reduced solar radiation and influenced crop growth and development. Despite these challenges, the crop maintained strong yield potential and achieved excellent production outcomes. A key factor influencing trial performance was the excellent drainage characteristics of the Oaky Creek site. Despite the high seasonal rainfall, the field drained rapidly following rainfall events and avoided prolonged periods of waterlogging. This allowed the crop to maintain root health, nutrient uptake and growth throughout the season. The performance of the Oaky Creek trial contrasted with other regional sites that experienced greater yield limitations following extended wet conditions, highlighting the importance of soil structure and drainage during high-rainfall seasons. Weed pressure was particularly high throughout the establishment phase, with significant populations of vines and grasses present across the site. The XtendFlex® technology provided valuable management flexibility, allowing the use of double-knock herbicide strategies incorporating glyphosate and glufosinate, together with effective over-the-top grass control options. These tools were successful in reducing the weed burden, improving crop establishment and minimising early-season competition for moisture, nutrients and sunlight. Effective weed control was an important contributor to the strong crop performance achieved in the trial. Crop management was proactive throughout the season, with a strong focus on maintaining crop health and protecting yield potential. Weed pressure was particularly high during establishment, with significant vine and grass populations requiring intensive management. The flexibility provided by the XtendFlex® system enabled effective control through the use of glyphosate, glufosinate and over-the-top grass herbicides, reducing competition during early crop development. Insect pressure was also present during the season, with management targeted towards mirids, harlequin bugs and broad mites. Despite these challenges, crop growth remained well balanced, requiring only modest growth regulation. The combination of sound agronomic management, adequate nutrition, effective weed control and good soil drainage helped support strong crop performance throughout the season. In-season assessments indicated that Sicot 761B3XF maintained a slight advantage in several key yield components. Final boll counts averaged 151.3 bolls/m compared with 137.3 bolls/m for Siokra 253B3XF, while mean seed cotton boll weight was 4.95 g/boll compared with 4.68 g/boll respectively. Visually, Sicot 761B3XF appeared slightly stronger throughout the season and consistently demonstrated strong yield potential. At harvest, however, yield differences between the varieties were relatively small. Siokra 253B3XF was the highest-yielding variety, producing 10.96 bales/ha, representing a 4.4% yield advantage over Sicot 761B3XF, which yielded 10.50 bales/ha. These results demonstrate the strong yield potential of both varieties under irrigated Atherton Tablelands conditions. Fibre quality was commercially acceptable across both varieties. Sicot 761B3XF produced a staple length of 40, micronaire of 4.5 and fibre strength of 32.0 g/tex, while Siokra 253B3XF produced a staple length of 39, micronaire of 3.9 and fibre strength of 31.2 g/tex. Both varieties achieved an HVI class of 31-3, indicating favourable fibre colour and leaf grades consistent with Australian base grade standards. Fibre quality was a notable strength of the trial, with both varieties achieving an HVI class of 31-3 despite the high rainfall and humid conditions experienced throughout the season. Staple length, micronaire, strength and uniformity all fell within commercially desirable ranges, indicating excellent fibre quality and marketability. Sicot 761B3XF produced marginally longer and stronger fibre, while Siokra 253B3XF combined strong fibre quality with the highest lint yield. The achievement of 31-3 colour grades under a wet season highlights the benefits of the well-drained site and timely crop management in maintaining fibre quality. Overall, the trial demonstrated the ability of both Sicot 761B3XF and Siokra 253B3XF to maintain excellent yield and fibre quality despite a season characterised by frequent rainfall and high humidity. While Siokra 253B3XF achieved the highest harvested yield, Sicot 761B3XF demonstrated strong in-crop performance, producing higher boll numbers, and slightly superior fibre quality. The results confirm that both varieties are well suited to irrigated cotton production systems on the Atherton Tablelands and highlight the importance of sound nutrition, effective weed control, low pest pressure, good agronomic management and well-drained soils in maintaining yield potential during wet seasons.