This project aimed to examine literature related to social capital and adaptive capacity across three fields: NRM, Community Development and Health and Wellbeing. The project firstly compiled a database of relevant literature, then produced an annotated bibliography, for use in the broader Cotton CRC funded project titled: 'Securing the Socio-economic Wellbeing of Rural Communities.' The literature revealed that while there were commonalities across the fields, context mattered a great deal, and contributed significantly to which factors were of greatest importance in various scenarios and that these factors were to a high degree, interdependent. What this means for the broader project, is that a key component of any adaptive capacity framework developed, must consider the importance of interdependencies between critical attributes of capacity that are specific and local, and which may differ between rural communities.

Schedule 1.2 employed a Catchment Officer who was located at the Cotton CRC Office at Myall Vale and was responsible for delivering NRM technical advice, developing extension material and developing and managing investment projects within the lower Namoi catchment. The Catchment Officer facilitated a large number of NRM extension activities including 60 farm visits for the extension of 1 on 1 NRM extension advice with cotton growers and other landholders, producing and/or contributing to 10 publications, organizing 9 field days at which approximately 300 people attended and giving 8 presentations at cotton industry field day, forums and conferences.The Catchment Officer has contributed to the developed a number of resources to assist landholders and extension staff managing natural resources on farms including:- Pests and Beneficial Insects in Australian Cotton landscapes Guidebook, Sustainable Landscapes Section - Principles for Native Vegetation Management.- &quote;Soil Sodicity&quote; fact sheet -NCMA Groundcover Demonstration Trials Program- A Cotton Landscapes Native Vegetation Action Plan for cotton growers- A Native Vegetation Condition assessment for Cotton GrowersThe success of the partnership was acknowledged by the Cotton CRC at the 2010 Science Forum with the NCMA and the project officer being awarded The Impact on Adoption Award.Partnering with the Cotton CRC has enabled the Catchment Officer to integrate research from the CRC&#39s Catchment Programme into extension activities and ultimately deliver NRM outcomes in the Namoi Catchment. This report illustrates the wide audience reached by the Catchment Officer and the NRM outcomes achieved in the cotton industry and in this part of the Catchment.

This evaluation has not been designed to quantitatively measure the extent of the impact of the project and its range of activities on NRM awareness, collaboration and practice change. Given the two year timeframe of the project, there is not an expectation of direct widespread on-ground impact. However, the evidence from the project reports, informed persons and case studies is that the project has made some strong inroads towards this end and has effectively generated a new ripple of interest and possibilities for more effective NRM management in the cotton industry and its catchment communities. The challenge now is build on what has been started and to turn the ripple into a tide. ~

Eucalyptus coolabah subsp. coolabah (coolibah) and E.largiflorens (black box) are two dominant floodplain species of Australia's Murray-DarlingBasin. Over the past 200 years widespread clearing and altered flood regimes have greatly restricted the distribution of both species, and recruitment events are rare and poorly understood. Little is known regarding the life history of each of the two species, for instance, until recently mass recruitment events of coolibah were considered to be an invasive response activated by flooding events, however, it is now thought that these rare recruitment events are part of the species natural reproductive strategy. To further our knowledge and fill the existing gaps regarding the recruitment of coolibah and black box, we conducted a series of germination trials to 1) determine the optimal temperature for germination, and 2) establish the effect of leaf litter on germination. We found that both species required alternating temperatures for optimal germination, with coolibah exhibiting a wider range of optimal germination temperatures than black box. Leaf litter was found to inhibit germination in both eucalyptspecies due to the direct effects it has on light availability and temperature conditioning. The long-term survival of floodplain eucalypts depends upon a thorough understanding of their life history. The results from this study can be used to assist in making well informed management and conservation decisions.

To extend and promote the adaptation and adoption of new technologies into sound management practices in the Border Rivers region including the Macintyre Valley and Mungindi areas.

Natural pest control is an important ecosystem service to the Australian cotton industry. The modern industry has reduced it's reliance on pesticide sprays using a combination of approaches and is much more environmentally aware than it is has been in the past. Techniques employed to reduce reliance on pesticides include the introduction of BT cotton, development of soft, pest-specific chemicals and encouraging or releasing beneficial (predatory) invertebrates into crops.To date, the focus of natural pest control in the Australian cotton industry has been on managing beneficial invertebrate numbers in crops. However, work by Nancy Schellhorn's group (CSIRO), Allan House's group (CSIRO) and Geoff Gurr's group (Charles Sturt University) is showing that the wider landscape can have an important influence on the abundance of pest and beneficial invertebrate species in crop. Some attention has been paid to the value of microbats in providing natural pest control services (i.e. Leah MacKinnon's Masters research and various projects by Martin Dillon et al.), but little attention has been payed to birds and the role they may play. In addition, there is little information on where in the cotton landscape birds and microbats reside, or the effect that the proportion of different land cover types at a landscape scale can have on populations of these natural pest controlling organisms. Momentum is now growing around on-farm biodiversity conservation as research continues to show the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem services to cotton growers. This new interest has been helped by pioneering growers such as Andrew Watson who have significantly decreased their use of pesticide sprays by managing their native vegetation, without a significant impact on their bottom line. However, many growers are currently unaware of the potential value of their on-farm native vegetation for natural pest control, and those that are aware, may lack the knowledge or skills to determine the condition of and manage it appropriately. Tools are required to allow growers to benchmark their current situation and inform management to maximise natural pest control services.

This report outlines the products used on cotton crops in Australia over the 2005/2006season. The data presented in this report are drawn from surveys undertaken for CottonConsultants Australia Inc (CCA) from 1993/94 to 2005/2006. In conjunction with the CCA (Jon-Maree Baker, Executive Officer), IRF Cotton Research is responsible for the administration of the survey and for the quality of the survey data. The CCA survey committee assists with quality assurance. Responsibility for the manipulation of data and tabulation resides with IRF Cotton Research.

The overall objective of &quote;The Economics of BMP in Cotton&quote; project was to develop, adapt and promote economic analysis which supports the adoption of industry research outcomes relevant to cotton farming systems, which was successfully achieved through work conducted on the economics of cotton production, including the development of economic tools and databases and assisting research and extension staff.

The Australian cotton industry occupies a niche market in optimal fibre quality, but this must be constantly developed in order to “stay ahead”. Biotechnology provides an opportunity to continually improve fibre quality at lower cost and time, and in a more targeted way, than conventional plant breeding. Genetic improvement of cotton fibre morphology requires both useful genes and appropriate expression of the genes in cotton fibres. Previous CRDC-funded research in our laboratory has aimed to address both these requisites, concentrating on genes which are expressed in fibres but not in other cotton tissues.

We have identified six different controlling regions, or promoters, within cotton DNA which directly control the fibre-specificity and timing of expression of genes. Fibre-specific promoters allow the expression of any particular transgene to be targeted to the fibres only, avoiding any detrimental effects of expression on growth and morphology elsewhere within the plant. Each of the six promoters was fused to a reporter gene, GUS, and used to transform whole cotton plants. A large number of transgenic lines were recovered. Quantitative GUS assays were carried out the tissues of one transgenic line, showing that the reporter gene was strongly expressed in fibres only and that expression peaked during the elongation phase of growth.

One gene which is only expressed in cotton fibres encodes an interesting protein called an expansin. Expansins are thought to control plant cell growth by chemically modifying components of the cell wall, chiefly cellulose. As cellulose comprises such a large percentage of the cotton fibre, it could be that expansin proteins play a critical role in determination of fibre quality parameters such as length. Four genetic constructs were made, in which the expansin gene was placed under the control of four different cotton promoters, designed to alter normal expansin expression. The gene constructs were used to transform whole cotton plants and a large number of transformed lines were recovered. Ten lines have been screened for homozygousity and sent to the ACRI where the effects of the transgene on fibre properties such as length, strength and micronaire will be tested.

Results from this research will contribute valuable information on the role of the expansin gene in cotton fibre development, as well as providing novel germplasm for use in cotton breeding programs. In addition, it will provide a valuable bank of molecular tools which would allow expression of any gene in a defined manner in cotton fibre cells. Such tools could be used in other research aimed at producing fibres with improved or innovative properties.

Advancing Water Management in NSW was initiated by industry and government in recognition of the importance of investing in a highly effective extension team to assist the cotton industry improve water use efficiency. In 2006 NSW Department of Primary Industries and its team of experienced cotton irrigation extension officers received funds from the Cotton Research Development Corporation, Cotton Catchment Communities Cooperative Research Centre, and both the Namoi and Border Rivers Gwydir Catchment Management Authorities to undertake intensive water use efficiency extension in NSW cotton growing valleys.

The adoption of water management technology and irrigation best management practices are key drivers in generating greater water use efficiency. In order to stimulate adoption and initiate practice change a multitude of extension techniques were utilised. These included:

• Delivery of irrigation training

• Technology demonstration

• Dissemination of fact sheets and case studies

• Consultant support

• Water use efficiency benchmarking

• Dissemination on cost benefit analyses

The Irrigated Cotton and Grains Workshop Series and the Centre Pivot Lateral Move training courses were delivered to 250 cotton and grains growers. There is documented evidence that the training resulted in growers having a greater knowledge and understanding of irrigation best practice, and has lead to genuine practice change. Increased adoption of technology, better water management techniques, and investment in new infrastructure has improved whole farm water use efficiencies.

The irrigation training led to many growers applying for water use efficiency incentives available from Catchment Management Authorities. The increased knowledge, awareness, skills and attitudes acquired at the training workshops allowed growers to recognise strengths and weaknesses in their water management practices. Training also helped growers identify where investment would lead to the greatest increase in whole farm water use efficiency. Border Rivers Gwydir CMA assessed approximately 80 water use efficiency incentive applications. 66 applicants successfully secured funding for a variety of on-farm WUE activities, including the purchase and/or upgrade of soil moisture probes, storage surveys, field and storage EM surveys, storage deepening or reconfiguration, supply and tail water system upgrades. Similarly the Namoi CMA and CCCCRC granted funds to 9 applicants resulting in excess of 5111Ha coming under best practice water management.

A second outcome from the irrigation training was an increase in awareness of the Cotton BMP program. Each of the Irrigated Cotton and Grains workshops has specific linkages to the Cotton BMP Land and Water Module. Growers were encouraged to consider the advantages of obtaining formal recognition of their best practice. Between October 2006 and July 2008 Cotton Australia conducted a total of 35 and 20 Land and Water Pre-Certification Audits (PCA) in the Namoi and Gwydir Valleys respectively. Based on these PCA numbers, in the Namoi the Advancing Water Management project contributed to an additional 13,614 ha being managed and irrigated according to best practice.

Technology demonstration of Irrimate™ hardware and WaterTrack™ Optimiser software were initiated to showcase how decision support tools could assist growers to manage and measure water more efficiently. Knowledge and awareness of surface irrigation performance evaluation particularly has increased and practice change is now being documented within the cotton industry. Many growers have begun to reconfigure fields to minimise losses, shorten irrigation times, and optimise field application efficiencies. The demonstration of the WaterTrack™ software and storage seepage/evaporation meters also increased awareness of the magnitude of storage losses currently being experienced on irrigation farms. A growing number of irrigators are now either raising storage bank heights or consolidating water storage to minimise evaporative losses.

In an effort to stimulate adoption of current industry standards for recording water use efficiency, project staff conducted personal interviews on 42 farms from Emerald in central Queensland to Hillston in southern NSW to establish current WUE benchmarks for the cotton industry.

Benchmarking facilitates continuous improvement in management and water use. The results revealed that the average WUE for the 2006-07 season was 1.31 bales/ML (water pumped) or 1.13bales/ML (including stored soil moisture and effective rainfall). The results also highlighted that the top 20% of growers achieved a WUE around 1.5bales/ML. A paper was presented at the 2008 Australian Cotton Conference, and based on the response from industry, the benchmarking study and information generated has been very well received.

In an effort to increase both growers’ and industry’s awareness and knowledge of the financial benefits of investing in technology adoption and practice change, a number of economic case studies were produced with the assistance of a NSWDPI economist. Economic articles were posted on the irrigated cotton and grains website and published in the Australian Cotton Grower magazine. Materials were also distributed at irrigation training workshops and at various farm walks and field days.

In 2003 the Whole Farm Salinity Management Strategies for Cotton Production in the Macquarie Valley, CRDC Project Number: CRC 51C established five long term monitoring sites in the Lower Macquarie Valley. These sites are allowing the long term monitoring of deep drainage and changes to the salt store in the major irrigated cotton growing soils. In 2006 and 2007 members of the Advancing Water Management Project team collected and tested soil samples at these monitoring sites to build a long term picture of potential soil degradation and productivity decline due to poor water quality and irrigation management. An examination of the 2007 soil and water analyses suggest that sodium and chloride concentrations increase during the irrigation season but decrease during the winter (non-irrigation season). Presumably this is due to leaching of the salts out of the crop root zone with winter rainfall. In time, it is likely that they will move into groundwater reserves. However, there is considerable variation among locations due to variation in soils (texture, ESP etc.) and cropping systems. A technical paper will be published and presented at an industry forum in 2009.