This paper explores some specific short-term impacts of reductions in water available for cotton irrigation. It is noted that longer term impacts are much more difficult to determine. A participative 'triple bottom line' approach for assessing change is proposed, as a way to making better decisions based on improved information about the short and long term social, economic and environmental consequences. The Centre for Ecological Economics and Water Policy Research has been undertaking research and developing tools to support such an approach.

Excessive wheel slip and engine speed can waste fuel.
Tractor Performance Monitors (TPMs) have the ability to show fuel use parameters which an operator or grower can use to check their fuel consumption for an operation. This fact sheet uses the GreenStar 3 display to illustrate the key settings and calibrations needed to show accurate fuel use consumption and associated indicators.

In June 1997 a Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) funded project was initiated in the Emerald Irrigation Area (EIA), for the development of management strategies to minimise off-site movement of pollutants(sediment, nutrient and pesticides) at the paddock or fun scale (Waters et al. 1998). In particular, the goal was to apply plot scale research thongs at the paddock scale and to assess the practicality and feasibility of adoption of these management practice by farmers' Planting cotton into standing wheat stubble was one management option which proved to be highly effective at reducing pollutant movement. A further unexpected finding was an early season reduction in insecticide sprays on cotton that was planted into the standing wheat stubble. This finding has generated interest from growers and researchers because of the need for environmentally friendly pest management measures in this area which is characterised by high levels of insecticide resistance in pest populations. Over the past two seasons there has been an increase in the number of glowers planting cotton into standing wheat stubble in the EIA. Growers have been enthusiastic to assess the potential for the rotation to reduce reliance on chemical sprays and also to reduce off-site movement of pollutants in run off The wheat cotton rotation (W-C) has resulted in a reduction of up to three early season sprays in 1997/98 on several farms in the district in what was regarded as a high pest pressure season. The 1999/2000 season was a low pressure season and Heliothis numbers in the wheat cotton crops were not significantly different to conventional cotton crops in the EIA. Whilst a W-C has proven to be highly effective in reducing pollutant movement in runoff; further monitoring needs to be carried out over a number of seasons to assess the full effectiveness of the W-C as a means of reducing reliance on chemical applications. This paper will outline the development of W-C in the EIA and its potential use as a tool for Heliothis management

The title of my paper reflects the overriding precedence of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in the future of pest management for Australian cotton. Bt cotton, whether with one gene or two, win only ever be a component of sustainable IPM systems, not an answer in itself. IPM seeks to utilise a diverse array of pest control tactics to achieve pest management without excessive reliance on pesticides. Many of the components of IPM systems are used in Australian cotton production (sampling, thresholds, soft pesticides, cultivation of crop residues, planting windows, pest tolerant varieties, beneficial insects). Based on research over the last decade we are now seeing greater efforts to maximise biological sources of mortality for pests (the cotton plant itself, beneficial insects, weather) and an increasing willingness on the part of growers to co-operate in area wide management systems for key pests. These developments, supported by production of the Australian Cotton CRC's IPM Guidelines for Australian Cotton (Mensah and Wilson 1999), suggest that IPM will progressively become the norm for Australia. Pesticides are, and will remain, a part of ERM, but with greater reliance on less disruptive compounds and more objective decision making associated with their use.

Judging by the media headlines over the past three years, the dominant issues for sustained use of the Murray-Darling Basin's natural resources are sanity and security of water supply under the Cap on diversions. The average reader could be excused for thinking that there is a simple trade-off between environment and industry - we can't have a healthy river system unless we get rid of cotton or rice production, or we can't continue the remarkable growth in the regional economy unless access to surface and groundwater is maintained or continues to grow. Growers and natural resource management agencies are apparently on a collision path and the resolution is compensation.

Reducing pumping costs by $10 an hour with a dieselgas mix has put money in the pocket and a smile on the face of irrigated cotton farmer Warwick Wannan.

The 1997-98 season saw the re-investigation of ultra-narrow row cotton ("UNR" cotton) as an alternative production system. Since that time, growers have responded to the system's development in a cautious but extremely enthusiastic mariner. Four experimental sites were established in 1997-98, which totalled an area of 52.6 ha (130ac). The majority of these sites returned an almost unbelievable result; three weeks earliness and comparable yields, to conventional planting's. The 1998-99 season resulted in the establishment of 17 sites and 1821 ha (4500ac) planted to UNR. The following season, 1999-2000 saw the production area increase to 3642 ha (9000 ac). The bulk of this production increase has been centred in the southern production areas of the Lachlan, Hillston and Murrumbidgee. Initially, much of the research, which forms the basis of the current system, was coordinated during the late 1960's, and early 1970's. Historical results were not favourable, with UNR cotton being abandoned, as technology was not available to solve the challenges it faced. An example of the type of technology unavailable was growth regulators. Technology has advanced presenting more options for developing viable UNR systems. However, it is important to remember that no system is without faults and UNR cotton is no exception. The aim of this paper is to outline these positive and negative issues associated with UNR production.

As the uptake of the Round Bale (RB) picking system has been widespread and rapid it is not a matter of whether or not the industry should adopt this technology rather a process of determining its impacts evaluating impacts against previous harvesting systems

Cotton integrated pest management (IPM) is a continuously evolving pest management philosophy. A high level of awareness has been created by the commercial success of a number of IPM programs in recent years and a general awareness of the wide range of tools being promoted within the concept of cotton IPM. There is a desire on the part of growers for clarity in the definition of IPM for Australian cotton and a positive environment for the acceptance and adoption of IPM strategies in the industry (Coutts, 1997). The primary aim of the Australian Cotton Cooperative Research Centre, IPM Training Coordinator project is to assist in improving the level of adoption of IPM strategies within the Australian cotton industry. The implementation of appropriate management strategies for both conventional insecticides and transgenic plants is critical if the industry is to survive in the long term. The project seeks to tram a large proportion of growers over a relatively short period of time in a program that provides the opportunity to adopt IPM strategies for a sustainable future.

Pump cavitation is an unwanted problem that occurs when pumps and associated pipelines are poorly designed and configured. Cavitation is extremely costly because it greatly reduces the life of the pump as well as increases the energy (and cost) required to pump water.