This document is an overview of the practical results from 11 research projects examining the social and institutional dimensions of NRM, from the Social and Institutional Research Program (SIRP), which is managed by Land & Water Australia. This information will be of interest to policy makers, resource management agencies at all levels, researchers, community groups and non-government organisations. The research results have been grouped into the following themes: *NRM communities; *NRM institutions; *NRM decisions/evaluation; and *NRM research methods.

Catchment managers have a responsibility to ensure equitable use of water, balancing water requirements from the upper catchment all the way downstream to the end of the valley. On farms, efficient use of water is a goal which everybody shares to avoid plant stress from drought or waterlogging and to avoid paying for too much water.

Technical guideline for the southern Tablelands of New South Wales. Assists farmers in examining relationships between grazing intensity and riparian condition. Details the background of RARC, the application of the index,

This booklet is one of a series published by Land & Water Australia about regional rangeland community planning processes. Others in the series include: Regional Approaches to Rangeland Planning: Seeking Sustainability in the Western Division of New South Wales by Changing Laws, Policies and Administration Central Highlands Regional Resource Use Planning Project: a Planning and Learning Experience.

A story of two crippling droughts, the sowing of many seeds and one farmer's transformation. It is a very personal story full of insight and wisdom. It is also a story of gut-busting hard work, and of the courage of one family's convictions against...

This booklet provides advice for woolgrowers on managing creek erosion in the mid-north grasslands and shrublands of South Australia, as part of the Rivers and Water Quality sub-program. Contains general information about erosion, riparian land, strategy

The cost of researching the causes, effects and control of algal blooms is considerable and the government and community have already invested heavily in understanding this significant environmental and water quality issue that affects most of Australia. The National Eutrophication Management Program (NEMP) commissioned a report to identify the principal water users affected by freshwater algal blooms and to quantify the direct and indirect costs of these blooms.

Flooding across many cotton growing valleys has had a significant impact on cotton growth. With the flooding coming at such a late stage in cotton development this document likely impacts and management options available for growers and consultants.

Cotton production in Australia is a high-value industry with about 90% of fibre produced being exported to Asia, primarily to Indonesia. One aspect of modem cotton production is the heavy usage of insecticide sprays to combat Helicoverpa insects. The high cost of sprays and the public view of the industry regarding its perceived impact on the environment have led to the development of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. The evaluation of insecticide resistance in pest populations has also prompted the development of insecticide resistance management (IRM) strategies. The aim of the work reported here is to improve the understanding and adoption of such strategies by cotton growers. A simple bio-economic assessment of alternative IPM strategies is presented. A farm-level dataset is used to conduct an analysis of alternative spray options. Data collected over 2 years (1998/99 and 1999/2000 seasons) from a set of contiguous cotton properties in north west NSW are analysed in the paper. The factors considered include farm inputs (sprays and costs), outputs (cotton yields) and financial returns (Gross Margins (GM)). Cotton properties and paddocks are categorised according to the numbers and types of sprays (termed Hard and Soft spray strategies) used on INGARD' and conventional cotton crops. The analysis is relatively simple approach that nevertheless provides some useful initial information and comparisons. It is the first stage of a project evaluating the potential economic returns to alternative IPM and IRM strategies for the Australian cotton industry

One of the major objectives of the cotton industry is to reduce dependence on insecticides. This may be achieved by incorporating parasitoids into the pest management strategy. Parasitoids are wasps or flies that "attack" other insects. The "attack" means that the parasitic wasp or fly lays an egg inside the eggs, larvae or pupae of a host insect (i. e. Helicoverpa spp. ). Once the egg of the wasps or fly hatches, it feeds on the internal organs of the host species (i. e. Helicoverpa eggs, larvae or pupae) eventually killing it. The eggs, larvae and pupae of Helicoverpa are attacked by several native parasitoids that rely on Helicoverpa for survival. In order to place greater reliance on parasitoids for Helicoverpa spp. control we need to understand how to increase parasitoids abundance in cotton.