Stewardship
Stewardship is crucial to ensuring the long-term future of Australia’s cotton industry. It includes stewardship of natural resources, which is achieved through the myBMP program, and also the good management of technologies that support cotton production.
TIMS Committee
TIMS (Transgenic Insecticide Management Strategy) is an industry committee organised by Cotton Australia whose purpose is to develop and review cotton industry resistance management strategies for conventional insecticides, herbicides and transgenic cotton traits, in close consultation with relevant scientific experts and technology providers. TIMS has broad representation from growers, researchers, crop consultants and members of the pulse and grains industries.
The purpose of developing industry-wide resistance management strategies for transgenic traits and conventional pesticides is to:
- Ensure that best practice recommendations are based on the best available science, are practical to implement, and are aligned with risk.
- Ensure coordination for product stewardship and associated messaging across farming systems.
- Ensure that traits and products are stewarded in a sustainable manner that protects the right to farm for cotton growers, protects the social licence of the cotton industry and ensures commercial longevity for these technologies.
One of TIMS’ main roles is to develop and review regional Insecticide Resistance Management Strategies (IRMS), the Bollgard 3® Resistance Management Plan (RMP), Roundup Ready Flex® Crop Management Plan, and 30-day Pyriprroxyfen windows.
| Role | Member | Representing | Area of responsibility |
| Chair | Bernie Bierhoff | Cotton Australia | Independent |
| Northern Area | Neek Morowitz | Cotton Australia | Biloela, Central Highlands and Dawson Valley CGAs |
| Darling Downs | Terry Ryan | Cotton Australia | Darling Downs CGA |
| Western Area | Sam Heagney | Cotton Australia | Bourke CGA, Dirranbandi CGA, Mungindi Water Users and CGA, St George CGA |
| Central North Area | Rob Holmes | Cotton Australia | Gwydir Valley CGA, Macintyre Valley CGA, Walgett CGA |
| Central South Area | Andrew Greste | Cotton Australia | Lower Namoi CGA, Upper Namoi CGA |
| Southern Area | Amanda Thomas | Cotton Australia | Lachlan CGA, Southern Valleys CGA, Macquarie CGA |
| Northern Territory | Sarah Hain | Cotton Australia | Northern Cotton Growers CGA |
| Northern CCA | Tim Richards (Scott Stoll) | CCA | Central Highlands, Dawson and Callide Valleys, Darling Downs |
| Central CCA | Ben Dawson (Peter White) | CCA | Gwydir, Macintyre, Lower and Upper Namoi Valleys |
| Southern CCA | Heath McWhirter (Richard Malone) | CCA | Macquarie, Lachlan, Murrumbidgee regions |
| Western CCA | Dallas King (Pat McGuiness) | CCA | St George, Dirranbandi, Mungindi, Walgett and Bourke regions |
| CSIRO | Tom Walsh | CSIRO | Communications CSIRO |
| CRDC | Susan Maas | CRDC | Communications CRDC |
| NSW DPI | Graham Charles | NSW DPI | Communications NSW DPI |
| QLD DAF | Paul Grundy | QLD DAF | Communications QLD DAF |
| GRDC | Melina Miles | GRDC | Communications GRDC |
| Pulse Australia | Paul McIntosh | Pulse Australia | Communications Pulse Australia |
| Technical Panel Chairs | Bernie Bierhoff John Cameron Dallas King | Bt Panel Herbicides Panel Insecticides Panel | Communication Bt Panel Communication HTC Panel Communication Insecticides Panel |
The TIMS Committee is strongly supported by a number of discipline and technology-based Technical Panels which consider the scientific and practical application of proposed new or amended resistance management strategies and crop protection technologies.
The current Technical Panels are convened for insecticide and herbicide-tolerant crops and insecticidal transgenic (Bt) crops. TIMS Technical Panels provide technical advice, including the pros and cons of options, and, when requested, recommendations to the TIMS Committee on resistance issues and the development of broader stewardship strategies to ensure the responsible use of crop protection technologies.
Insecticidal Transgenic Crops (Bt) Technical Panel
- Chair: Bernie Bierhoff, Cotton Australia
- Coordinator: Susan Maas, CRDC
- Lisa Bird, NSW DPI
- Doug McCollum, Cotton Australia
- Sharon Downes, CSIRO
- Gary Fitt, CSIRO
- Peter Gregg, UNE
- Paul Grundy, QLD DAF
- Simone Heimoana, CSIRO
- Susan Maas, CRDC
- Nigel Burnett, Cotton Australia
- Tom Walsh, CSIRO
- Mary Whitehouse, CSIRO
Insecticides Technical Panel
- Chair: Dallas King, Crop Consultants Australia
- Coordinator: Susan Maas, CRDC
- Lisa Bird, NSW DPI
- Doug McCollum, Cotton Australia
- Sharon Downes, CSIRO
- Paul Grundy, QLD DAF
- Simone Heimoana, CSIRO
- Grant Herron, NSW DPI
- Jamie Hopkinson, QLD DAF
- Susan Maas, CRDC
- Bernie Bierhoff, Cotton Australia
- Melina Miles, QLD DAF
- Richard Sequeira, QLD DAF
Herbicide-Tolerant Crops Technical Panel
- Chair: John Cameron, Cotton Australia
- Coordinator: Susan Maas, CRDC
- Graham Charles, NSW DPI
- Doug McCollum, Cotton Australia
- Ben Dawson, CCA
- James Hereward, University of Queensland
- Eric Koetz, NSW DPI
- Bernie Bierhoff, Cotton Australia
- Christopher Preston, UniSA
- David Thornby, QLD DAF
- Jeff Werth, QLD DAF
In-season Troubleshooting Committee
- Lisa Bird, NSW DPI
- Doug McCollum, Cotton Australia
- Susan Maas, CRDC
- Melina Miles, QLD DAF
