Spring Spray Using Timerite®
Pesticides are an effective method of managing your RLEM. A spring spray using your Timerite® date is the most effective method of reducing the damage to pasture and crops the following autumn when RLEM emerge.
It is important that pesticides are used strategically as part of an overall farm pasture pest management strategy. The overuse of pesticides can lead to the development of chemical resistance as has been recently recorded in RLEM to a synthetic pyrethroid in Western Australia. It is therefore important to use pesticides only if RLEM are observed in your paddock during a RLEM Paddock Check and to use them in conjunction with non-chemical management tools.
What is Timerite®?
CSIRO with funding from Australian Wool Innovation developed a model which predicts the optimal date for spraying in spring to achieve optimal control of RLEM the following autumn. This model is called Timerite®.
Timerite® predicts the date at which there are the maximum number of live RLEM and a minimum number of RLEM eggs. This occurs at the end of their lifecycle after RLEM have finished laying their normal winter eggs but before they produce their over-summering eggs. This is the ideal time to spray RLEM because eggs are impervious to sprays. Controlling RLEM in this period means that the optimal level of the RLEM population is controlled leaving a minimum number of eggs to hatch the following autumn.
Find out more about the lifecycle of RLEM and how Timerite® works
Over a period of seven years, Timerite® has been demonstrated on 60 farms across southern Australia. On average, a single spray at the critical time in spring resulted in a 93% control of RLEM in autumn eight months later. Timerite® also resulted in a 43% increase in subterranean clover seed yield in summer and a 55% increase in numbers of subterranean clover seedlings the following autumn.
Find out more about the benefits of Timerite®
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How Do I Get My Timerite® date
Option 1. Through this website:
a) Obtain your latitude and longitude
To generate your Timerite® date, you will need your latitude and longitude of your farm or paddock in degrees and minutes. An example of this is 31°21’S and 115°41’E. You can do this by using a GPS to find the latitude and longitude in degrees and minutes (decimal degrees or eastings/northings can not be used).
b) Generate your Timerite date
Click on the icon below to go to the Timerite® tool to generate your spring spray date.
Option2. AWI Helpline
Call the AWI helpline on 1800 070 099 and provide them with either a named place on or within 10km of your property and they will find your latitude and longitude for you.
Once you have your date it will not change and you do not need to get it again. Make sure you write it in your calendar.
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How Do I Use Timerite®
It is best to spray on your exact Timerite® date. However, it is not always possible to spray on that date. If in doubt, it is best to spray with a systemic, residual pesticide within a two week period leading up to and including your Timerite® date.
Spraying after the optimum date does not achieve good control the following autumn.
Timerite® only works on RLEM and does not work on other pasture mites including Blue Oat Mite. Before using Timerite® make sure you have RLEM and not other pasture mites. Read more about the differences between RLEM and Blue Oat Mite.
Timerite is the date at which optimum control of RLEM can be achieved the following autumn. For more information on which pesticides to use and how to apply them contact your local chemical distributor or agronomist.
For more information, download the Timerite® information package
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