Editorial: What is driving research in NZ?
OPINION: The politics of science or is it the science of politics that is driving research in New Zealand?
About 11 years ago Canadian farmer Joe Dorgan noticed that his cattle in a paddock by the sea were more productive than his other cows.
Dorgan’s cattle were found to be eating storm-tossed seaweed.
Canadian researchers Rob Kinley and Alan Fredeen have since discovered that seaweed not only helped improve the cows’ health and growth, but also reduced their methane production by about 20%.
This led Kinley, who by now had moved to Australian research organisation CSIRO, to team up with other CSIRO scientists and marine algae specialists at James Cook University to test a range of seaweeds.
They have now tested 20 seaweed species and found that they reduce methane production in test-tube samples from cow stomachs by anything from zero to 50%.
However, when the researchers tested a particular type of seaweed collected from Queensland’s coastal waters, they thought their instruments were broken and ran the tests again.
It turned out that Asparagopsis taxiformis reduces methane production by at least 99% in the lab. And unlike other seaweeds, where the effect diminishes at low doses, this species works at doses of less than 2%.
Asparagopsis produces a compound called bromoform, which prevents methane production by reacting with vitamin B12 at the last step. This disrupts the enzymes used by gut microbes that produce methane gas as waste during digestion.
Cows and sheep produce methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Despite misconceptions, most cow methane comes from burps (90%) rather than farts (10%).
CSIRO and James Cook University, with funding from Meat and Livestock Australia, are now experimenting further to examine how feeding seaweed to cattle affects production.
Another 16 commercial beef farmers have been selected to take part in the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme designed to help drive the uptake of genetics in the industry.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Kiwi exporters will be $100 million better off today as the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) comes into force.
Making things simpler, not harder, for deer farmers in farm planning and coping with regulations is Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) industry capability manager John Ladley’s current focus.
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) is launching an online business directory called The Country Women’s Collective to promote and support entrepreneurial rural women.
New Zealand actor Sam Neill has joined the Campaign for Wool NZ as an ambassador, lending his name and profile to educate and advocate for New Zealand strong wool.
Living labs that bring together expertise at locations around New Zealand are among potential solutions identified by researchers to help the country move towards a more climate resilient future.