‘World-class’ science reveals feed converters

Hillerton announced the results of the trial at a field day in Hawera recently. The researchers discovered that certain calves and cows have specific genetic markers which identify them as more efficient converters of feed to food. 

This is exactly what the world needs, Hillerton told Dairy News. Organisations such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), looking for ways to feed the world’s increasing population, see this sort of science as critical for the future.

“They are looking at the macro picture for food production to feed the supposed 9.1 billion people [alive] in 2050. We are short of high value foods like meat and milk. They point to the importance of improving the conversion of relatively low value fibre feeds; the stuff we feed our ruminant animals is where a lot of progress can be made. So being even more efficient converters of fibres like grass into human foodstuff is a major challenge.”

Hillerton says New Zealand is noted in international science, and at a ‘macro political’ level is doing important work. “It’s good to feel we’ve got New Zealand dairy farmers ahead of the game. All the trials we’ve done stack up to show we’ve got a real ‘stretch’ piece of science here that’s something new, novel – something our dairy farmers can exploit.”

It’s all about “stretch”, says Hillerton, “… being brave and having bold ideas and going on and trying. Some will succeed and some won’t and unless we stretch we’ll never know. I tell my young scientists often that there is nothing wrong with a negative result. It just tells you which direction you should be going in. You ask a question, you get an answer and it helps you ask the next question.”

Hillerton say he’s immensely proud of the individuals with the imagination to have done the work and put together the partnership. “It is bigger than any individual group could possibly do. 

What we have to do next is to take this achievement and look at how can build on it. In New Zealand we are small. We can’t afford one of everything. So we have to focus on partnering, on- or offshore, and recruit the people who can help us achieve our targets.”