Unsung heroes under the soil
Much of the scientific work being carried out at the Massey University led regenerative agriculture project, Whenua Haumanu, is below the ground.
While the test has the potential to be use on sheep, cattle, and deer, initial trials are focusing on dairy cattle.
Steve Penno, MPI director of investment programmes, says FE is a disease that often doesn’t show physical symptoms until it’s too late to save the animal.
“Currently, there’s no cheap, on-farm diagnostic on the market, so we’re supporting Tokaora Diagnostics to take their proof-of-concept test to the next stage,” he says.
“FE is a long-standing issue for our agricultural sector, and with climate change it’s expected to get worse as the toxic spores that cause the disease are more likely to grow in warm and humid conditions.
“MPI has invested in a range of projects aimed at combating FE, including breeding spore-resistant grass, and working with vets, dairy farmers, and rural professionals to raise awareness about how to take preventative action,” says Penno.
“This project is another step towards better managing this disease.”
Tokaora Diagnostics is a family-owned research company headed by chief researcher Frey Livingston and his mother Pam, who is the managing director.
The company conducted initial research and development through start-up grants from Callaghan Innovation.
It also won the Venture Taranaki Power Up Awards in 2022 and received mentoring through the Sprout Agritech Accelerator programme.
“We’re grateful to have received so much support to make an ‘invisible’ problem visible,” says Livingston.
“Right now, farmers can test for the disease through blood samples taken by vets but it is expensive and time consuming. With our solution, farmers will be able to do the testing themselves quickly and easily via nasal mucus or saliva,” says Frey.
Financial losses from FE in New Zealand have been estimated as high as $274 million per year from lost production, and the cost of labour, treatment, and deceased animals.
“By detecting facial eczema accurately we’d expect to see significant cost savings on farms in affected areas,” says Pam Livingston.
“It will enable farmers to surveillance test, which will facilitate timely treatment. It will also allow more informed purchasing, breeding, and culling decisions,” she says.
“For vets, it will be a quick diagnostic tool when called to a poorly animal, and for researchers it will give a timely answer to the ‘who has it and how badly’ question. And, of course, improved animal welfare is a high priority.”
