increase font size
MUCH OF the research in the Waikato is, perhaps understandably, more relevant to dairy farmers than sheep and beef farmers.
But animal welfare issues cross all boundaries, as a Central North Island discussion group found out on a recent
visit to AgResearch's Ruakura site.
Jim Webster, AgResearch's team leader for farm systems north, explains welfare organisations around the world spend $US200 million a year promoting their causes.
Meanwhile public perception of what can be seen as ethical food can move faster than the legal processes to back them up, he warns.
"New Zealand has huge advantage in this area, with its promotion of sustainability, environmental issues and animal welfare rules, but supermarkets around the world are now setting private standards, and we have to be seen to meet these."
Webster says it's firmly established that sentience (or possession of feelings) applies to animals too, and their quality of life is seen through the eye of the beholder: increasingly welfare's not just about animal health, but feelings and naturalness.
Welfare issues for sheep and beef farmers to consider include: use of analgesia for castration; body condition; docking, he suggests.
Facial eczema is another area where Ruakura's work is relevant to sheep and beef, with three strategies underway to minimise the fungal spore-induced disease.
In conjunction with DairyNZ, a group of farmers, and some MAF Sustainable Farming Fund support, AgResearch is looking at liming as a tool to deter spore development; using architecturally loose pasture species to minimise dead material and consequent fungal build up; and variation and reliability of current methods of spore counts supplied to farmers.
AgResearch executive officer, Simon Lovatt, outlined some of the different work being carried out elsewhere by the CRI's scientists which will be relevant to the non-dairy sector, including genomics and resultant tools such as MyoMax.
An interesting sideline he mentioned is AgResearch's new wool/polyester fabric for martial arts garments. It's just as robust as the old double weave cotton fabric, but much more comfortable to wear and doesn't absorb moisture/sweat.
AgResearch is also involved in the Pastoral 21 project; multi-faceted research focused on areas associated with environmental decline, such as emissions to water, extinction of species and erosion.
The day wound up with a rousing presentation by Christine Couldrey, who grew up in the Waikato, went overseas and learned a lot, and has returned to give back her skills to her home territory. She works in epigenetics, things which alter the expression of genes, and even the DNA sequence itself.
"The phenotype is the recognised shape and qualities of an animal, and has to date been seen as a combination of the genotype plus its environment. With the assistance of the recently developed SNP chips (which can now measure anywhere between 50,000 and 1 million genetic traits), we can now spot changes in gene sequences caused by environmental factors or nutrition in individual animals. While most of these changes remain with an individual, some can be inherited."
The work is still at an early stage and may take another decade to be sufficiently refined for widespread use.
Scientists from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) are part of an international team working to develop a low-cost diagnostic tool that could significantly improve food crop production in developing countries.
Scion is running experimental research burns near Christchurch from March 3-14, to test new theories on how wildfires spread under various conditions.
OPINION: The politics of science or is it the science of politics that is driving research in New Zealand?
Two Waikato producers have joined forces to create the world’s first tea-infused cow’s milk cheese.
A new agreement between wine education and science providers “paves the way” for research and collaboration, say those behind the move.
Acclaimed fruit grower Dean Astill never imagined he would have achieved so much in the years since being named the first Young Horticulturist of the Year, 20 years ago.
The Ashburton-based Carrfields Group continues to show commitment to future growth and in the agricultural sector with its latest investment, the recently acquired 'Spring Farm' adjacent to State Highway 1, Winslow, just south of Ashburton.
New Zealand First leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has blasted Fonterra farmers shareholders for approving the sale of iconic brands to a French company.
A major feature of the Ashburton A&P Show, to be held on October 31 and November 1, will be the annual trans-Tasman Sheep Dog Trial test match, with the best heading dogs from both sides of the Tasman going head-to-head in two teams of four.
Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
The key to a dairy system that generates high profit with a low emissions intensity is using low footprint feed, says Fonterra program manager on-farm excellence, Louise Cook.
OPINION: The Greens have taken the high moral ground on the Palestine issue and been leading political agitators in related…
One of the most galling aspects of the tariffs whacked on our farm exports to the US is the fact…
