Meat sheep research

Measuring lamb carcases for meat pH

Meat science and meat sheep genetics are the current principal areas of research at Cowra. However, projects focussing on differing aspects of sheep production are also underway. Currently these areas include:

• Quantifying the impact of genotype and age on growth, carcase composition, meat yield, physiology, muscle biochemistry and meat quality.
• Quantifying the impact of sire breeding value and lamb growth path on growth, carcase composition, meat yield, physiology, muscle biochemistry and meat quality.
• Optimising the use of electricity in the meat processing industry for treatment of carcases and meat with a focus on meat quality, worker safety and increased profitability.
• Enhancement of the genetic parameters for carcase and meat traits in the Merino breed.
• Examining the factors that result in rapid pH decline in beef carcases destined for Japan.
• Development of methods to accelerate the processing of sheep meat, with a focus on improving eating quality.

Key achievements

• Provided the initial research and impetus for the establishment of LAMPLAN, Australia’s national performance recording system for Meat Sheep, which has recently been integrated with other systems as the basis of Sheep Genetics Australia.
• Undertook ground breaking research in the development of an image system for the measurement of sheep carcases - VIASCAN - for prediction of carcase traits and meat yield.
• Conducted research to underpin the transformation of the lamb industry into an internationally competitive industry with a focus on customer requirements, by developing more efficient lamb finishing systems and facilitating the development of marketing alliances.
• Undertook major genetic studies to enhance the genetic parameters for a range of production traits and carcase and meat quality traits.
• Conducted research as part of the National Sheep Meat Eating Quality program as the basis of an Australia wide program to provide consumers with improved eating quality at the retail level.
• Bred and produced progeny for major collaborative programs including most recently a Resource Flock for the Australian Sheep Industry CRC.
• Developed the Cowra Lick Feeder for feeding grain and the Cowra Bale Feeder for feeding hay and silage. Both these feeders reduce wastage and are widely used by farmers throughout Australia. They are made commercially by several engineering companies.
• Major contributor in the development of the Feedlot Calculator, a computer program that allows feedlotters to calculate the profit/loss for lamb feed lotting prior to making an investment in this enterprise.
• Conducted research into feeding silage to lambs.  This research provided guidelines for using silage in Australian sheep production systems.  Cowra staff were major contributors for Chapters 1 and 15 in the Top Fodder Book “Successful Silage”.
• To assist producers, industry, advisors and veterinarians in determining the reasons for lamb mortality staff produced the Lamb Autopsy Book.  Accurate and uniform recording of lamb deaths will help reduce the unnecessary annual lamb loss which can be a major contributor in restricting genetic gain and reducing producer profit.
• Involved with automatic walk over weighing (WOW) systems in feedlots. These systems will reduce the manual input in recording weights and drafting lambs into desired groups once they meet market specifications.
   

Agronomy research

Demonstration fields for Cowra ARAS's agronomy research

Current Cowra-based agronomy research and development projects include the following:

• Large scale demonstration sites focussing on grain legume crops and their management for inclusion in sustainable cereal rotations.
• Demonstration of pasture mixes suitable for cropping rotations. 
• Field site for continued phosphorous nutrition research in collaboration with Sydney University.
• A lucerne variety persistence trial in collaboration with the Central West Conservation Farming group. 
• Grains Research Development Corporation funded management trials for newly released cereals.
• Field site for wheat stripe rust management, funded by Central West Conservation Farmers group. 
  

  Harvesting National Variety Trials
• Core field site of early generation varieties for plant breeders from NSW DPI, Sydney University and Dovuro.
• Field site for National Variety Testing of wheat, oats and triticale.

Supervising Research Students

A current (2005-2008) PhD project is looking at why ewes with high wool production have low fat reserves. In theory these ewes have lower fertility rates when nutrition is limited. The project has managed over 300 ewes stocked at 10 and 15 dse/ha for two years and evaluated reproduction, wool growth and quality, body condition and progeny carcass quality. The final stage of the project includes a metabolic study of the pregnant ewes during the third year. This study will specifically focus on leptin, the hormone of fat, and observe its influence on factors affecting lamb growth and survival. Two other Post Graduate Students are also supervised by Dr David Hopkins.