Program Leader
Dr Andrew Thompson
Department of Agriculture & Food, WA
Tel: 0437 316 117
Email – andrew.thompson@agric.wa.gov.au
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Producer training remains the major focus in this program. Almost 5,000 producers and next-users have attended forums or training during the financial year to date. An independent report of the pilot phase of the ‘Bred Well Fed Well’ workshops indicates that they have been very well received with 100% of producers indicating they would recommend the workshop to others. Another 12 ‘Managing Scanned Ewes’ workshops were completed recently and an evaluation of the workshops indicated an average increase in weaning percentage across all participants of 4%. Funding from Australian Wool Innovation has enabled an expansion of Lifetime Ewe Management courses with more than 120 groups currently enrolled, with a large number of groups formed in NSW and cereal sheep zones.
Matching genotype and production system
A commercialisation plan for ‘Sheep-the simple guide to making more money with less work’ has been drafted and future developments will include refinement of the Western Australian version to cover the Cereal Sheep Zone of Southern Australia and the addition of Southern Temperate and Northern Summer rainfall versions. This guide has been used as the cornerstone of an ‘Innovation Day’ series run by Sheep Connect in South Australia.
Progress in some research tasks has been slower than expected during this quarter, such as completing the maternal efficiency discussion paper and developing ewe management guidelines for maternals and various ewes by sire type combinations, but there has been progress to define the biology underpinning differences in liveweight change in response to poor nutrition. A PhD study has shown that when Merino ewes were fed at about 50% of their expected maintenance requirements, genetic fatness (YFAT) was positively related to liveweight loss over a range of about 50 g/day per mm of YFAT. Sheep with high ASBVs for fleece weight also lost significantly more weight when fed below maintenance but liveweight change was not related to ASBVs when fed at or above maintenance.
A major development in this project is the proposed development of LambBoss to better coordinate reproduction products, extension and training activities. There is limited new data from the Information Nucleus regarding genetic parameters for reproduction traits, but the Information Nucleus has contributed to a 10-20% increase in the number of sires in Sheep Genetics with reproductive performance on their daughters and improved linkage between flocks. New management protocols have been implemented to improve the reproductive performance of Information Nucleus followers which have been very poor during 2008 to 2011, especially the 8-10 month old BLMs (38% fertility over 4 years).
Redevelopment of the WormBoss Website continues to progress and a launch in mid-2012 is envisaged. Approximately 20 consultants who attended two "Train the Trainer" courses have indicated that they propose to deliver worm management workshops. A total of 20 flystrike management workshops have been delivered for this year. The total expected to be delivered will be slightly less than the 30 expected for the financial year. The LiceBoss redevelopment project has commenced with funding from Australian Wool Innovation and a draft website design has been completed. The new LiceBoss website will be ready for re-launch at the completion of the project in March 2013. The ParaBoss Steering Committee have agreed on a proposed model for ParaBoss, incorporating a management committee (representing major stakeholders/funders); scientific committees for worms and external parasites; coordination from an Executive Officer; and support for IP, IT and administrative functions. The next steps are to develop a Business Plan and to define the scope and identify an appropriate organisation to manage ParaBoss as an on-going program once the CRC term ceases. The targeted treatment research and demonstration has largely been completed. On seven properties in Western Victoria where the targeted treatment concept is being implemented under an MLA Producer Demonstration Study drenching was reduced by more than 50%. Agreement to utilise the Novartis Animal Health computer simulation model is being negotiated with the company; the modeling is an important step to enable the incorporation of targeted treatment principles into worm control recommendations in various environments.
The successful Bred Well Fed Well workshop developed and tested over the last twelve months will move into full swing in 2012 with additional funding support from both MLA and AWI. This workshop has been most successful in introducing producers and ram breeders to the benefits of using genetics in conjunction with good feed management. The CRC team has developed a number of useful tools to simplify the job of selecting rams and these will be used in conjunction with the course as it is rolled out around Australia.
The training program in Precision Sheep Management and electronic ID has now been licensed to a number of training providers and consultants. This will make it available to ram breeders and producers in all States and will coincide with increasing interest in the use of eID.
Reproduction efficiency
Participation in the Lifetime Ewe Management and High Performance Weaner programs continues to expand. There are now over 100 active groups involved in these two training programs. In addition the workshops on reproduction efficiency run in conjunction with pregnancy scanners are also proving to be of continued benefit and 15 new workshops are planned for the February – March period. From surveys of those completing the programs it is clear that many producers are making very good progress in improving reproductive performance of their flocks.
Parasite management
A new Worm Management workshop has been developed and tested in northern New South Wales during the Spring period in 2011. With positive feedback on workshop format it is now being adapted for delivery in a number of other regions. A ‘Train the Trainer’ program has resulted in a number of registered trainers who will now offer courses in most sheep producing areas. Workshops are designed to help develop management plans for those attending – based on best-practice programs for the region.
The Flystrike Management workshops are also proving to be of value to many producers and a series of workshops are planned for early 2012 in Tasmania, South Australia, New South Wales and Western Australia. Consult the web for details.
Managing methane emission
The project to screen Information Nucleus animals for variation in methane production has been completed. The results are a little disappointing in that there is less of a genetic component than initially anticipated and there are also some concerns about the accuracy of measuring individual levels of production. There is however, variation between progeny of different sires and further research is being planned to work out how best to exploit this variation.
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Matching genotype and production systems
Mark Ferguson’s project outputs have been presented at almost 20 industry forums during the quarter, including:
"The ram buyers guide", which incorporates entry level information on a range of the important ASBVs. The guide has been "road-tested" with a range of farmers and has received good feedback.
A paper based decision support tool that quantifies a commercial producers breeding objective. This tool has been refined based on inputs from the Genetics Training Initiative Steering committee, Sheep Genetics staff and after "road testing" with grower groups in the last two months.
The "Sheep – the simple guide to making more money with less work". The guide was released in WA in September and feedback is being collated before deciding how the product can be adapted and released in other states.
Completion of the discussion paper on the value of traits across different environments and production systems taking into consideration their impact on labour requirements has been slightly delayed, but a labour module has been incorporated into MIDAS and this work should be completed during Q3.
Reproduction efficiency
Interaction with pregnancy scanners remains positive with about 20 workshops conducted or planned for 2011, but interest to run more workshops is slowing. Scanning contractors training other pregnancy scanners is a new initiative that has been well received.
It appears that between 60 and 70 Lifetime Ewe Management and High Performance Weaner groups (maybe 300 producers) will be established in 2011, although it is impossible to get confirmed numbers from FarmReady. An additional 20+ deliverers have been trained in NSW and SA including 6-7 staff from Landmark.
Based on 2007 to 2010 lambing data from the INF, the latest analysis indicates that the direct heritability of lamb survival to weaning is low, with maternal heritability slightly higher. However, using information from relatives and particularly progeny, selection accuracy can be built up to a point where useful genetic gains can be made. Work has commenced estimating genetic parameters when lamb losses are partitioned into the various causes.
Parasite control
Re-development of the WormBoss Website is progressing, with the new Home Page and the overall site structure virtually finalised. All key sections of the current site are being reviewed by WormBoss National Technical Committee members and drafts of new sections are being prepared and discussed. It is hoped to have all content loaded and ready for launch before the end of 2011.
FlyBoss website usage has averaged 650 visits per month for the last 18 months. Since June 2011 a total of 10 flystrike workshops have been delivered in Victoria, SA, NSW and Qld. Additional workshops are planned in the coming months including WA and Tasmania. The development by Brian Horton of the CD based version of the FlyBoss tool has been a very popular addition to the workshop for scenario planning to consider alternative shearing and crutching dates and chemical applications to reduce that risk. Five hundred FlyBoss CDs have been printed and distributed to date.
Methane emissions
The screening of the Information Nucleus Flock followers was completed in March 2011 and the data from that screening is being analysed. A preliminary summary has been presented at the full scientific review of the RELRP program that was held in Brisbane in July and the CRC have responded to the comments that were made by the Review panel. The analysis of data relating intake to methane production for more than 1000 individuals will form an important component of the validation of butter-box method used to screen the Information Nucleus Flock. Preliminary data is suggesting differences in digesta kinetics between high and low methane emitters.
Matching genotype and production system
The “Bred Well Fed Well” workshop focuses on use of the genetic technologies to improve breeding and appropriate feeding to maintain condition score for improved reproduction. This new workshop has been piloted in WA, VIC and QLD, helping producers and breeders to improve genetic progress and maintain condition score for improved reproduction. Another 8–10 workshops will be run in July to September with existing producer groups.
Decision support tools to support the use of ASBVs for commercial producers and inclusion in genetics training (see Project 5.2) are continuing. Also further refinements to an analysis to value different genetic traits in a whole farm context have occurred since a workshop in late March.
A print-ready draft of the publication ‘Sheep – The Simple Guide to Making More Money with Less Work’ has been finalised and is being tested with WA producers. The publication aims for easier sheep production with less labour.
Eight papers were accepted for AAABG and an additional paper reviewing opportunities to improve maternal efficiency was accepted for publication in Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition.
Reproduction efficiency
A total of 55 ‘Managing Scanned Ewes’ workshops for 1200 clients of pregnancy scanners have been completed. A formal evaluation of the workshops is in progress and the feedback from participants will help develop plans for its transition to full cost recovery training in 2012/13.
A total of 97 LifeTime Ewe Managerment (LTEM) or High Performance Weaner (HPW) groups are currently enrolled. More than 800 producers that have previously indicated their interest in undertaking further training relating to improving reproductive performance have been contacted regarding forming LTEM groups. These courses have been largely funded by the federal government’s FarmReady Program with assistance from Australian Wool Innovation and the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia Food. In 2011/12 FarmReady will require producers to pay 35% of accredited training. Other delivery options including full cost recovery, reducing the number of training sessions from 6 to 4 or 5 per annum and closer linkages with Making More From Sheep are being considered.
A preliminary genetic analysis for lamb survival to weaning on the 2007-2010 IN data has been completed. While heritability is low, these analyses indicate greater scope to select for maternal ability affecting lamb survival than when selecting for lamb viability itself (direct heritability). Key messages relating to genetic opportunities to improve reproductive performance are under development.
Parasite control
A national telephone survey regarding parasite control practices has been undertaken involving 1,000 producer respondents. Also an AWI-MLA funded follow-up survey to the Integrated Parasite Management (IPM) benchmark survey on parasite control practices has also been approved. These surveys will provide powerful information on both baseline and changes in knowledge, attitudes, skills, aspirations and practices related to worm and fly control.
Completion of the new WormBoss website has been delayed but it is expected to be completed in Q1 of 2011/12. Delivery of worm control workshops in the northern summer rainfall zone were piloted in March. The workshop material has been revised and producer-pay workshops will begin running out in Q1 of 2011/12.
Delivery of 40 flystrike workshops between Feb 2010 and May 2011 exceeded expectation, involving almost 1000 producers. The targeted worm treatment research has been mostly completed. Three refereed journal papers on the Haemonchus research have been submitted with a fourth in preparation, and outcomes from the southern Australian work have been presented at an International parasitology conference in Argentina.
There has been good progress by Jen Smith on the Worm Egg Count (WEC) and Dag Score (DAG) data from the INF. Heritability estimates for WEC were moderate at all age-stages. Trends in genetic correlations among WEC measurements at different ages were inconclusive so it is unclear whether WEC can be regarded as ‘the same trait’ at different ages. Phenotypic and genetic correlations between WEC and DAG at individual age-stages were generally low. This indicates that DAG is not a reliable indirect selection criterion for internal parasite resistance. There is also some indication that WEC genetic parameters are different for Merinos and maternal breeds.
Methane emissions
All data relating to methane production is being contributed to National Carbon Accounting System. Two papers have been submitted to AAABG on the use and validation of the short-term method to assess daily methane production of sheep. This information was also presented at the Greenhouse Global Research Alliance workshop in NZ in May-11 and research groups in both NZ and the UK will invest in the portable chambers.
A preliminary analysis of estimated DMP data from screening 2300 INF followers from five sites has been summarised before 30-June and the outcomes from the complete analysis of this data will determine the future direction of the work and funding targets in this area. An analysis is also underway to consider the suitability of using shorter test periods but more measurements are required.
Physiology-type work relating to digesta kinetics and characteristics of microbial communities and daily methane production are on-going.
An analysis of most data relating to feed intake, residual feed intake (RFI) and methane production from the facility at Medina has been analysed and suggests: large sire effects on these traits, some significant correlations with carcass traits which require confirmation; and no significant correlation between RFI and estimated daily methane production.
Matching genotype and production system
Project staff have been heavily involved in the development of implementation strategies following completion of the Genetics Training Needs Analysis in February (see Project 5.2). Modelling has been completed to estimate the value of production, disease and resilience traits for 3 regions and the outcomes have been the focus of two workshops with consultants, MLA, SG, AGBU and others. The process has delivered some immediate outcomes on how Number of Lambs Weaned is valued by SheepObject and has highlighted several areas where further work is required. A review of the underlying biology of potential ways ewes could lose less weight is in progress and will inform any further modelling. MLA have funded a project submitted by Murdoch University for further development of MIDAS to enable labour use to be handled more appropriately and modelling incorporating labour has been postponed until these changes are made. Eight papers have been submitted to AAABG (including five by PhD students) and one to Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition.
Reproduction efficiency
The Wean More Lambs module in Making More from Sheep has been updated. About 500 producers are involved nationally in almost 100 LTEM groups. An evaluation of 182 producers with almost 1M ewes that participated in LTEM in Victoria recorded improvements in whole-farm stocking rates by 14% and lamb marking percentages by 12 to 15%, depending on enterprise type, and decreased annual ewe mortality rates by 44%. The estimated benefits from participation in LTEM in Victoria exceed $10/ewe per year. A workshop is planned to coincide with AAABG in Perth in July to develop key messages with respect to genetic opportunities to improve reproductive performance.
Parasite control
Good progress continues with development of the technical content for the revised WormBoss website and the Managing Sheep Worms workshops. There has been an unavoidable delay in the launch of the updated WormBoss site as the web developer is not available until June. The Managing Sheep Worms workshops have been road-tested with producer groups in Northern NSW. A draft Business Case indicating the roles and structure of ParaBoss has been produced and forms part of a proposal to AWI to support the migration of the WormBoss and LiceBoss sites to the CRC for updating. Final Reports for the "Northern" and "Southern" targeted worm treatment research have been completed. The results of these investigations will form the basis for demonstrations of the approaches to be undertaken in consultation with local sheep industry consultants. To December 2010 a total of 29 flystrike management workshops had been delivered and a further 20 workshops are planned nationally for the period March to June 2011. The Flystrike Management workshop material has been updated with the latest R&D from the AWI breech strike breeding trials. A draft Discussion paper based on analysis of the parasite data from the INF has been produced by Jen Smith, describing genetic relationships and correlations for worm egg counts and dags scores for the 2007, 2008 and 2009 lamb drops.
Methane emissions
The validation between the 1 hour short-term measurement method to screen for methane emissions and the 22 hour methane chamber measurements method has been completed on over 100 animals at two different sites, with the correlations being 43% in NSW and 54% in WA. Screening of over 2300 INF followers from five sites in three states has been completed. Work to identify differences in physiology and rumen ecology between high and low methane producers has indicated that the methanogen communities differed significantly between individual sheep with different methane production at the time the rumen samples were collected. Key results will be presented at an International Workshop on Animal Selection, Genetics and Genomics for Greenhouse Gas associated traits to be held in Auckland NZ on 16-17 May 2011.
Current Australian sheep industry productivity gain is estimated to be 0.7% per year and the goal is to increase this by over 10% to average 0.8% per year for at least 20% of sheep managed. The net present value if this gain is estimated to be $266 million over 25 years.
This program addresses key industry issues of labour efficiency and profitability, reproductive efficiency and animal welfare, parasite control and chemical use and environmental impacts of sheep via greenhouse gas emissions. Program 1 will deliver:
This program is also critical to achieving the outcomes from the other Sheep CRC Programs.
The business case for Program 1 is based on delivery of three major outcomes to the sheep industry:
Outcome 1 – Improved sheep management and decision making. Better adapted sheep and improved management, based on decision tools and strategies that use information more effectively will deliver a 10% increase in productivity by 20% of producers. Projects to improve the match between sheep genotype and the requirements of the region, production system and management, and specifically the importance of availability and cost of labour, and to reduce methane emissions will also contribute to achieving this outcome and to making the sheep industry more competitive in an emissions accounting environment.
Outcome 2 – Improved animal welfare and increased reproduction rates. Improved management of ewes, lambs and weaners is expected to result in 10% increase in net reproduction rates in 25% of Australian ewes.
Outcome 3 – Improved parasite control and more effective use of chemicals. Improved disease control and more efficient chemical usage will reduce costs, reduce chemical residues and protect markets, through use of new detection and management tools and is expected to result in 10% increase in productivity on 30% of farms.
Measurement of the adoption targets will be through monitoring of the extent to which new genetic information is delivered through Sheep Genetics and by evaluation of changes in producers, consultants and service providers' behaviors, management practices and advice in response to outputs from Program 1. The net present value of the improvements in on-farm productivity delivered by Outcomes 1 to 3 in the form of faster genetic gain and better management of reproduction and parasite control is expected to be $157 million over 15 years.
