Agriculture & Pastoral
New Thinking
AgResearch thanks partners for DuPont Innovation Award
On Friday 13 May the DuPont Innovation Award in the `Performance Materials’ category was presented to AgResearch’s Senior Scientist Chris Pennell and Grasslanz Technology Limited.
Boosting milk production major focus of research
Significantly, increasing milk production is the theme of research being presented by AgResearch scientists at the NZBIO Conference 2011 in Auckland on 21 March 2011, focusing on enabling successful biotechnology.
New era for wool research
AgResearch says the Government’s recent announcement of a $17.25m investment in a wool research consortium means the start of a new era in wool research.
NZWTA acquires Textile Testing Laboratory
The New Zealand Wool Testing Authority Ltd (NZWTA Ltd) has entered into an unconditional agreement to purchase the assets and business associated with the Textile Testing Division of AgResearch.
AgResearch boss eyes dairy
New AgResearch chief executive Tom Richardson plans to meet with dairy industry leaders over the next few months to better understand the industry and what research the CRI can best provide.
Farmers embrace healthy Bee campaign
An ongoing Landcare Research programme that highlights the importance of bees to agriculture and offers practical ways to encourage better bee health on New Zealand farms is proving highly popular.
Scientist honoured for animal health and parasite management
AgResearch parasitologist Dr Dave Leathwick has received the 2010 McMeekan Memorial Award for his work in parasite management and drenching practices in the New Zealand sheep industry.
New farms destroying native NZ
Intensive farming is destroying native plants at the fastest rate since European colonisation, Landcare Research says
Back welfare code with science, not emotion
Any refinement to the animal welfare code must be backed by science and not emotion. That’s the advice from the outgoing head of New Zealand’s largest crown research institute, Andy West.
Zinc protection essential for NI dairy cows
AgResearch is urging North Island farmers to continue ensuring that their cattle are protected against facial eczema and to monitor their herds for the serious animal health and welfare problem.
New Science
AgResearch team finds missing link
AgResearch scientists have made a breakthrough proving a long-held hypothesis that white clover originated as a hybrid of other clover ancestors, followed by a chance doubling of the chromosome number to restore fertility.
Bird-deterrent ryegrass
AgResearch have developed a ryegrass seed using endophytes which acts as a bird deterrent, and has possible applications for airports, golf courses, kiwifruit orchards and vineyards.
Early settlers rapidly transformed lowland forests with fire
New research from Landcare Research indicates that the speed of early forest clearance following human colonisation of the South Island of New Zealand was much faster and more intense than previously thought.
How Snapdragon flowers got their stripes
Scientists at Plant & Food Research say these act as landing lights for bees, or nature’s way of inviting bees to sample the nectar and pollen in a flower gives us beautiful flowers often with intricate colour patterns.
Bayer Animal Health and Paraco agree on access to lead molecules
Bayer Animal Health GmbH and Paraco Technology Limited, a 100% owned subsidiary of AgResearch, have signed an option agreement allowing Bayer exclusive access to Paraco’s current lead molecules for testing and development in animal health.
Work at Tokanui Dairy Research Farm progressing well
Research at AgResearch’s Tokanui Dairy Research Farm in dairy cow productivity is further examining the role and interrelationships that environmental and genetic influences play in milk production.
GE discovery promises higher farm productivity and improved environment
AgResearch scientists and the team from subsidiary company, Grasslanz Technology Ltd, believe they can improve white clover (Trifolium repens) to give grazing animals a higher intake of protein, while at the same time reducing methane emissions.
Farmers to benefit from high tech quad bike collaboration
Thanks to AgResearch, DairyNZ and Massey University scientists, farmers may soon be able to use their quad bikes to assess feed quality and pasture health.
Greenhouse gases measured remotely
AgResearch has come up with a way to measure nitrous oxide emissions from paddocks.
Breakthrough in livestock emissions
After eight years searching, AgResearch scientists have finally made a discovery which will likely lead to a breakthrough in mitigating livestock gas emissions.
New Value
Sheep farmers to benefit from parasite advance from AgResearch
AgResearch has launched a revolutionary technology which measures natural immunity to internal parasites in sheep more quickly, accurately and easily than existing tests.
A powerful new online resource assists understanding our natural environments and resources
With the launch of the Land Resource Information System (LRIS) Portal http://lris.scinfo.org.nz, individuals working in regional and central government, industry, research and education now have quick and easy access to environment data held by Landcare Research.
Spray chilling minimises venison weight loss
Spray chilling deer carcasses minimises weight loss without reducing the tenderness of venison, according to a recently released AgResearch study funded by DEEResearch and the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FRST).
Genetic tools boost breeding
A raft of new genetic technologies developed by AgResearch in consultation with Deer Industry NZ, will soon be put to use to boost breeding in the New Zealand deer industry.
AgResearch scientist Wins Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr Rex Munday of AgResearch has won this year’s Kudos Award for Lifetime Achievement, which was sponsored by the University of Waikato.
Nitrogen Modelling Wins Scientist Kudos
Agricultural scientist Dr Stewart Ledgard of AgResearch took out the Agricultural Science Award at the Kudos Awards this month for his research and development of the Overseer model.
Take a trip to the future
An Open Day on 20 November at the revolutionary AgResearch Research Dairy Farm at Tokanui will give visitors a glimpse of the future of dairy farming.
Scientist returns after bovine cloning work
AgResearch Scientist Dr Christine Couldrey has led a believed world-first: a successful bovine genome-wide methylation scan.
Lead science provider appointed for Overseer
High-tech trace of wool's origin
AgResearch-developed technology that can prove the origins of New Zealand carpet wool is being used to try to boost record low returns to wool growers.
