AbacusBio News

	AbacusBio Breeder - Spring 2011 The Spring 2011 Edition of the AbacusBio Breeder newsletter is available for download. It includes results from the B+LNZ Southern Beef Profit Partnership on the value of reducing calf parasite burden, and how a large Australian feedlotter is working with AbacusBio to rank steer performance on feedlot to name a few of the articles. Download the Spring 2011 AbacusBio Breeder Experts predict a bright future for Irish sheep farming -- but there's still a lot of work to do An ambitious new Sheep Breed Improvement Programme in Ireland draws in both pedigree and commercial producers. It includes measurement of maternal and functional traits as well as terminal merit. All these are combined in the new €uro Star indexes for sheep. Sheep Ireland and ICBF have now come up with a genetic improvement package to turn around our sheep fortunes. At the Grassland meeting last week New Zealander Tim Byrne was back with the gravitas of an international consultant on sheep genetics. He was representing AbacusBio, a New Zealand firm in which both Teagasc and ICBF place a lot of trust. Indeed, we seem to be going down almost exclusively the New Zealand route for our technology. Still, I liked what Tim had to say. Shooting from the hip, his message was to forget the show ring when selecting breeding stock and look instead for animals that have performed in a commercial environment. "Irish sheep lack functionality and sheep farmers feed far too much expensive grains", he said. Full article [top] Successful Wool Levy Fund projects show passion and potential Seven entrepreneurial wool projects will benefit from a funding boost of more than half a million dollars, Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) announced today. The cash comes from a contestable fund set up to share out the remaining wool levies, with the money going to businesses demonstrating the greatest potential to pump money back into the wool industry - and ultimately, into farmers' pockets. Invercargill's Alliance Group plans to incorporate wool production into its Hoofprint software package (developed in conjunction with Dunedin-based AbacusBio to measure on-farm carbon footprints). The company will work with NZ wool producers and marketers to gain extra market value for Hoofprint-accredited wool products. Full article [top] New Tool Helps Farmers Fight Pests New Zealand pastoral farmers are about to get their first access to a new tool to assist in weed and pest management. An advance release of “PestWebNZ” will be launched at the AgResearch exhibit at the National Agricultural Field Days at Mystery Creek, 15-18 June 2011. The enthusiasm and input of Simon Glennie, a consultant from AbacusBio, has helped to ensure that the website is meeting farmers’ expectations. There has been strong industry and local council support, which is essential for the success of PestWebNZ. Full article [top] GM boost for white clover Genetic modification has been used to develop "designer white clover" which could overcome "genetic limitations" such as Alf Alfa Mosaic Virus. AbacusBio pasture genetic consultant Dr Kevin Smith told the crowd at DairySA "pastures for the future" South East Dairy Innovation Day at Mt Gambier last week the Alf Alfa Mosaic Virus caused white clover to yield and survive less but, at this stage, no "genetic variation for resistance to this virus" in white clover had been found. Full article [top] Greener pastures ahead for dairy farmers Improving pastures to reduce methane gasses and increase milk production will be what South Australian dairy farmers are talking about on Thursday, June 2, at the DairySA Dairy Innovation Day in Mount Gambier. Plant genetics expert and AbacusBio Limited consultant Dr Kevin Smith will share his knowledge of plant breeding programs when he speaks about plant genetics and biotechnology innovations that are set to take farming into the future. Full article [top] 1000Minds software clarifies sheep and plant breeding objectives AbacusBio consultants Peter Fennessy and Tim Byrne (as part of Tim's PhD research) are using 1000Minds decision support software to discover the most desirable genetic traits to breed grasses in Australia and sheep in Ireland. Full article [top] Josh Lowry and Fiona Hely selected as ambassador for FutureIntech Josh Lowry, junior software developer at AbacusBio, has been selected as ambassador for FutureIntech. FutureIntech ambassadors are helping to promote science and technology carreers in schools. Full article [top] Farmingshow interview: Anna Cambell on hoofprint Jamie MacKay of the Farmingshow interviews AbacusBio consultant Anna Campbell on the merits of the Alliance Group hoofprint software. AbacusBio and the Alliance Group developed the farmer focussed software over the last two years and will roll it out to Alliance Group suppliers this year. Listen to the full interview [top] Holding hands between business and science spurs global growth There’s often a large gap between science and business, but by successfully being able to hold hands in both camps, AbacusBio has expanded internationally beyond its southern origins. Full article [top] Lamb meat quality booklet Over the past two years Alliance Group Ltd has run a series of trials to determine ways in which meat quality can be improved through farm management practices. Meat quality is made up of a number of traits including meat and fat colour, pH, tenderness and factors affecting eating quality such as taste, juiciness and aroma. This booklet outlines Alliance Group’s on-going investigations into the influence of genetics, diet, growth rate, yield and castration status on meat quality traits. The trial work has been independently designed and analysed by AbacusBio Ltd. Lamb Meat Quality Booklet [top] hoofprint AbacusBio and Alliance Group develop hoofprint, a carbon footprinting tool for sheep and beef farmers. To read the press release please click the link below. AbacusBio and Alliance Group develop hoofprint [top] AbacusBio Breeder If you would like to download the latest AbacusBio Breeder news letter then click on the link below. Download AbacusBio Breeder Winter 2010 [top] Current issues and future directions for sheep breeding in New Zealand Follow the link below to read this article published in Primary Industry Management June 2010. Primary Industry Management Article [top] Date:14th May 2010 Presentations from M&WNZ South Otago Monitor Farm Field Day (12th May 2010) The final field day for the M&WNZ South Otago Monitor Farm was held at the Te Houka Hall. There were a range of presentations on the monitor farm programme at the Bennett's Dalvon property. To view the presentations please click on the links below. Peter Fennessy - Where are we going with sheep? Simon Glennie - Overview of monitor farm programme Monitor farm field day handout [top] Date:10th May 2010 M&WNZ Rape Scald FITT Report AbacusBio were part of a FITT project funded by M&WNZ which aimed to examine the incidence and severity of rape scald in Otago and Southland and methods to try and prevent this disease. This was done through a farmer survey together with telephone interviews To view the report please click on the link below. Cameron Ludemann: FITT Final Report - Rape Scald in Otago-Southland [top] Date: 19th April 2010 'Don't waste the space' with ewe lambs An easy way for sheep farmers to make more money and reduce costs is to mate more ewes to terminal sires. This was one of Peter Fennessy's messages when he spoke recently to the Vet Services Hawke's Bay seminar Less Sheep More Dollars. To read the article please click on the link below. Country-Wide article: 'Don't waste the space' with ewe lambs [top] Date: 24th February 2010 No change to Alliance male lamb policy Alliance Group has no intention of altering its policy of accepting ram and cryptorchid lambs up to twelve months old. Results of the farmer owned co-operative's study during the past year confirm there is no difference in the eating quality of the meat from 17kg-19.5 kg carcaseweight (CW) entire, cryptorchid or wether (castrated males) lambs. To read the article please click on the link below. Country-Wide article: No change to Alliance male lamb policy [top] Date: 2nd February 2010 Dead rams live another day Neville Jopson illustrates how far the country's sheep flock has travelled genetically and where during the past 30 years. To read the article please click on the link below. Country-Wide article: Dead rams live another day [top] Date: 2nd February 2010 Alliance views its carbon footprint Alliance is working with AbacusBio to develop a carbon and energy audit, and bench-marking system, to help sheep, beef and deer farmers assess their emissions. To read the article please click on the link below. Otago Daily Times article: Alliance views its carbon footprint [top]

Contact AbacusBio on
+64 (0)3 477 6375