increase font size
Bruce Thorrold.
DairyNZ will lead a seven-year $21 million research partnership to contribute to cleaning up rural waterways.
The central idea is to breed cattle with less nitrogen in their urine.
Participating scientists will come from DairyNZ, Abacus Bio, A. L. Rae Centre for Genetics and Animal Breeding, AgResearch and Lincoln University.
The Government has granted $8.4m to the project, $11.5m will come from farmers’ levy payments to DairyNZ, and the balance will come from CRV Ambreed and Fonterra.
CRV Ambreed’s genetic discovery that led to the launch of LowN Sires this year is an important aspect of the work.
DairyNZ’s strategy and investment leader Dr Bruce Thorrold applauds the government’s place in the project, a key in dairy’s drive to lower its environmental footprint.
It will be based on large-scale research into thousands of cows on farms nationwide to test the effectiveness of breeding and measure the reduction of nitrogen leaching expected by the change – potentially up to a 20%.
“Equally, it is important to the beef and sheep sectors where animals raised for meat also contribute to nitrogen levels,” Thorrold says. “Beef farmers will be able to rear low-nitrogen cattle bred from dairy herds.
“Better options to reduce nitrogen levels... give choices for our rural communities in achieving environmental gains and maintaining local businesses.”
Thorrold says farmers are determined to solve the nutrient loss problem, by fencing waterways, managing effluent better and innovating on farms.
“It’s a further step towards sustainable dairying, and will continue keep us as world leaders in this.”
The use of the nitrogen-lowering trait to reduce nitrogen leaching was recognised by CRV Ambreed research scientist Phil Beatson.
OPINION: It's no surprise that "world-class biosecurity" continues to dominate as the top priority for agribusiness leaders, holding the number one spot for the 16th consecutive year in KPMG's latest agribusiness report.
DairyNZ says Waikato farmers need certainty on Plan Change 1, but they say that certainty must be matched with practical, workable rules and a clear transition that doesn't get ahead of the new resource management system currently under review.
OPINION: The dairy sector has been told that it cannot afford to rest on its laurels.
The dairy industry cannot rest on its laurels despite providing one in every four export dollars earned by the country, says DairyNZ chief executive Campbell Parker.
Increased competition for water means the whole community is looking at how irrigators use water.
Oamaru-based livestock handling specialist Te Pari has bought Combi Clamp, the New Zealand manufacturer of Combi Clamp manual sheep handlers.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has admitted that a scheme bringing workers from Pacific nations to work on orchards has become too hard to navigate but says changes are coming.
A new app designed in New Zealand aims to help sheep, beef and deer farmers capture, analyse and use body condition score data more effectively.
Canterbury farmer Andy Macfarlane has been appointed to the board of AgriZeroNZ, the public-private partnership designed to accelerate the development and deployment of emissions reduction tools for New Zealand farmers.
For over 50 years Mel Ewers has been supporting the apple sector navigate through compliance and quality assurance issues.
The apple sector is enjoying a bumper harvest season.
OPINION: City and regional councils have been put on notice - stop using extreme climate forecasting scenarios that can drive…
OPINION: The Green Party’s rivers and oceans policy may have a new name but nothing else has changed.
