AgResearch

When livestock and forestry come together it can be the best of both worlds, leading to resilience against climate change, productive landscapes into the future and improved animal welfare. Our new research programme looks to demonstrate the environmental, economic, cultural and social benefits of an integrated system. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/gaMTSUrC Pāmu Farms of New Zealand | AgResearch | Yvette Dickinson | Peter Clinton

With the days getting warmer and summer fast approaching, the risk of heat stress for our farmed animals is also increasing. Our own Karin Schutz has done a lot of research in this area, including working with livestock industries and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to develop heat load indexes to help farmers proactively manage the issue. Research shows that when the air temperature reaches 21°C and humidity is more than 75 percent, it can affect a dairy cow's behaviour and milk production. "Especially if the cows don't have any opportunity to cool down, if they don't have shade or the farmers are not using sprinklers on farm then the animals can really struggle in the hot weather." "A large animal like a lactating cow generates a lot of metabolic heat, and while it will increase its respiratory rate and sweat like a human being, it can struggle in especially warm conditions to lose the heat." Signs of heat stress can include the animals starting to drool or open-mouth panting. Aside from access to shade and water, heat stress can be reduced by grazing cows closer to the milking shed, milking later in the afternoon when the temperature has dropped, and feeding supplements at night so the extra heat generated by digestion occurred at the coolest time. DairyNZ has a comprehensive resource on managing heat stress in dairy cattle, here: https://lnkd.in/gM_y8Hdw. For information on what the research says about heat stress in sheep, visit: https://lnkd.in/gx2MShET #heatstress #nzfarming #animalwelfare #dairycows #dairycattle #newzealand #sheep #climatechange #heateffects #farming #agriculture #research #science

Second productive day at Australasian Dairy Science Symposium in Christchurch. First session was focused on #Earlylife intervention to improve performance and reduce #GHG emissions. A second theme was focused on #methane mitigation and adoption for pastoral Dairy systems chaired by our Dr Arjan Jonker. Dr Maria Della Rosa presented our findings on improving the accuracy to measure and estimate methane in grazing #cows and #heifers using Greenfeeds. #animalnutrition #CalfNutrition #Dairy AgResearch

Our scientists' work on the MBIE Science and Innovation-funded "Novel infant formula emulsions" programme continues to go from strength to strength, identifying opportunities for new, enhanced sources of nutrition not only for infants, but also for older adults. The programme has just been awarded "gold status" by the funder, meaning the progress "has exceeded their contractual obligations and is likely to increase the impact of the project". Only a small percentage of research programmes receive this gold status. Senior scientist Caroline Thum and colleagues have successfully developed a prototype, now being called Algaform™ Nutrition, of a natural emulsion that contains microalgae oil including structured lipids and other healthy fatty acids. This health-promoting oil was emulsified by dairy-derived phospholipids (taken from low fat buttermilk), adding value and health benefits. The focus has been on boosting nutrition to infants and older people, including improved cognitive function, improved gut health and anti-inflammatory effects. Working with KiwiNet, the focus is now on opportunities to further develop and commercialise products for those infant and older adult nutrition markets. Get in touch if you want to know more or learn about opportunities to be involved. Check out a previous story on the programme at: https://lnkd.in/gcKQVkPK #nutrition #dairy #Phospholipids #InfantFormula #babyfood #science #research #agresearch #agresearchnz #newzealand

Great to see our research profiled here! For more about what our team at AgResearch did on this topic, check out the link below, and feel free to contact me if you want to learn more. https://lnkd.in/gXGBsdU5 #wool

BEST IN COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE: "A compelling model for beautiful, sustainable commercial architecture" is how our Tuhiraki building is described in winning the Commercial Architecture category at the Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZ Institute of Architects 2024 New Zealand Architecture Awards. Congrats to Architectus, Lab-works Architecture Ltd, Naylor Love and all involved in delivering this great facility 👏 More at: https://t.co/eIoFr2SQX1 #architecture #commercialarchitecture #newzealand #lincolnnz #agresearch #agresearchnz #building #construction #ScienceFacility #sciencefacilities #researchfacility #ResearchFacilities

🔬 PhD opportunities available!   We are looking for three PhD candidates to undertake groundbreaking research on alternative proteins and food sustainability through precision fermentation. Work with microbes, innovate bioprocessing technologies, and product development to solve global food challenges.   This 3.5-year scholarship is based in Palmerston North, New Zealand at Massey University and will involve working on a project jointly funded with AgResearch.   Applications close 4 December 2024 – don’t miss out! Read more and apply ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g7pyP8Ep

Alan Brent and I have completed the final part of our Our Land and Water National Science Challenge Rural Professional project on Agrivoltaics in New Zealand with the publication of our review article in the Elsevier Small Ruminant Research Journal. This project has allowed us to make a start at looking into the potential of agrivoltaics for New Zealand farmers, with this article focusing on solar grazing with sheep. It will be interesting to continue to explore the broader topic of agrivoltaics and solar on farm and explore how early, customised, and careful planning alongside ongoing communication can help achieve the best outcomes. On a personal note, I would like to make a special mention to the kindness of strangers, with Gosia Zobel from AgResearch thinking of us as suitable contributors to the journal, as well as gratitude for those that support us in our careers, with David Scobie from Lincoln University (NZ) giving me the nudge I needed when I was unsure about applying for this project 2.5 years ago. Many thanks to the Our Land and Water team, and all of the fantastic people who have contributed to this project and made it so enjoyable to work on. #agrivoltaics #livestockfarming #sheep #renewableenergy Victoria University of Wellington https://lnkd.in/gJVMsu2C

Sensory product characterisation: Natural language processing x central location testing Large Language Models (LLMs) are revolutionizing the way we conduct science, but how do emerging methodologies stack up against traditional approaches? To explore this question, we compared two methods: one leveraging product characterization based on sensory attributes extracted from online consumer reviews, and another employing a Central Location Test. Notably, both approaches yielded similar outcomes, highlighting the value of harnessing consumer-generated data. What's most promising, however, is the potential for LLMs to uncover new insights that traditional methods cannot. By integrating contextual information, LLMs can provide a more nuanced understanding of complex phenomena, making them an exciting addition to our scientific toolkit. AgResearch https://lnkd.in/gfJJb7rT

Livestock can be bred for lower methane emissions while also improving productivity at a rate greater than what the industry is currently achieving, research has shown. This month AgResearch scientists presented their analysis to the joint New Zealand Society of Animal Production and New Zealand Grassland Association conferences in Oamaru, which challenges assumptions from critics that breeding for a low methane trait will be at the expense of key genetic traits for productivity.