A new research programme to support the development of breeding tools for more feed-efficient beef cattle was officially A new research programme to support the development of breeding tools for more feed-efficient beef cattle was officially launched today at Te Mania Angus in North Canterbury.
Led by Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) and funded by the Ag Emissions Centre, the four-year Cool Beef programme will generate the science and data needed to better understand the relationship between feed efficiency, methane emissions and production traits in beef cattle.
The programme will support future genetic evaluation for these traits, providing beef breeders and commercial farmers with another option when making breeding decisions that suit their farming systems and business goals.
The programme builds on earlier industry research, including data generated through the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme and its Beef Progeny Test.
B+LNZ Chair Kate Acland says the programme is about building the knowledge needed to support future breeding decisions.
“Farmers are focused on breeding productive animals that perform well in their farming systems. Cool Beef will help build our understanding of the relationship between feed efficiency, methane emissions and production traits, giving breeders better information to support future decisions.”
Ag Emissions Centre Executive Director Dr Naomi Parker says the programme demonstrates the value of bringing together Government investment, scientific expertise and industry leadership.
"The Cool Beef programme is a key part of the Ag Emissions Centre's broader portfolio of low methane livestock genetics research, including work on low methane sheep and low methane dairy. By bringing together industry, researchers and farmers, we're building the scientific capability needed to develop practical breeding tools for New Zealand farmers and support New Zealand agriculture into the future."
Cool Beef is a great example of that collaborative approach, building the knowledge and breeding tools needed to support future breeding decisions."
Over the next four years, the programme will measure at least 2,000 beef cattle for both methane emissions and feed intake, with a further 1,000 methane measurements collected from cattle directly off pasture. The research includes Angus, Hereford and crossbred cattle from collaborating beef breeders across New Zealand and will contribute to the development of future Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) for these traits.
Methane measurements are currently being collected using Portable Accumulation Chambers (PACs) developed by the Bioeconomy Science Institute (BSI) with the possibility that other methane measuring technologies will be used over the coming years. The Bioeconomy Science Institute’s technology and expertise have been critical to establishing the measurement capability required for the programme.
The programme will investigate how methane emissions and feed efficiency relate to important production traits, helping determine the potential for these traits to be incorporated into future breeding approaches.
Acland says the programme will give farmers and breeders the opportunity to contribute to research that may support future options for their businesses.
“Breeding decisions are made with the long-term performance of a herd in mind. Cool Beef is about generating robust information so farmers who want to consider these traits in the future have the confidence that the science behind them is sound.”
The Cool Beef programme is delivered by Beef + Lamb New Zealand, funded by the Ag Emissions Centre, and supported by the Bioeconomy Science Institute, with collaboration from beef breeders and farmers across New Zealand.
Participation in the programme is voluntary, providing breeders with the opportunity to contribute to research that may support future breeding options for more efficient cattle.
More information is available here.
ENDS
Media contact: Will Jeffares: [email protected] | +64 (0) 27 235 9806