June 2006

Inside: Latest Research Results

CRC science returns $244 million to industry

Qld ticks off $1.4million in funding

Solving fertility problems with genetics

Improving productivity and profitability with regional systems

Australia’s largest integrated beef research programBeef CRC:

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ContentsQueensland government gives CRC funding the tick . . . . . 3

CRC science boosts beef profits by $244 Million . . . . . . . . . . 4

Gene expression solving female fertility problems . . . . . . . 5

CRC “Regional Combinations” Project - Regional beef systems to improve productivity and profitability . . . . . 6

Two leading genetic technologies rolled into one . . . . . . . . 8

Carcase and yield characteristics of steers from Angus muscling selection lines with normal and mutant Myostatin Alleles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

More rand in the hand for South African farmers . . . . . . . .10

News File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Editor’s NoteHello, and welcome to the first edition of The Beef Bulletin, a tri-annual publication to keep you abreast of Beef CRC developments.

The Beef CRC has been a hive of activity since the third phase of the CRC was launched in November 2005. Since then the Centre has embarked on a new research focus, targeting beef genetics and emerging genetic technologies.

In this edition of The Beef Bulletin you will find several updates of the CRCs current research projects. These programs make up Australia’s largest integrated beef research program and within these pages some of the initial results and research findings have been released.

As you leaf through The Beef Bulletin you will also be updated on the latest happenings in and around the Beef CRC. Between staging conferences, attending Beef Australia 2006 and coordinating five major research programs across Australia the centre’s staff have been kept busy.

I hope you enjoy The Beef Bulletin and I look forward to your ongoing support.

Warwick Fraser

©2006 Cooperative Research Centre for Beef Genetic Technologies

This book is copyright. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth), no part of this publication may be reproduced by any process, electronic or otherwise, without the specific written permission of the copyright owner. Neither may information be stored electronically in any form whatsoever without such permission. Enquries should be address to: Beef CRC, CJ Hawkins Homestead, University of New England, Armidale NSW 2351, Australia or beefcrc@une.edu.au.

Disclaimer: Any information provided in this book is intended as a source of information only and is not advice, endorsement or recommendation.

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WSQueensland government gives CRC funding the tick

The Queensland Government has committed $1.4 million to a research project underway by the Beef Cooperative Research Centre to fight the effect of ticks on cattle.

The number one cattle health problem in northern Australia, ticks cost the northern industry $200 million a year in lost production, and US$2.5 billion worldwide.

The grant announced by Queensland Premier, Peter Beattie is funded via the Queensland Government’s Innovation Projects Fund and will help finance a research project to discover and commercialise a tick vaccine.

‘The grant will bring together a team of international researchers from the Beef CRC, Australia’s largest integrated beef research group,” Mr Beattie said.

The research will be led nationally by Beef CRC project leader, Dr Ala Lew of the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries in collaboration with Western Australia’s Centre for Comparative Genomics, the United States Department of Agriculture, the University of Queensland and CSIRO Livestock Industries.

“The project aims to create a vaccine which will be administered once a year, and will keep cattle free of ticks

for the next year,” said Beef CRC project leader, Ala Lew.

“Our aim is to develop the vaccine within the next three years,” said Dr Lew, “but we also recognise it will take several years after that to fully test the vaccine in cattle and have the product registered for commercial use in Australia.”

While a vaccine to control ticks was previously developed and commercial ized by CSIRO, that vaccine is no longer c o m m e r c i a l l y available, mainly because it requires regular booster vaccinations each year to be effective.

“That frequency of application suits dairy farmers, but for most beef producers in northern Australia, such regular vaccination is not possible,” said Dr Lew.

The project aims to create a vaccine which will be administered once a year, and will keep cattle free of ticks for the next year.

According to Dr Lew the research project will use a ‘reverse vaccinology’ approach using computer software to screen tick

DNA sequences identifying vaccine candidates (i.e. genes in the tick that can be controlled for example to prevent tick attachment to cattle or tick reproduction) which will then be used in laboratory testing and then ‘proof of concept’ trials in actual cattle herds.

Beef CRC CEO, Heather Burrow congratulated the Queensland State Government for supporting research into such an important health issue for the cattle industry.

“Ticks are a very real issue for northern cattle producers. For example, cattle infested with ticks or treated with chemicals to control ticks can be turned away from major overseas markets. This ends up meaning less profit for the producer.”

“So to maintain markets, as well as maintain Australia as the world’s number one beef trader, we need to ensure the industry is taking advantage of every new development in scientific technologies.” Dr Burrow said.

MORE INFORMATIONAla Lew, Qld DPI&FPhone: 07 3362 9502Email: Ala .Lew@dpi .qld .gov .au

The number one cattle health problem in northern Australia, ticks cost … $200 million a year in lost production.

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WS CRC science boosts beef profits by $244 million

Meat Standards Australia (MSA), a unique beef grading scheme designed and created by the Australian beef industry using Beef CRC science has delivered $244 million to the Australian beef industry.

Underpinned by science conducted by the first two phases of the Beef CRC, MSA is a beef grading scheme which, depending on how the beef is cooked, guarantees tenderness.

A recent study found MSA, a Meat and Livestock Australia initiative, delivered $159 million for the cattle industry between 1999 and 2005 and a further $85 million to the bottom line for the beef industry this financial year.

Announcing the study results, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, the Hon. Mark Vaile said he and the coalition government were proud to be a part of the world class research underway by the Beef CRC.

“Australia is regarded as a world leader in beef technology innovation,” the Deputy Prime Minister said, “and it is a reputation enhanced by the work of the Beef CRC, proudly supported by the Government of which I am a part.”

“According to the study, MSA has increased profits for every sector of the industry – cattle producers, feedlotters, processors and retailers.”

The Deputy Prime Minister also said the return on investment represents more than three and a half times the total Australian Government funding provided to the Beef CRC

(for a period of twenty years through to 2012).

“Technologies like MSA developed by industry and the Beef CRC will help maintain Australia’s status as a premium beef exporter.”

The $244 million amounts to an extra twenty cents per kilogram of beef graded through MSA, according to Mr Allan Bloxsom, of Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA). At the same time, it helps to increase consumer benefits via better quality assurance and improved production processes.

A new phase for MSA is currently being investigated by the Beef

CRC, using research to quantify the effect of novel gene markers for tenderness in terms of consumer taste panel scores.

“In the future, if an animal has the appropriate gene markers for tenderness or palatability, the MSA model could allocate additional points to the individual cuts of meat,” says Professor John Thompson, a CRC Program Manager and member of the MSA Pathways Team that oversees the implementation of the MSA scheme.

The new research will use data collected by the Beef CRC and MSA, where results for meat quality tests and DNA were collected on a large number of cattle from different experiments.

“In total, about twenty thousand cattle have been genetically characterised by the Beef CRC,” says Professor Thompson, “and this will allow genes for economically important traits to be identified in the Australian herd, and also become indicators for high quality product as part of Meat Standards Australia.”

MORE INFORMATIONAllan Bloxsom, MLAPhone: 02 9463 9333Email: abloxsom@mla .com .au

Hon Mark Vaile announcing MSA economic evaluation.

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Cows with high Bos indicus content in Australia’s North are able to conceive and rear offspring under sometimes harsh environmental conditions. These same females are also more prone to shut down ovulations after calving, a phenomenon that is known as “post-partum anoestrus”. When the female does not ovulate again within a short time period after calving, the opportunity to conceive again for next year’s calving is lost. The extended postpartum anoestrus that prevails in high Bos indicus content cows is a significant factor in herd productivity.

The CRC for Beef Genetic Technologies is therefore investing in a project aimed at uncovering the mechanisms controlling the resumption of ovulations after calving. If we can identify the crucial molecules involved in the return to ovulation, we could use them to select females for breeding programs, for example by performing a blood test on them at weaning. We may also be able to find ways of manipulating these molecular signals, either by nutrition at crucial times or by specifically designed supplements, to create better conditions for the female physiology to resume ovulations soon after giving birth. Another expected outcome of the gene expression project is to identify potential gene candidates, in close collaboration with the team conducting the Beef CRC’s whole genome scan for female reproductive traits (led by Dr Rachel Hawken, CSIRO Brisbane).

The approach that CRC researchers plan to use to answer these questions is to study “gene expression”. Gene expression is a tool that can be used to interrogate an animal’s biochemistry and physiology. It allows researchers to ask detailed questions on what governs a cow’s return to oestrus after calving. Work has begun on studying the expression of genes in female reproductive tissues, with a particular focus on the central control of reproduction in specialised areas of the brain. Researchers Prof Michael D’Occhio

from the University of Queensland and Dr Sigrid Lehnert are leading this work, which is conducted in CSIRO Livestock Industries’ Brisbane laboratories.

The team has recently been joined by PhD student Ms Ainu Husna, who has commenced the task of assembling gene expression assays for known regulators in the female reproductive axis. She has been greatly assisted in this work by the availability of the bovine genome resources provided to the Beef CRC research teams. The task of obtaining the relevant bovine DNA sequences would in the past have taken many months of laboratory work, but can now be carried out using a computer and clever b i o i n f o r m a t i c s tools and software. The team is also going to be one of the first Australian users of the bovine genome expression microarray, which will be made available to the CRC team.

MORE INFORMATIONSigrid Lehnert, CSIROPhone: 07 3214 2445Email: Sigrid .Lehnert@csiro .au

Gene expression solving female fertility problems

Dr Sigrid Lehnert

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Gene expression is a tool that can be used to interrogate an animal’s biochemistry and physiology.

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CRC “Regional Combinations” Project – Regional beef systems to improve productivity and profitability

The study was designed to determine the most appropriate growth pathways for progeny of sires that differ in genetic potential for carcase and/or growth traits, to increase product value and herd productivity across southern Australia.

The research was carried out on commercial properties in south-western New South Wales (Darlington Point), southern Australia (Hamilton, Victoria and Struan, South Australia) and the south-west of Western Australia (Wagerup and Pinjarra).

Each trial assessed the effect of different combinations of sire ‘carcase types’, calving time and growth treatments on an animal’s ability to meet carcase quality specifications.

The aim was to compare the effect of sire types selected for marbling and yield characteristics rather than to compare breeds.

Sires were chosen to create genetically diverse experimental progeny for the carcase traits intramuscular fat (IMF%) and retail

beef yield (RBY%). They were chosen on Estimated Breeding Value (EBV) data where available, otherwise on performance expected as a characteristic (carcase type) of the breed from which they were drawn.

The sires types chosen were:

I High RBY % types – drawn from Charolais, Limousin and Belgian Blue breeds and from Angus chosen on the basis of high EBVs for RBY%.

II High IMF % types – drawn from the Black Wagyu breed and from

Angus chosen on the basis of high EBVs for IMF%.

III Types high for both RBY % and IMF % – drawn from Angus chosen on the basis of high EBVs and from the Red Wagyu breed.

Each sire type, but not all breeds or sires, were represented by progeny at all sites.

An example of one of the key questions is “can progeny from sires selected for high yield meet domestic market specifications for eating quality just as effectively as progeny sired by high marbling types?”

Preliminary results so far:

• Improvements in marbling can be achieved by selection of sires based on EBVs without reliance

on specialised Wagyu genetics for the domestic market.

• Faster growth results in increased levels of fatness, including marbling.

• High yielding genotypes can deliver carcases of acceptable eating quality for the domestic market based on MSA predicted eating quality. They are also likely to provide greatest $$ returns in most current markets because of their effect of increased yield of saleable meat.

• Genotype, growth path and marbling effects on eating quality need confirmation with actual eating quality tests.

• In the Victorian and South Australian experiments where there was a variation in cow type as well as sire type, both breed of dam and sire carcase type influenced all carcase

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Demonstrating the steers from different carcase types and growth treatments

Steers from different carcase types and growth treatments ready for feedlot finishing

Each trial assessed the effect of sire ‘carcase types’, calving time and growth treatments on an animal’s ability to meet carcase specifications.

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parameters. While changing sire genotype is comparatively easy to implement, changing the genetic composition of the dams is a much slower and/or potentially more expensive operation, with long lasting implications for the production system.

• The results from SA and Victoria, as well as those from NSW, clearly demonstrate the effect on progeny p e r f o r m a n c e of using sires selected on EBVs. Results confirm selecting sires based on EBVs for carcase traits resulted in the “predicted” responses in their progeny.

• In the Mediterranean environment of the south-west of Western Australia the traditional calving time is late summer and autumn. At this time, pasture quality and quantity are generally poor and large amounts of supplementary hay are required to prevent excessive weight loss in the cows, thus imposing a major cost on the beef production enterprise. By synchronizing calving with pasture growth there was both a reduction in quantity of supplements fed and cost savings. Despite the lower weights of the weaners from the winter calving, local experience suggests they may attract a premium from lot feeders, which would add further attraction to this strategy.

The results presented here demonstrate the effects of the choice of sire and dam genotype on progeny carcase performance,

including meat quality aspects. This, combined with the effects of growth path on the progeny, provides the basis for further work to be done to determine how to optimise factors contributing to the prediction

of animals meeting increasingly stringent market requirements. The effect on profitability of altering calving time was also well demonstrated. Following full analysis of these experiments and reporting of the full results producers will be able to confidently choose the most profitable combinations of

genetics, growth path and associated management strategies for their enterprise and location.

Further analysis is underway to determine:

• clear effects of carcase type and growth path on sensory eating

quality • solid information on within and across environment effects of selection for carcase EBVs • suitable methods of testing “meeting specifications” - what are the major effects? • the economic impact of genotype and growth path on herd profitability • prediction of animal performance.

MORE INFORMATIONBill McKiernan, NSW DPIPhone: 02 6391 3431Email: Bill .McKiernan@dpi .nsw .gov .au

Assessing carcases in the chiller

Steers ready for the abattoir after 100 day feedlot finish (Red Wagyu and Angus sired steers in foreground)

Carcase measurements in the chiller

Improvements in marbling can be achieved by selection of sires based on EBV’s without reliance on specialised Wagyu genetics.

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Two leading genetic technologies rolled Into one

In addition to the tick vaccine project, a second Beef CRC project was recently funded through the Queensland Government’s Innovation Projects Fund. This project is known as “SmartGene for Beef” and aims to integrate two world-leading genetic technologies, BREEDPLAN EBVs and DNA diagnostic tests, into a single genetic tool known as marker-assisted EBVs (MAEBVs).

The $350,000 Queensland Government funding will be used to map out the individual genetic makeup of 14,000 cattle, analyse beef quality traits against tested DNA markers, and convert the results to Marker Assisted Estimated Breeding Values.

MAEBVs will allow beef producers to more easily use the complimentary genetic technologies to breed better quality beef. Specifically, the integration of EBVs and DNA tests for tenderness will allow particularly breeders of tropical breeds to utilise MAEBVs to improve breeding for tenderness. Tenderness is the most

significant characteristic in consumer taste panel assessments and it is a major limitation for tropical beef breeds in meeting high eating quality standards.

MAEBVs will enable improvement of this characteristic in an efficient and natural way by identifying animals with genetically more tender beef, providing significant benefits to the Australian beef industry and it’s global consumers.

EBVs for beef cattle are calculated by Australia’s national beef genetics evaluation scheme, BREEDPLAN, which is provided to breed societies and cattle breeders by the Agricultural Business Research Institute (ABRI). BREEDPLAN EBVs have been offered since 1985 and are currently utilised by all registered beef cattle in Australia.

Genetic Solutions now has seven DNA diagnostic tests on sale in Australia and overseas for marbling and tenderness, with more under development. These tests were developed by the Beef CRC, CSIRO and MLA as well as Genetic Solutions’

own R&D to evaluate DNA tests from other laboratories world-wide. They have then been validated in Australian cattle populations prior to commercialisation.

The benefits to Australia of MAEBVs include enabling beef producers, especially those using Brahman and Brahman-derived breeds or those breeding in the tropics or sub-tropics, to produce more beef that meets MSA standards for tenderness. In Queensland alone this is estimated to be as much as $4.7m in price premiums heading directly into the pockets of Queensland cattle producers each year.

Partners in the project include Genetic Solutions, AGBU, ABRI, MLA and the Beef CRC in Australia and Cornell University in the USA.

MORE INFORMATIONHans Graser, AGBUPhone: 02 6773 3332Email: hgraser@une .edu .au

Beef cattle genetics are being increasingly tailored to specific market requirements. Greater yield of lean beef or muscle is an important objective for supply to the domestic beef market in Australia and certain export markets such as the European Union. In addition to quantitative selection, mutations in the myostatin gene that result in non-functional myostatin protein markedly increase muscle mass in cattle resulting in the double-muscled phenotype.

This MLA-funded study investigated carcase and yield characteristics after quantitative selection for high (Hwt) and low (Lwt) muscling Angus cattle that were homozygous for the functional myostatin gene (wild-type), and in cattle selected for high muscling that were heterozygous (ie they had one copy of the double muscle gene and one normal gene)

for a myostatin mutation (HHet).

The high and low muscling lines have been developed by NSW DPI over the past 14 years. The 44 steers used in the study were born at Grafton in 2003, backgrounded at Glen Innes until 18 months of age, then grain fed for 120 days at Yarranbrook Feedlot (John Dee, Inglewood), prior to slaughter at John Dee, Warwick at 25 months of age.

The HHet steers showed a greater dressing percentage, eye muscle area and less fat trim than the Hwt steers which had higher dressing percentage, eye muscle area and less fat trim than

Carcase and yield characteristics of steers from Angus muscling selection lines with normal and mutant Myostatin Alleles

the Lwt steers (all P<0.001). The HHet steers had less weight of bone and had greater retail yield and less fat trim and bone as a percentage of cold carcase weight than the Hwt and Lwt steers (all P<0.001). The 3 groups did not differ significantly in liveweight, carcase weight, weight of retail beef, P8 or rib fat depths, AUS or MSA marbling scores, or ossification score at 25 months of age.

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Figure 1 (above). Carcases of H wt (right) and H het (left) showing the increase in muscling (which is particularly visible on the hindquarter in these photos) in the animals heterozygous for the myostatin mutation.

Muscling genotypeVariable Low, wild-

type (Lwt)High, wild-type

(Hwt)High, heterozygote (HHet) s.e.d.

Number of cattle 19 14 11 -Liveweight (kg) 666 659 638 24.1Carcass weight (kg) 359 360 357 13.5Dressing % 53.9a 54.9b 56.0c 0.39P8 fat 24.3 21.2 24.1 1.94Rib fat (mm) 18.7 16.2 16.4 1.77Eye muscle area (cm2) 70.4a 76.9b 85.0c 3.05AUS marble score (0-6) 1.32 1.13 0.92 0.20MSA marble score (100-1100) 329 324 288 24.3Retail yield (% CCW) 61.8a 63.0a 66.5b 0.68Fat trim (% CCW) 18.3b 17.1b 14.5a 0.75Bone (% CCW) 18.7b 19.0b 17.9a 0.26Mean values followed by different letters differ at P<0.05. CCW, cold carcase weight.

Table 1. Least squares means for liveweight, carcase and yield characteristics of low and high muscling Angus steers at 25 months of age and equivalent carcase weight (358 kg) where appropriate

Figure 2 ( right). Individual steers which showed the two extremes of meat yield at slaughter. The photos were taken when the animals were 18 months of age, at which point the one on the right (L wt) was given a muscle score of D-, and the one on the left (H het) a score of B+. At slaughter at 25 months of age the steer on the right had HSCW 356 kg, hot P8 fat 25 mm and a retail meat yield of 59%, compared to HSCW 350 kg, hot P8 fat 20 mm and a retail meat yield of 69% for the steer on the left. Both of these steers met their required market specifications, but the one on the top yielded 32kg more meat.

The high muscling steers, heterozygous for the myostatin mutation, produced less fat and bone and more beef at an equivalent carcase weight, and had greater eye muscle area, than the Hwt and Lwt cattle. This suggests that a breeding program that targets one non-functional myostatin mutant allele (heterozygotes) can increase retail beef yield by about 3.5%. The extent to which this varies at different ages and weights warrants further study.

Analysis is continuing to discover whether these genotypes differ in muscle structure and metabolism, and in eating quality.

The role played by John Dee, management and staff of both Yarranbrook Feedlot and John Dee abattoir in Warwick in allowing this trial to successful completion is gratefully acknowledged

MORE INFORMATIONLinda Cafe, NSW DPIPhone: 02 6770 1828Email: Linda .Cafe@dpi .nsw .gov .au

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More rand in the hand for South African farmers

In just 5 years, a Beef CRC project, funded by the Australian government through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) has increased the average income for resource-poor beef farmers in South Africa five-fold.

The CRC’s “Beef Profit Partnerships” (BPP) project has achieved outstanding success in commercialising resource poor beef farmers in the Limpopo and North West Provinces of South Africa, as well as identifying a clear path to commercial markets for the cattle

owned by those farmers. The project, which has two distinct components in South Africa, is a collaborative partnership between researchers from the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and the Limpopo and North West Provincial Departments of Agriculture in South Africa and the Beef CRC in Australia.

The first project component focused on improving the profitability of resource poor (emerging) farmers, who own about 40% of the beef cattle in South Africa but the income from their enterprises is traditionally low (Table 1). The project aimed to improve profitability by at least 5% per enterprise, per year, for the life of the project (2001-2006). It also aimed to equip those farmers to continue improving their profitability beyond the life of the project.

The overall improvements in beef profitability and productivity achieved in the project (Table 2) are due mainly to a very strong initial focus on marketing. Together with knowledge of results achieved in the second project component, the BPP farmers now receive about 90% of the published commercial market prices for comparable

animals. In 2001, their sale prices were about half those of commercial cattle prices.

The large increase in sale prices was achieved mainly through use of on-farm auctions, enabling farmers to join together, pre-weigh their cattle and negotiate close-to-market rates for larger numbers of animals. Although auction sales increased the farmers’ sale costs significantly, sale incomes also improved markedly, more than off-setting the increased costs and in turn improved their monthly profit by >400%.

More recently, the farmers’ focuses changed from marketing to herd throughput, reflected by the

improved reproductive rate (which rose from 51% to 64% per annum) and numbers of sale animals (which rose from 23 to 389 sold per community per year). In 2005, the reproductive rate in the BPP farmer herds was similar to the reproductive rate shown for “Established Farmers” in Table 1, though it is still too early for this improvement to be reflected

in the monthly incomes of BPP farmers. These figures indicate the BPP farmers are well on their way to becoming commercial farmers.

The second component of the project evaluated a number of tropically adapted indigenous southern African breeds and cattle from BPP farmer herds to determine their value in replacing a proportion of the ~300,000 weaner steers or ~50,000 tonnes of beef imported each year to satisfy South Africa’s domestic beef demand. As well, because of their perceived productive attributes (fertility, carcase and beef quality) in the presence of stressors of tropical environments (e.g. ticks, gastrointestinal helminths, heat and high humidity and seasonally poor nutrition), it is believed these Bos taurus breeds could form the basis of an entirely new export market for South African farmers by potentially replacing a component of Australia’s northern high grade Bos indicus herd to improve productivity without compromising adaptation.

As part of the project, representative steers were sourced from emerging and communal farmer herds after weaning in 2002 (Phase 1) and 2003 (Phase 2) and transferred to the ARC’s Irene campus for comparison with steers sourced from commercial herds. Phase 1 breed (and herd) types included Brahman (emerging), Nguni (communal and emerging), non-descript crossbreds (emerging and commercial) and Bonsmara (emerging and commercial). Steers from commercial herds were used as controls to benchmark the suitability of steers from emerging and communal herds to meet specifications of commercial markets. In Phase 2, two additional indigenous breeds from commercial farmers (Drakensberger and Tuli)

Table 1. Comparison of productivity and profitability of 3 types of beef cattle farmers in South Africa based on a case study of herd sizes of 25 breeding cows

Over � years, the project increased average profitability of each beef enterprise by >400%

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and Bonsmaras from emerging farmers were included, while non-descript commercial steers were excluded.

All animals were finished under commercial conditions, where animals were fed a grain-based diet and intensive data collection occurred between weaning and slaughter. Results from both phases show growth rates and feed efficiencies of steers from emerging and communal farmer herds parallel those from commercial herds. They enter the feedlot at a lighter weight than commercial cattle, but during the feedlot period they grow as well and have similar feed conversion ratios, to achieve acceptable, albeit lighter carcase weights. The incidence of disease was low in all experimental steers and was no different between commercial, emerging and communal herds. Meat quality analyses indicate small or no differences between herd types or breeds in carcase and meat quality attributes. Based on dentition, cattle from the emerging and communal herds were slightly older at slaughter than cattle from commercial herds. It was concluded that cattle from resource-poor farmer herds have the ability to meet the specifications of South Africa’s commercial beef markets, indicating a genuine opportunity exists for import substitution, whereby the >5 million cattle in emerging and communal herds could be used to overcome the significant shortfall in South Africa’s domestic beef market demand.

MORE INFORMATIONHeather Burrow, Beef CRCPhone: 02 6773 3501Email: Heather .Burrow@une .edu .au

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Number of BPP farmers or enterprises* 295 274 220 424 520Price – Ave R/kg 4.56 8.50 7.13 7.23 8.80Growth – Ave weight (kg) of calves sold 188 210 205 194Reproduction Rate - Ave % calves/100 cows mated 51 53 62.6 64Health - Ave pre-weaning mortality % 8.0 3.7 9.3Throughput – Number sold per community/year 23 187 219 389Marketing costs – R/sale 2 800 23 577 30 422 49 326Sale income – R/sale 40 010 336 827 434 609 704 657Profit – Ave R/farmer/month 49 95 128 214

* Enterprises include communal herds where the number of individual beneficiaries is sometimes >300, but which are counted here as a single enterprise

Table 2. Impact on beef profitability and productivity year by year in the BPP project (R = Rand)

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Cattle from resource-poor herds have the ability to meet the specifications of South Africa’s commercial beef markets

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WS Toasting Bernie

More than 300 people representing all sectors of the Australian and international cattle industry gave Beef CRC founder and former CEO, Professor Bernie Bindon a rousing farewell earlier this year.

Formally marking Bernie’s retirement after more than 42 years in livestock and beef research with the CRC and CSIRO, the two day conference, ‘Australian beef – the Leader!’ showcased twelve years of Beef CRC research.

Attendees traveled from all over Australia and included international guests from England, Ireland, Korea, New Zealand as well as the conference keynote speakers from the United States, Dr Larry Cundiff and Professor Jim Womack.

Dr Larry Cundiff of the United States Department of Agriculture, Clay Center, Nebraska, told delegates Australia is leading the genetics race via centres like the Beef CRC.

“The CRC presents a model organisation based on coordination of research and industry. We have nothing like it in the US, but we wish we did.”

Opening the conference, Meat and Livestock Australia Chairman, Mr Don Heatley said MLA can see enormous potential in the Beef CRC.

“By equipping our industry with the tools for precision cattle breeding and management, the new CRC will help our industry strengthen its position as a world leader.”

Beef genetics on the Barkly

Following the Armidale conference, ‘Australian Beef – the Leader!’ keynote speakers, Dr Larry Cundiff and Professor Jim Womack headed north on the hunt for sunshine and composite breed cattle.

Hosted by the Australian Agricultural Company, the two scientists toured the company’s main breeding property, Meteor Downs near Springsure and the Goonoo feedlot near Emerald in Central Queensland. They then headed onto the Barkly Tableland in NT and Queensland’s gulf country to tour Brunette Downs, Headingly and Conobie stations.

Whilst on the Barkly, Dr Cundiff and Professor Womack presented a Beef Genetics Forum at Brunette Downs, attracting landholders from more than 20 stations, some travelling hundreds of kilometres to attend.

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CRC ranks swell

Over the past year, CRC activities have continued at a frantic pace to get the new CRC up and fully functioning, as well as wrapping up remaining CRCII research programs. In the process a number of new staff have joined the CRC ranks.

Geoff Allen joined the CRC in October 2005 as the CRC’s new Finance and Business Development Manager. He was formerly the audit partner at Cameron Kirk Rose, Armidale, where he was responsible for auditing the Beef, Sheep and Poultry CRCs’ books (meaning he has an excellent understanding of the CRC system). Geoff has had 18 years management and chartered accounting experience, including working in London, Melbourne and Sydney. He was formerly a senior executive in the Commonwealth Bank, managing the financial control department. Before that he was employed by Colonial (Legal and General; Prudential) and KPMG. He started his working life with a Certificate in Farming from Dookie Agricultural College and still retains an interest in agriculture, through his ownership of a small property out of Armidale.

Warwick Fraser, Beef CRC Communications Manager officially commenced duties at the beginning of February. Warwick has extensive communications experience and skills, having spent the last few years working as a rural reporter for the ABC. He has also worked for the print media as a reporter for Rural Press.

Paul Arthur also commenced as CRC Deputy Chief Executive Officer in early February. Paul is no stranger to the CRC, having previously contributed as a scientist in both CRCI and II in the feed efficiency area and as a Program Manager in CRCII. He is currently also the Director of the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute of NSW DPI.

Vince Edmondston, who had been named in the CRC’s Commonwealth Agreement as the coordinator of Integrated Delivery Strategies in Program 5, has since accepted a secondment to the Queensland Premier’s Department. To ensure strong integration of activities within and between all of the CRC’s

programs, it has recently been decided to clearly differentiate activities targeting information and awareness from those activities specifically targeting industry uptake.

Dr Peter Parnell, NSW DPI is now the Project Leader for the “Adoption” project, which uses a beef industry profitability framework to specifically measure and report the number and impact (on profitability and productivity) of technologies used by CRC end-user teams throughout Australia.

Mr Bob Gaden is the Project Leader for the “Awareness” project, which includes the CRC website, Livestock Library, ‘Arm-the-trainer’ workshops, field days, road shows, Meat Profit Days, seminars, forums, conferences, ‘translation’ of scientific reports into industry-relevant messages and training in tools that could be used to introduce the CRC’s “Adoption” activities (for example, Beef’n’omics, MLA’s “More Beef from Pastures” tools etc). Dr David McNeill, who is also MLA’s coordinator of the “More Beef from Pastures” program has a strong role within this project to also ensure CRC activities are well aligned with and complement, MLA’s delivery strategies.

Very recently the CRC has welcomed Dr Greg Robbins of the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries onto the CRC Board. As QDPI&F’s representative on the CRCII Board, Greg has a wealth of Board experience and brings specialist expertise in the area of industry uptake and delivery. He will be a strong addition to the current CRC board.

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Mr Geoff Allen

Mr Warwick Fraser

Dr Paul Arthur

Dr Peter Parnell

Mr Bob GadenDr Greg Robbins

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Another successful Feeder Steer School

Around 80 people from New Zealand, Korea, New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland and representing all levels of the cattle and feedlot industry attended the Armidale Feeder Steer School in February, along with some of the industry’s most respected leaders.

Organiser, Bob Gaden said the ongoing popularity of the school confirms the right information is being delivered.

“Word of mouth about the school has been phenomenal, so we are obviously hitting the mark. But I’m not surprised considering we are putting up some of the best speakers in the industry.” Bob said.

“Not everyday do you get to hear the likes of President of the Australian Lot Feeder’s Association, Malcolm Foster or Brett Campbell of Australian Meat Holdings, the biggest buyer, processor and exporter of cattle in Australia.”

Beef CRC technology has underpinned the new carcass evaluation system used to judge the carcase competition at Beef Australia 2006 and the led steer carcass competition at this year’s Sydney Royal Easter Show.

The system, known as the Australian Beef Carcass Appraisal System (ABCAS), was developed by Bob Gaden in conjunction with Meat Standards Australia to promote a contemporary understanding of meat quality and retail beef yield in evaluating carcasses.

The system was used to judge the Beef Australia 2006 National Beef Carcass Competition where cattle were slaughtered in different abattoirs and at different times around Australia.

ABCAS allocates points for meeting market specifications (20), yield of saleable meat (35) and MSA eating quality (45). It highlights the usual animal factors affecting meat quality, but also uses the MSA model to calculate eating quality points, providing an incentive to address other factors such as tenderstretch hanging and pre-slaughter management.

The aim is to encourage traditional show competitions to move to more commercially oriented and value-adding pre and post-slaughter practices.

CRC Technology used in first national carcass competition

Beef CRC technologies take centre stage at CRC conference

This year’s annual Cooperative Research Centre Association Conference in Brisbane, hosting more than 70 CRC organisations from across Australia, has showcased the Beef CRCs groundbreaking technologies.

A highlight of the conference was the recent economic study of MSA. Allan Bloxsom from MLA addressed conference delegates on the significant impact MSA has had on meat quality and increased returns to producers, feedlotters, processors and retailers.

This was followed by an end user perspective on Beef CRC technologies, presented by the CEO of the Australian Agricultural Company (AACo.), Don Mackay.

Mr Mackay reiterated the impact new technologies have had on AACo’s business and profit margins, as well as the overall impact that the Beef CRCs research is having on the global and Australian beef industries.

Below: Part of the 80 strong crowed at the 2006 Armidale Feeder Steer School

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CRC III scientist and bioinformatics guru, Professor Matthew Bellgard has been awarded a 2006 Western Australia Business News 40under40 award. Matt is involved in CRC III activities in Programs 1 and 3, including tick bioinformatics as well co-leading the tick vaccine project.

Considered an integral part of the Western Australian business calendar, 40under40 celebrates the achievements of WA’s most talented business leaders, whose career paths and individual achievements continue to inspire and motivate.

Prof Matt Bellgard

Entrepreneur within the ranks

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Congratulations to former Beef Cooperative Research Centre board director and CRC scientist, Professor Keith Entwistle who was recently awarded Australia’s most prestigious veterinary science accolade, the Gilruth Prize. Keith received the award at the Australian Veterinary Association annual conference, held recently in Hobart for his work beginning in the early 1970s which contributed to the growth and popularity of the Brahman breed across northern Australia. The Gilruth Prize is awarded annually and commemorates the outstanding contribution Dr JA Gilruth made to the Australian livestock sector. Dr Gilruth was responsible for initiating CSIRO research on the Brahman breed in Australia, helping prompt the Brahman revolution across the north.

Congratulations are also in order for Dr Geoffrey Vaughan, who was awarded a very well-deserved AO in the Queen’s Birthday honours list this month for “service to

Congratulations to Beef CRC associates ...

scientific research and development, particularly through contributions to the development of government policy initiatives, to the growth of innovative technology-based Australian companies, and to education as a mentor and supporter of young scientists”. Geoffrey was Chairman of the CRC Committee between 1996 and 2005, and during that time was not only responsible for recommending all successful CRCs, but was also very generous in his assistance and advice to the Beef CRC (and all other CRCs who sought his input).

Further congratulations are also due to Mr David Crombie, former Chairman of MLA, on his election (on 14 June) as President of the National Farmers’ Federation. David has been a long-time supporter and advocate for, and of, the Beef CRC and in a former role with the Northern Pastoral Group of Companies, assisted with securing the donation of Brahman cows for the CRCI crossbreeding project.

The CRC for Beef Genetic Technologies was developed in partnership by the Australian beef industry (Cattle Council of Australia, Meat and Livestock Australia, Australian Lot Feeders’ Association, corporate and individual beef producers) and prestigious national and international scientific institutions. It is a collaboration between 19 partner organizations from Australia, New Zealand, Korea and the USA, with associate partners from Northern Ireland, the Irish Republic, France and South Africa. It will focus on four beef industry priority issues (high quality beef, feed efficiency, disease resistance and improved reproductive

The new Beef CRC ...

performance) to capture several unique opportunities for Australia through world-class gene discovery and gene expression research and accelerated adoption of beef industry technologies to improve profitability, productivity, animal welfare and responsible resource use of Australian beef businesses.

Research outcomes will provide Australia with the ability to consistently produce beef products of exacting specifications to meet the needs of domestic consumers and those of the 110 countries to which we export, thereby ensuring Australia’s position as World’s Number 1 Beef Trader.

Beef industry growth through gene discovery, gene expression and accelerated adoption of beef industry technologies

CRC for Beef Genetic TechnologiesCJ Hawkins Homestead, University of New England, Armidale NSW 2��1

Ph: 02 ���� ��01 • Fax: 02 ���� ��00 • Email: beefcrc@une.edu.auWeb: www.beef.crc.org.au