NAP.OP8 Final Report
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/:>"", MEAT & LIVESTOCK Table of Contents Prefuce ______________________________________________________________ 3 Session l:BullFertility& Management .. _~~~~~~~~~~~=~==~~4 An Overview 4 The Bull Power Project 7 Prepuce, Testicular And Other Physical Traits 10 Semen Traits 16 Serving Capacity Tests 22 Calf Output And Predictors Of Fertility Of Bulls In Multiple-Sire Herds 29 Bull:Female Ratios 36 Social Behaviour of Bulls 43 Session 2: Breeder Fertility & Management 49 Development of a Yearling Mating Program for Areas ofImproved Nutrition 49 Heifer and Breeder Management 54 Improving Cost-effectiveness of Supplementation Systems for Breeder Herds 64 Session 3: Reproductive Disease 73 Brief Review ofInfectious Causes of Reproductive Failure in Beef Herds 73 Diseases Affecting Reproductive Performance in Central and Nth Q1d Beef Herds 77 Session 4: Control o/Cyclicity & Pregnancy Prevent 83 Introduction of Willis Dropped Ovary Technique for Oestrus Control in Cattle 83 GnRH Agonist Bioimplants for Control of Reproduction inHeifers & Cows 87 Session5: Genetics 93 The Role of Artificial Breeding in the Northern Cattle Industry 93 Maximising Heterotic Advantage Using Systematic Crossbreeding 96 Crossbreeding Project within Meat Quality CRC 103 Straightbreeding Project within Meat Quality CRC 120 Meeting Post Weaning Market Specifications in Live Cattle Export Trade With SE Asia. __ 131 Molecular Genetics Project - Meat Quality CRC 147 Session 6: Technology Transfer & Adoption 154 BREEDPLAN - Tropical Breeds Technical Officer 154 Beef Genetic Improvement Project 160 , GENAB: (A Resource Kit for Teaching GENetics & Animal Breeding Principles) 163 ( HotCross: A Decision Aid for Tropical and Sub-Tropical Crossbreeding. ________ 168 "., Collation of Performance Data on Beef Cattle Production in Northern Australia 171 1 Workshop Sessions _________________________183 Workshop A : Genetics and Reproduction R&D issues 185 Workshop B: Data Collection, Analysis and Application 189 Workshop C: Effective Infonnation Delivery 191 Comments by External Reviewers 193 Mike Goddard 193 Maurice Josey ____________________________ 197 Disclaimer This report was prepared for the general purpose of improving the effectiveness of research development and extension within the beef production sector of northern Australia. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided in this report is current at the time of publication. The Participating Organizations and persons associated with this report do not assume liability of any kind whatsoever resulting from or reliance upon its contents. Independent professional advice on all matters discussed in this report should be obtained prior to making any decisions based on information summarized in this report. The views expressed in this report should not necessarily be taken to represent the views of Participating Organizations. - Information contained in this report may be copied or reproduced for study, research information or educational purposes, subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source. 1 2 Preface Over the last 17 years, Meat & Livestock Australia has invested heavily in innovation and technology development in the north Australian beef industry. This has been done in conjunction with a large number of agency bodies and with a good deal of consultation with its producer constituency. Undoubtedly, significant technical advances have been generated but it is generally acknowledged that uptake of these advances has been less than optimum. Of recent years, increasing emphasis has been placed on understanding the underlying principles and praxis of adult learning and much of this new knowledge has been applied to training and educational programs within the beef industry. At the saine time, management within the beef production sector is demanding greater integration of technologies with particular emphasis on placing those technologies within a commercial context with regard for their impact on other aspects of their businesses. The challenge before those of us in the research, development and extension sector is to meet these complex and, at times, conflicting demands from our customer base and continuing to provide high quality scientific and technical progress. Within the North Australia Program Phase 3 (1996-2001), the reporting and monitoring of projects is by the preparation of a short annual report and a peer review process. The review process is via a brief presentation of the objectives, methods, outcomes and communication activities ofthe projects and projected work for the year ahead, to an audience of fellow researchers/investigators from other projects within the sub-program, plus a small number of interested producers and technical people. These annual workshops provide a valuable opportunity for those involved to review and revise both their individual projects and work within the Reproduction and Genetic field as a whole. They also provide an opportunity to further develop linkages between projects. NAP's Sub-program I, "Meeting Market Requirements" (within which Reproduction and Genetics projects fall) focuses on improving producers responsiveness to market demands. This peer review also incorporates projects from Sub-program 3, "Whole Property Management" which seeks to incorporate technologies and solutions into the whole of enterprise management mix. Finally, other relevant projects from outside the North Australia Program, indeed from outside of NAP have been invited to participate. Meat and Livestock Australia's North Australia Program works in partnership with producers, state departments, CSIRO, universities, Cooperative Research Centres, agribusiness and other R&D providers. NAP Management wishes to acknowledge their help and many contributions to the North Australia Program. We would also like to thank all workshop participants for their many contributions in making this peer review workshop so successful. Shane Blakeley 3 Session 1: Bull Fertility and Management " 1 ' 1 [ Session 1: Bull Fertility & Management An Overview MLA Project No.: DAQ 104 Project Duration: January 1995 to April 1998 Principal investigators: (i.) Richard Holroyd, (Project Leader) Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Tropical Beef Centre, Ibis Avenue, North Rockhampton 4701. Telephone: 07 49238100; Facsimile: 07 49238222 Email: [email protected] (ii.) John Bertram, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Goondiwindi 4390 Telephone: 07 46711388; Facsimile: 07 46712782 Email: [email protected] (iii.) Brian Bums, Queensland Department of Primary Industries Tropical Beef Centre, Ibis Avenue, North Rockhampton 4701. Telephone: 07 49238183; Facsimile: 0749238222 Email: [email protected] (iv.) Joanne De Faveri, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Mareeba 4880. Telephone: 07 40928520; Facsimile: 07 40923593 Email: [email protected] (v.) Vivienne Doogan, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Animal Research Institute, Yeerongpilly 4105 Telephone: 07 336219492; Facsimile: 07 33629429 Email: [email protected] (vi.) Michael J:>'Qcchio, Central Queensland University Rockhampton 4701. Telephone: 0749306900; Facsimile: 07 49309209 Email: [email protected] (vii.) Lee Fitzpatrick, James Cook University, Townsville 48 II Telephone: 0747814168; Facsimile: 07 47791526 Email: [email protected] (viii.) Geoffrey Fordyce, Queensland Department of Primary Industries Swan's Lagoon Beef Cattle Research Station, Millaroo 4807 Telephone: 07 47849170; Facsimile: 07 47849232 Email: [email protected] (ix.) Gehan Jayawardbana, Northern Territory Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Berrimah 0828 Telephone: 08 89992224; Facsimile: 08 89992043 Email: [email protected] (x.) Michael McGowan, University of Queensland, Pinjarra Hills 4069 Telephone: 07 33655719; Facsimile: 07 33655644 , Email: [email protected] \ J (xL) Russell Miller, Queensland Department of Primary Industries Rockhampton 470 I Telephone: 07 49360268; Facsimile: 07 49361484 Email: [email protected] 4 Proj ective 0 bj ectives By December 1997 (i.) To improve the selection of bulls with high genetic merit (particularly growth and carcass traits) and calf getting ability by developing management packages based on identifying premating predictors of bull fertility. (ii.) To make management recommendations on bull selection criteria that will allow producers to reduce bull joining percentages so that this risk is such that adoption is notjeopardised Project Summary The field work for the study was completed in 1997. A draft final report has been prepared. The major findings on structural, semen quality and serving capacity traits were presented in a series of 6 papers at the XXth World Congress on Buiatrics, Sydney, July 1998. The results have been presented to the technical committees of the Santa Gertrudis Society and Australian Brahman Breeders Association. The results have been incorporated in 3 workshops for veterinarians, a number of field days for producers and in the Beef Genetic Improvement and Agrilink Beef Projects. Results These are presented in the following 7 papers: Communication Achievements There have been 15 media articles in various publications ranging from BeefImprovement News through to Country Life. There was one television program produced by Cross Country in October 1997. An update of results have been incorporated into 18 field days since July 1996. As welI, 3 workshops for veterinarians have been conducted in