On the 7&8th of March, Australian Wool Innovation and Meat & Livestock Australia held the 2011 R&D Insights Forum.

About the R&D Insights Forum

This event is an essential industry forum for professionals who advise sheep and cattle producers or who are responsible for programs to influence on-farm performance and environmental outcomes.

With a range of high quality and expert speakers presenting to over one hundred industry service providers including state agency staff, private consultants, veterinarians and researchers during the 2 days about research & development outcomes from both AWI & MLA investments.

This is the second R&D Insights forum that has been held by AWI and MLA. The first was in 2009. It is anticipated that the next one will be in 2013.

Download the Event Agenda and Forum Proceedings (PDF 3.78Mb)

Download the presentations from the event:

Session one: Dollars & Sense – The Big Picture

1. International and national trends - Implications of the industry situation (PDF 684Kb)
   Neil Clark (Neil Clark & Associates) Keynote Speaker
2. Enterprise performance trends (PDF 461Kb)
   Sandy McEachern (Holmes, Sackett & Associates)
3. The changing face of WA enterprises (PDF 1.83Mb)
   Peter Rowe (BankWest)

Session two: Climate Adaption

1. The carbon debate - What is happening in the debate and issues for  livestock systems- alternative perspectives? (PDF 1.83Mb)
   Dr Jeff Baldock (CSIRO Land and Water/Sustainable Agriculture Flagship)
2. Climate adaptation in southern Australian livestock systems (PDF 1.83Mb)
   Russell Pattinson (Miracle Dog P/L)

Session three: Tools & Models to help livestock enterprises

1. Cost of production calculator (PDF 459Kb)
   Sandy McEachern (Holmes, Sackett & Associates)
2. The Phosphorous Assessment Tool (PDF 797Kb)
   Stuart Burge (Pastures Australia)

Session four: Resilient Systems: Pasture / Feedbase / Fertiliser

1. Phosphorus: the current global situation (PDF 1.7Mb)
   Dr Richard Simpson (CSIRO)
2. New pasture varieties (PDF 558Kb)
   Dr Daniel Real (Future Farming Industries CRC)
3. Right Plant, Right Place, Right Purpose, Right Management (PDF 1.3Mb)
   Dr Ralph Behrendt (VIC DPI)
4. Pasture variety testing (PDF 1.83Mb)
   Mike Gout (Seed Force Pty Ltd)

Session five: Animal Health and Welfare

1. Better animal husbandry (PDF 785Kb)
   Dr Joan Lloyd (Joan Lloyd Consulting)
2. Managing breech flystrike - On-farm management options (including chemical and management options) (PDF 1Mb)
   Geoff Lindon (Australian Wool Innovation)
3. Managing breech flystrike - Breeding for breech flystrike resistance indicator traits (PDF 935b)
   Dr Daniel Brown (Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit)
4. Targeted treatment for worms (Sheep)
   • Sustainable sheep worm control: the refugia concept and targeted treatment (PDF 802Kb)
     Dr Brown Besier (DAFWA & Sheep CRC)
   • Worm control in SE Australia – is management of ‘refugia’ necessary? (PDF 627Kb)
     Dr John Larsen (The Mackinnon Project)
5. Targeted treatment for worms (Beef)
   • The cost of internal parasites in young cattle (Central Tablelands of NSW) (PDF 929Kb)
     Dr Bruce Watt (NSW LHPA)
   • Targeted worm control: Optimising production in weaners (PDF 563Kb)
     Dr Nicholas Rolls (The Mackinnon Project)

Session six: Genetics / Genomics: breeding a stronger future

1. Resilient genotypes
   • Maternal productivity project (Sheep) (PDF 987Kb)
     Dr Mark Ferguson (DAFWA)
   • Maternal productivity project (Beef) (PDF 546Kb)
     Dr Wayne Pitchford (University of Adelaide)
2. Tools to evaluate benefit of Genetics and Genomics (beef and sheep) (PDF 993Kb)
   Dr Julius van der Werf (University of New England)
3. Communication and skills development to increase uptake and utilisation of genetic innovations (PDF 534Kb)
   Dr Jason Trompf (Sheep CRC)