Growing gene pool of genetics-smart beef farmers for Northern Australia
A CQUniversity study is asking beef farmers how they are improving genetics in their herds, to understand how the uptake of genetic improvement tools can be accelerated across Australia’s north.
The research, by PhD candidate Patricia Menchon who is part of CQU’s Agri-tech Education and Extension team, will capture factors that help farmers collect and act on genetic data, and support a program to encourage wider use.
She showcased the project at Beef 2024, Australia’s premier cattle exhibition and celebration of the beef industry (5 – 11 May 2024).
An experienced agronomist and researcher, Patricia said Australian producers had access to a wide range of innovative genetic tools – but producers who weren’t using the technologies were missing major benefits.
“In simple terms, genetic tools can be used to make decisions that involve selecting genetically-superior beef cattle for producing offspring,” she explained.
“The incorporation of genomics into genetic evaluations has been shown to increase the rate of genetic progress by selecting animals at an earlier age. But to achieve this, measurements of traits and the size of the reference population are crucial."
The extension research project has an interdisciplinary approach where the technical aspects of genetic improvement and the social aspects of technology adoption converge.
"My research began with interviews with breeders, livestock agents, extension agents and producers, to understand and incorporate experiences of various stakeholders. The current stage of the project is a survey to capture farmers' awareness, understanding and concerns about genetic tools," Ms Menchon said.
“This practical knowledge will assist in the co-development of an extension program, that will be evaluated to determine how to increase the motivations of producers to use genetic data and improvement tools.”
Originally from Argentina, Ms Menchon is an assistant professor and researcher at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the National University of Mar del Plata.
The project is supervised by CQUniversity Associate Professor Amy Cosby, with Dr Jaime Manning and Dr Dave Swain, and funded by Meat & Livestock Australia.
The research survey takes about 15 minutes, and beef farmers from Northern Australia (regions above latitude 26°/south parallel) can complete the survey here.
