N.Z. must study world sheep gene pool—researcher

Press, 2 September 1983, Page 18

N.Z. must study world sheep gene pool—researcher

New Zealand must carry out its own research programmes into sheep breeding if the industry is to survive in competition with pork, chicken and beef producers.

This is the view of Mr T. P. Palmer, assistant director of the Crop Research Division of the D.S.I.R. at Lincoln.

“If we are to draw from the world sheep gene pool we must study it ourselves to find out what is worth, having and how we can safely get it,” Mr Palmer told the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, which was meeting in

conjunction with the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural Science in Wellington. Mr Palmer presented a paper to the society on the access to international plant and animal gene sources. He suggested that a world sheep centre be established on the Chatham Islands to promote sheep genetics and to study transmissable diseases of sheep. New Zealand had about 13 per cent of the developed world’s sheep and with Australia owned about 40 per cent of the total. The sheep, and sheepmeat, in particular, contributed proportionally

more to the economy of New Zealand then to any other developed country, said Mr Palmer. Although there were about as many sheep as cattle in the world, in the breeding abstracts for 1980 there were 1900 abstracts on cattle, but only 750 on sheep. “We cannot expect to import our sheep research, but must do it ourselves . . .” Mr Palmer said there would certainly be useful physiological traits, disease resistances, and genetic bases for new products, to be found in the world’s sheep which could be incor-

porated into New Zealand’s flocks.

But, to avoid the problems of introducing sheep diseases into New Zealand along with new genes, this research must be based on that done by New Zealanders. “There is no reason to expect our competitors to do it for us. “More than any other country New Zealand will benefit from an unravelling of the scrapie story,” said Mr Palmer.

If animal breeders were to have good data on the potential of Third World breeds from New Zealand agriculture they must be studied in New Zealand.

The Chatham Islands appeared ideally suited for a major world centre for the introduction and study of sheep genetics and diseases. “Such a centre would bring great benefits to the Chatham Islands and to New Zealand; it could be developed into the stud sheep farm of the world,” said Mr Palmer.

Regarding other animals, Mr Palmer said dairy cattle breeders had reasonable access to western Europe and North American genes. But they did not have access to genes from Third World cattle and may be missing opportunities.

However, New Zealand’s meat producers were in an entirely different boat.

“Their competitors are not the equally backward European or North American sheep and cattle breeders, but the very advanced pig and poultry breeders tf Cattle from Third World countries may have much to offer in disease and stress resistance. Mr Palmer said he did not believe that the main barrier to their use was quarantine restrictions, but was the lack of knowledge of what these animals had to offer.

There did not appear to be any great movement for attempting to improve production by introducing exotic genes among Western European breeders. Perhaps support prices and beef being a by-product of dairy production were the main problems, said Mr Palmer. New Zealand with its small meat cattle numbers could not expect to lead the field, but it should be ready to benefit from all advances.

Mr Palmer said the New Zealand sheep industry had been isolated from world breeding for at least 30 years.

The main argument against introduction of overseas genetic material was that many other countries had plant and animal diseases which New Zealand did not want because they would lower the production efficiency and reduce the trading advantage of having disease-free produce.

“However it does not automatically follow that introduction of quite serious diseases will lower the efficiency of production. It can sometimes increase it,” he said.

When stripe rust entered New Zealand in 1980, it reduced the yields from susceptible cultivars by 30 per cent.

Farmers sprayed wheat crops to control stripe rust and these sprays also controlled other fungus diseases resulting in a yield increase. The door was opened to resistant wheats with a

higher yield which would otherwise have been unacceptable to the industry and these would almost certainly increase wheat yields.

“The net effect of the introduction of stripe rust is an increase in wheat yield and profitability,” said Mr Palmer.

Similar examples were potato cyst nematode and bacterial wilt of lucerne.

Although New Zealand had a very efficient quarantine system many important diseases continued to arrive from overseas. ‘“Few of them turn out to be very destructive and some stimulate production. Methods of combating diseases are being constantly improved so that diseases are less harmful. Mr Palmer said all the pests and diseases which are widespread overseas and which will flourish here will probably become established here in the fullness of time.

“Quarantine should be seen as a means of buying time rather than as a permanent solution,” he said.