GROWTH OF WOOL

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21186, 5 November 1938, Page 15

GROWTH OF WOOL

PART PLAYED BY PROTEIN RESEARCH IN AUSTRALIA GIVES VALUABLE DATA Investigation by Mr H. R. Martin and co-workers of the Council of Scientific Indutrial Research, Adelaide, has convincingly demonstrated the vitally important part that protein plays in wool production. The researches have shown that the protein in the fodder is the raw material out of which wool is elaborated, and that the amount of wool produced by the sheep depends on the amount and quality of the protein in the pasture. The other constituents in the fodder merely keep the wool-pro-ducing machinery going. If other variables, such as total energy, are kept constant, and the percentage of protein in the food altered, very remarkable results on wool growth are obtained. The production of wool by sheep kept on a fixed basal ration sufficient for maintenance of normal health and body-weight was constant. Withdrawal of part of the basal proteindeficient ration, and its replacement with protein caused the amount of wool grown to increase in proportion to the added raw materials until full capacity production was reached. Doubling the basal intake of protein resulted in a 58 per cent, increase of wool, while a further increase of protein to three times resulted in a 95 per cent, increase of wool. Increasing the protein to five times raised wool production to 145 per cent.

From these investigations, it will be realised how Important it is to have pastures and grasses of high protein content for wool production.