Teagasc Research Programme 2001

Objectives

The research programme in Agri-Food Economics aims to develop the strategic knowledge base on:

• The impacts of policy changes and market trends on the competitiveness of the Irish agri-food industry.
• Developments in export markets and changes in consumer preferences.
• Changes in the economic performance and competitiveness of the main farm enterprises.

Programme Emphases

Currently the modelling work in collaboration with FAPRI at the University of Missouri is particularly concerned with analysis of potential outcomes from a further WTO agreement and in particular with the impact of a potential reduction of export subsidies. Collaboration with similar modelling teams in 13 other EU member States began in 2001 funded by the Fifth Framework Programme.

The extension of the modelling work to farm-level analysis will continue, as will the use of farm- level modelling to project the impact of milk quota abolition in Ireland and in key competitor economies.

Work will continue on the analysis of the impact of direct payments on beef production systems and on the analysis of the competitiveness of beef and crop production.

The Market Studies programme will primarily focus on the decision-making processes of the consumer. A strategic alliance with MAPP, the Danish Research Institute for Market Surveillance, has already been put in place. A number of projects will include consumer market segmentation studies on convenience foods, food service and organic foods.

Further information: epitts@hq.teagasc.ie

Objectives

Teagasc's Rural Development Research Programme aims to:

• Provide a better understanding of the key dynamics of change and of the adjustment process in rural areas.
• Develop the methodologies and databases required for the proper planning and effective organisation, implementation and assessment of rural development strategies.
• Establish the financial and technical feasibility of alternative and diversified farm enterprises and rural businesses.

Programme Emphases

A major new emphasis in the programme is the building of a model of rural development in Ireland. In partnership with colleagues in the University of Leeds, a model is now being built, which will enable projections of population and labour force in rural areas to be made. Other new proposals (all involving partnerships with colleagues in other member states under Fifth Framework contracts) are concerned with integrated rural tourism, aspatial peripherality and supply chains for food SMEs.

The scarcity and cost of labour is driving mushroom growers to consider using less labour intensive production systems. Researchers at Kinsealy Research Centre are conducting a detailed examination of possible alternatives to bag growing.

The Kinsealy collection of rare nursery stock plants was bulked up and distributed to the industry. This is a valuable contribution in enabling the nursery industry to improve its competitiveness.

In farm forestry, a major new project, funded under the Fifth Framework Programme, will use genetic fingerprinting and testing of clones to improve the quality of ash. The major study on developing a national forestry soil classification and productivity ranking system programme, which commenced in 1998, will be continued.

Both at Kinsealy and Clonroche some land is being set aside for conversion to organic. This will allow Teagasc to investigate urgent problems being encountered by growers of organic horticultural crops.

Further information: epitts@hq.teagasc.ie

Objectives

• To quantify the environmental responses of various agricultural systems
• To make available to farmers the information required to ensure environmental sustainability.

Objectives

The objectives of the food research and associated technology development services and training programmes are to

• ensure that the highest standards in terms of quality, safety and nutrition are constantly achieved in manufactured food products
• provide the necessary scientific and technological enabling capacity in food products and ingredients.

Programme Emphases

Objectives

The objective of the research programme in Dairy Production is to

• improve the competitiveness of Irish dairy production while ensuring product quality and safety
• reduce the seasonality of supply
• ensure that production systems are compatible with animal health and welfare and the protection of the environment.

Programme Emphases

The programme will continue to prioritise improvements in the competitiveness of the dairy industry through increased production efficiency and enhancing the value of milk. The programme on developing the "best" type of cow for the Irish production system will be expanded to include an evaluation of cross-bred dairy cattle as well as New Zealand, Holstein-Friesian and Norwegian Red cattle.

This project will provide information on the type of dairy cow best suited to Irish grass-based seasonal-calving system of milk production. Systems of production will continue to focus on reducing fixed costs while exploiting grazed grass as a feed resource. A study seeks to define and investigate the optimum grass cover for spring grass utilisation, whist another new study seeks to evaluate the potential for intake and efficiency of utilisation of grass varieties. Low stocking rate/low nitrogen input systems will be evaluated. In the area of animal health, a new study will evaluate specific bacteriophages in the prevention and treatment of bovine mastitis. The evaluation of the environmental implications of our production systems will become a more important component of the programme in future, while the emphasis on the regional dimension of milk production will be enhanced.

A particular focus of the programme will be to develop further capability in biotechnology. The research in this area will focus on genetics, animal health, nutrition and reproduction physiology.

Further information: scrosse@moorepark.teagasc.ie

Objectives

The overall objectives of the beef research programme is to

• enhance the profitability of Irish beef farmers through improved cost efficiency of grassland and forage production and optimal animal husbandry practices
• produce a product that meets consumers' perception of quality

Programme Emphases

• A new study, funded under the Fifth Framework Programme, is proposed on ensiling and grazing of energy-rich grasses with elevated sugar contents for the sustainable production of ruminant livestock, with the objective of providing a sound scientific basis for using high sugar grasses in grassland-based agriculture.
• New studies on animal welfare include an assessment of the effect of weaning stress on calf welfare and a study on the health and welfare of the suckler herd progeny.
• A study is proposed on bull beef production on grazed grass from birth to slaughter, measuring animal performance and welfare, environmental and economic sustainability.
• An experiment funded under the Fifth Framework Programme, is proposed to examine the use of grass and/or clover to increase the concentration of beneficial (to human health) compounds in beef. The objectives are to maximise the concentrations of omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and antioxidants in grass-fed beef.
• Three new studies will get underway in the area of animal reproduction. A study is proposed on concurrent and carryover effects of NEB (negative energy balance) and embryo survival rate in cows. A further study is proposed on identification of ovarian genes that regulate ovarian function. A final study on the biochemical composition of uterine environment and embryo survival in the cow is proposed.

Further information: eoriordan@grange.teagasc.ie

Objectives

• To increase the competitiveness of lamb meat production through better utilisation of grassland, improved ewe productivity and product quality
• To minimise production costs while avoiding any adverse effects of sheep grazing on the environment.

Programme Emphases

Studies related to control of gastro-intestinal parasitism will be expanded with two new projects. The first concerns the genetic basis for breed differences which we have identified (Suffolk vs Texel) and will involve using DNA technology to establish the role of candidate gene loci in the Major Histocompatability Complex in faecal egg counts.

The second project concerns the use of flock average faecal egg counts as part of the information input to improve grazing management and enable the rational use of anthelmintics. This will include evaluation of New Zealand technology for DIY on-farm faecal egg counting.

Research will continue, in collaboration with UCG and AgResearch (NZ), on identification of the gene(s) responsible for ovarian hypoplasia in sheep.

Work on technology transfer will be continued using a step-by-step approach to getting enthusiastic members of Sheep Discussion Groups involved in assembling core financial and technical data on their own sheep enterprise and farm operations.

Experiments on the responses of lambs to concentrate supplements during the pre-weaning period will be established at Athenry and specific elements will be replicated on farms involved in the Technology Transfer programme. The objective is to define more precisely the lamb growth response to different levels of supplementation under a range of grass supply situations. The impact on subsequent sward changes will be measured as well. The results will be incorporated in a computer model being developed to predict the lamb-drafting pattern from lamb growth curves.

A study at Knockbeg has established the scope for extended grazing in mid-season production systems. However, this study involved a period of housing with silage feeding in late pregnancy. A new project is proposed which will eliminate the need for silage or housing in a high-output mid-season production system.

Research on sheep AI will focus on a direct evaluation of an IVF-based test of fertilising capacity of frozen-thawed semen and the impact on pregnancy rate. Laboratory studies have indicated the potential to increase pregnancy rate by about 15 percentage points by IVF evaluation of frozen-thawed semen. Further studies are proposed on the use of additives, such as seminal plasma, to the diluents used to prepare semen for freezing. The basis for the ewe-breed effects on pregnancy rate that have been found in our earlier studies, will be investigated in collaboration with staff in the Faculty of Agriculture at UCD.

Further information: shanrahran@athenry.teagasc.ie

Objectives

The objectives of the programme are to

• reduce the unit-cost
• improve the quality of pigmeat production
• reduce the environmental impact
• improve animal welfare

2001 Programme Emphases

The programme will continue to prioritise improving the competitiveness of the pig industry through improving production efficiency, as measured by feed cost per unit carcass weight produced while ensuring that meat quality is to the highest standard. Leanness is the basis of payment for pigmeat, but other attributes such as eating quality and overall wholesomeness are becoming more important.

The long-term or residual effect of early nutrition, i.e. from birth to 30 kg liveweight, on meat quality will continue to be studied. Slaughter weight of pigs in Ireland is low compared with other EU countries and the effect on meat quality and processing costs of increasing slaughter weight will be examined.

The programme on sow housing will focus on long-term effects of housing systems on sow welfare and longevity using behavioural and hormonal indices.

Further information: blynch@moorepark.teagasc.ie

Objectives

To develop improved crop production with particular regard to increasing production efficiencies while improving product quality and safety and minimising environmental impacts.

Programme Emphases

Cereals: The programme will stress: increased emphasis on early sowing of winter cereals in conjunction with reduced seed rates; further development of decision-based systems for fungicides to reduce chemical usage; evaluation of new fungicides which are particularly effective against the major diseases of wheat and barley; development of global positioning systems technology (GPS) leading to more efficient use; using molecular- based technology for the development of Septoria resistance in wheat; evaluation and development of seed dressing for control of barley yellow dwarf virus in winter and spring cereals.

Potatoes Development of new varieties for the domestic ware and seed export markets; development of resistance to late blight and eelworm using molecular techniques; further development of decision- based systems for late blight control; assessment of resistance development to fungicides in the casual agent of late blight, Phytephthora infestans; assessment of new strains of the late blight fungus.

Sugar Beet Evaluation of new varieties in respect of sugar content and processing quality; further evaluation of novel seed dressing to replace existing insecticides; development of low cost weed control systems and techniques to reduce spray drift; evaluation of the potential environmental impact, including gene flow, of herbicide tolerant genetically modified sugar beet.

Organic Production The ongoing programme on growing organic tillage crops will be intensified; work on organic horticultural crops will be initiated, with particular emphasis on weed, disease and pest control.

Other Crops Work on winter lupins will be continued with emphasis on the selection and evaluation of early maturing varieties; the use of photodegradable and biodegradable plastics in growing maize will be further evaluated.

Grass and Clover Breeding Multiplication and commercialisation of recently released varieties of perennial ryegrass will be progressed in conjunction with the seed company DLF of Denmark; further selection of promising lines of perennial ryegrass and white clover; development of marker assisted selection techniques to enhance the quality of perennial ryegrass.

Further information: modea@oakpark.teagasc.ie

General objective

• To provide a range of services that facilitate, promote and service the requirements of the agri-food industries.

Programme Emphases

As in previous years, the programme will include a wide range of analytical/diagnostic services, commissioned research and consultancy and a range of training courses in food and horticulture. It is planned to introduce a structured accredited food-training programme.