A CLASS of high school students have proved age is no barrier when it comes to agriculture with their use of cutting edge genetic testing helping to pave the way for sheep producers.
Year 11 students at Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School (Farrer) at Tamworth, with the support of the Co-operative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation (Sheep CRC), have used new DNA-based parentage tests on their White Suffolk stud to ascertain full pedigree data in preparation for their annual ram sale in September.
As part of their High School Certificate studies the students visually identified the best lambs from this year’s drop, then used the more accurate parentage tests to identity the best performing sire from their group mating program (genetically match the lambs with their sires to provide pedigree information).
The additional information will allow the students to identify breeding stock with the right traits and performance for their White Suffolk stud flock.
Farrer teacher Darren Smith said he had been impressed by the diligence the students had shown in carrying out the full pedigree parentage testing over the past eight months.
Mr Smith said the students did a fantastic job with lambing round, weighing, tagging and separating the sheep in order to link the lambs to their respective ewe and sire.
“This DNA parentage trial will allow the students, who also undertook the practice of recording ewe and lambs at birth to gain confidence in the validity of the DNA test and significant labour and cost saving that it offers,” he said.
Mr Smith said he was confident once they received the tests back, the conventional measure used by the student would match the DNA tests.
The Sheep CRC developed the DNA parentage tests, which costs producers $17/head, to advance the speed of genetic improvement in the national flock, by helping to identify the most productive breeding stock more accurately.
The parentage tests take about six weeks to process from the time of lodgement with the CRC, while the full genotyping tests take about 10 weeks.
Both tests are sent to a laboratory in US for processing.
Mr Smith said the hands-on evaluation of the new DNA-based parentage test by these students would ensure use of the technology would be in good hands for future sheep breeding.
Farrer student Angus Wolfgang-Wicks improved his personal confidence in making breeding decisions by partaking in the exercise, and can now see the benefit DNA testing will provide consumers in the future.
“It’s really beneficial to have this experience using very new technology when you’re young,” he said.
“It will give me a lot of confidence going into the workforce, regardless of my chosen field.
“Also, from a genetics point of view, we’ve learnt the other full genotyping DNA tests available through the Sheep CRC can provide information about certain traits, like the tenderness of the meat, much earlier in the breeding program.”
Fellow student Lachlan Finlay, who hails from a mixed cropping and cattle property in Mullaley, has reaped the benefits of his new found knowledge.
“I’ve thoroughly loved every minute,” Lachlan said.
“It’s great for students who don’t come from sheep breeding backgrounds to learn and apply new skills.”
Australia wide, 5047 parentage tests were conducted from September to December last year, with a further 4000 tests ordered during that period – a total of 9047 tests, which is up from 1640 tests conducted in the same period in 2012.
A survey conducted by Sheep CRC of breeders using the new DNA parentage test indicated that the most common application is to identify sire pedigree when using syndicate mating.