AgInEd | February 22, 2021

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AginED

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FOR E FUTURIA G R R S! U E N E R P

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Volume 44 I February 22, 2021 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I www.farmersweekly.co.nz FEELING THE PRESSURE? IT MIGHT BE THE SQUASH ZONE!

The following activity has been supplied by Beef + Lamb New Zealand. For more information or other animal health resources head to: www.beeflambnz.com/knowledge-hub

Lately we've been talking about wind tunnels and what makes New Zealand so windy sometimes, but while our mountains, ranges and location on earth all contribute, it's the weather/atmosphere itself that starts the wind in the first place. Under high pressure the weather is usually calm and mainly dry. High pressure zones are also known as anticyclones in our part of the world, because they spin anti-clockwise. What is the opposite of an anti-cyclone? The lines on the weather maps that measure air pressure are called isobars. The closer the isobars are together, the steeper the gradient of air pressure that makes wind. (Like how lines on a topographical map squeezed together show the steepness of a mountain, or valley). That's why the middle of highs have little wind - but the outer edges of them do. In this map, what would the winds be like in Northland? Windy or calm?

1 Go to www.farmersweekly.co.nz

Healthy liver (left) and FE-damaged liver (right)

2 Find and watch the OnFarmStory of Rob and Mary Andrews “Some of the Wacky ideas do work out” and read the article “Under the sacred mountain”. 3 What is the name of the property that Rob and Mary manage? 4 Who owns this farm?

Facial eczema (FE) is a disease of the liver that affects sheep, cattle, deer, goats, llamas and alpacas. It is caused by spores of a fungus which grows on dead plant material at the base of the pasture, and most commonly perennial rye grass. This is a serious disease and something that the industry is trying very hard to mitigate or better yet, avoid. The fungus is always present in the pasture, but when temperatures and moisture levels are high, and grass minimum temperatures remain above 12-13 degrees, the fungus suddenly grows rapidly and produces vast numbers of toxic spores which are then ingested by animals.

STRETCH YOURSELF: In this map, what direction would the airflow be over Stewart Island?

1 How is the farm utilised? What portion is grazed and what other ways is the land being used?

The liver damage associated with FE can cause animal health issues even if no clinical signs are present and can reduce lifetime productivity of an animal by up to 25%. Clinical signs include:

2 What proportions of stock does the farm winter?

• Animals may look dull and/or weak

3 Because the farm is owned by Ngati Porou and therefore is there to give all people of Ngati Porou a whakapapa turangawaiwai (a place to call home). It has a board and a general manager that oversee the farms productivity and progress? Why do they need this? What do these people do?

• Photosensitivity. This shows as red, sore patches on skin like sunburn

4 Where do Rob and Mary finish their stock? Why don’t they do this on Pakihiroa?

• Prevention is key, so farmers are urged to keep an eye on regional spore counts and getting pasture spore counts

• Liver failure • Sudden death How can farmers prevent FE?

• Breeding animals for FE tolerance Lows and tropical cyclones are more like a "crater in the atmosphere", like someone's pulled the plug and the air is being sucked into it. This is why they can be so stormy near the centre. These are the opposite of high pressure systems. Draw a line between the centre of a big high and a nearby low(s) and you’ll find the squash zone - a belt of windy weather that is half generated by high pressure and half generated by low pressure. Where is the squash zone in this map?

• Use zinc in feed, drenches or water or with a zinc bolus • Plan to use safer feeds such as brassica crops where possible DON’T FORGET TO SEND US YOUR PHOTOS! ‘Be Safe, Be Seen’ and the whole Gurt and Pops collection could be yours! We want to see howyou stay safe on the farm. Send us in a photo of you being safe on the farm these holidays, along with your answers to two of the questions below to get yourself in the draw.

STRETCH YOURSELF: 1 What time of the year do you think is the most risky time for FE?

BE O IN T ! N I W

Why do you never drink out of bottles that are in the workshop? If we walked into this paddock with cattle what could go wrong? Why should you never go somewhere on the farm without talking to an adult first? Before riding your motorbike, what should you dress yourself in and why? Send your entries to: agined@globalhq.co.nz (we will draw the winner on February 28th)

2 Apart from the animal welfare, why do you think it is important for farmers to control diseases such as FE? 3 Do some research and see if you can find what the spore count is in your area. For more information or other animal health resources head to www.beeflambnz.com/ knowledge-hub


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