19 minute read
Research
by AgriHQ
LIC helps fight pandemic
By Gerald Piddock
For over a century, LIC has provided genetics expertise, information and technology to the dairy sector, but covid-19 saw it don a new hat in the battle against the global pandemic.
An innocuous piece of laboratory equipment used for DNA testing by LIC suddenly became one of the country’s most sought-after machines during the covid-19 pandemic, as the Government scrambled to find a way to efficiently test masses of people for the deadly disease.
Called the Kingfisher, it allows scientists to simultaneously extract the DNA of up to 96 animals at once for testing.
That same process could be used to extract the DNA from humans or RNA from viruses, so scientists can carry out a PCR test for covid-19.
DHB’s around the country had the means to analyse RNA, but not at the scale that was needed during the covid lockdown in March last year, LIC general manager of operations and service David Chin says.
“They were needing to do thousands of these tests every week. I think there were about 16 of these in the country at that time and we had eight of them,” he says.
All of a sudden around the world, governments rushed to buy Kingfishers for mass covid testing.
As the DHB’s and Ministry of Health (MoH) was rapidly scrambling to find the necessary equipment to cope with the sudden demand for testing, LIC chief executive Wayne McNee contacted health authorities and the Kingfisher was loaned for two months while they waited for their own machine to arrive.
While the LIC GeneMark laboratory was also receiving samples from farmers who autumn calve, they had plenty of capacity because the laboratory is geared up for the spring calving peak.
“We were lucky because we weren’t at our peak because at peak, they’re being used every single day. If it had happened in October, it would have been a real problem,” Chin says.
Fortunately for LIC, their animal health testing service was different to the covid PCR test, which meant it was largely unaffected by the lockdown.
LIC technical manager Mark Walker says the co-operative had been using the machines for years.
“Internationally, a lot of people have cottoned on to what we have cottoned on to – that these machines are a very fast and effective way of getting DNA out of samples in a high throughput manner.
“I even saw a press conference where Donald Trump was standing next to a table with one sitting on it,” Walker says, adding there are alternatives to extracting DNA, but those processes were less efficient.
“By the time it takes one of these things to do 96 DNA extractions, a person doing it another way might only be able to do eight or nine,” he says.
It was not just the Kingfisher that was sought-after. Single-use disposable tips, which house the sample where the DNA/PCR is used, also became a hot commodity.
LIC typically uses about 20 boxes containing these tips per month. During the covid lockdown, LIC’s supplier told them there were five boxes left
The covid-19 pandemic meant the laboratory equipment used by LIC suddenly became hard to source as governments rushed to order the supplies necessary to undergo testing for the deadly disease. LIC general manager of operations and service David Chin says their animal health testing service wasn’t badly affected when they loaned the Government their equipment.
LIC technical manager Mark Walker with the Kingfisher machine, which has the ability to speed up the process to mass test people for covid-19.
worldwide and they could spare only one.
LIC still has a small supply, but has scaled back its usage and now uses an alternative supply of tip from a different manufacturer.
“All throughout the season we were saying, ‘What’s the next thing that’s going to be in short supply?” he says.
“Now, the whole world needs to do high throughput DNA extraction, DNA testing – all of the positive covid stuff – we’re all starting to scramble for the same consumables.”
It also caught the equipment manufacturers, who were used to a steady stream of demand off guard.
“Overnight it skyrocketed,” he says.
While the shortage of plasticware did cause some disruption to LIC’s day-today operations, Chin says, overall, LIC’s operations were not affected too badly.
The lockdown also affected LIC’s ability to install new equipment in the laboratories.
The people who install the equipment are not New Zealand-based and with the borders shut, they instead had to use locals who were instructed via Skype cameras on how to correctly install and use the equipment.
“Since then, you’ll run out of one type of plasticware and have to scramble around and find something similar that you can then use and validate,” Chin says.
Walker says when shortages arose, they would see if working alternatives were available and how long before the laboratory needed to be closed. The labs came within a few weeks of closure due to the shortages on a couple of occasions.
“Last year we were lurching from each one of those,” he says.
Unfortunately, Chin says, the supply issues look set to continue this year.
“Regardless of what happens with the vaccine, it’s going to take a long time before the pressure comes off the need to do all of this testing. I see us living in this space for quite a while longer,” he says.
Despite the disruption, Chin says they have tried to keep it as close to business as usual for farmer services.
“We ran a countdown clock because we knew at some point we would need to say, ‘guys, you need to put those samples back in the freezer’. Fortunately, it never got to that. But there were sleepless nights,” he says. n
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The 2020 Women in Food & Agriculture survey gathered insights on gender equality within the agri-food industry.
Feed comes out on top
By Samantha Tennent
The global agri-food chain was put through the wringer last year facing challenge after challenge because of the pandemic but still came out on top.
Despite a challenging year, global feed production grew 1% in 2020, with more than 28,000 feed mills producing a total of 1,187.7 million metric tonnes of feed. The results were uncovered by the Alltech global feed survey and announced at the Alltech 2021 Agri-Food outlook.
Alltech president and chief executive
Dr Mark Lyons shared some of the survey highlights.
“After a devastating year in 2019, China has rebounded well, with a 5% increase in feed production, and has re-emerged as the world’s top feed producer. Even in the face of the challenges of disease and lockdown, China’s rebound has been faster than expected,” Lyons says.
“We are seeing more consolidation in the industry, with the top 10 countries now producing 63% of feed. By region,
Latin America showed the highest growth, at 4%, with Asia Pacific second, at 2%.
The fastest-growing sector of the protein species was aquaculture, at 3%. And while pig and broiler feeds showed 1% growth, the beef sector suffered a small loss of 1%.
One perhaps surprising result of the covid-19 pandemic is the growth of pet food, as people throughout the world adopted new companions. And it’s also clear that trust, health, sustainability and inclusion are the driving factors transforming the future of food and feed production,” he says.
With data from more than 142 countries, the Alltech global feed survey is the strongest evaluation of compound feed production and prices in the industry. It is regarded as the most comprehensive data set of its kind, and referenced by government groups and media throughout the world.
Alltech also held their second annual women in food and Ag survey, which gathered real-world insights from the professional landscape for women in agriculture. In addition to assessing equity within the Ag sector, the survey reviewed the impact of covid-19 on women within agriculture.
The survey gathered insights from men as well as women. Responses from more than 3200 participants, representing more than 80 countries and all sectors of agriculture, shed light on the current workplace environment, barriers to success and the outlook for the future.
In the survey, 26% of female respondents indicated that they are the primary caretakers for children or aging parents while working from home. Additionally, 21% of women working within the agri-food industry indicated that they are concerned that working from home will negatively impact their careers. Conversely, 13% of male respondents shared the same concern for their career.
Some of the barriers explored were lack of mentors, networking opportunities, professional training and lack of flexibility or work-life balance. Although 62% of all respondents agreed that the industry is becoming more inclusive, there is reason to be optimistic.
“The data from these surveys is
powerful, but the stories they represent are even more interesting,” he says.
“From this data, there are tales to be told. China’s incredible rebound, how the agri-food supply chain was especially challenged this past year, but held strong.
We saw shifts in global supply chains, and an increased trend towards trustbased transactions. We witnessed a swift acceleration in the development of e-commerce in 2020, with both consumers and companies developing a preference for this state of play and as we put greater priority on our collective health this past year, it strengthened a trend that was already underway.”
Lyons concluded his talk by explaining the increased emphasis on the importance of inclusion.
“It is becoming an essential ingredient of successful teams and companies. Innovation is fuelled by cultures of collaboration, where there’s an openness to every idea, where every person can be seen, heard and valued for their contributions.
There’s never been more pressure on businesses, nor has there ever been more of an opportunity,” he says. n Alltech president and chief executive Dr Mark Lyons says that despite the challenges of covid-19 and lockdowns, global feed production for 2020 still rose.
MORE:
To access speaker insights from the 2021 Agri-Food Outlook and explore full data results from the Alltech Global Feed Survey and the Women in Food & Agriculture Survey, visit one. alltech.com/2021-agri-food-outlook
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By Gerald Piddock
Colour me lucky
A Wintec science student has research completed at Fonterra published internationally, which is a rare feat for an undergraduate student.
AWintec science student’s research on testing the effectiveness of using a colorimeter to measure the colour of infant formula powder has been recognised by being published in the International Dairy Journal.
Rehana Ponnal’s work was undertaken while she was on work placement at Fonterra and was for her bachelor project during the final year of her study.
Ponnal says using the colorimeter would not only be more reliable but more efficient as a measurement tool.
“The current process takes longer, as several people’s opinions are required to confirm the colour of a sample. With a colorimeter, you just insert the sample and it gives an instant reading. It’s more reliable and more financially beneficial as there’s less time wasted,” she says.
Fonterra measures colour because it is an important aspect of the product. It was the first thing a customer perceived and would not buy it if it was the wrong colour.
Using a colorimeter also addresses consistency issues that arise out of using more subjective measures like colour charts.
“Using a colour chart relies on people’s perception of colour. The colorimeter on the other hand gives a reading for a certain colour based on the data of that colour – using this method, something is either that colour, or it’s not,” she says.
“There’s no reliance on individual perception, which can be problematic.”
Carotenoid are responsible for giving milk its yellow colour and these pigments are naturally synthesised by plants and algae. Because they are different for different plants, the cow’s diet affected the colour of milk throughout the season.
“Also, the factor that gives white colour to milk is its physical structure, which is associated with the casein and fat formation. That also depends on the feed given,” she says.
Ponnal worked on the research with a number of other scientists, and the journal entry, published in September last year, gives positive results of their findings.
“My research was a preliminary study where we are analysing the accuracy and precision of the colorimeter over the existing methods. So once I finished my study, we came to the conclusion that the colorimeter is more reliable and financially beneficial,” she says.
Ponnal says she was told by Fonterra there will be more studies on other products manufactured by the cooperative, and also will be doing further investigation on her work.
That includes procuring a colorimeter to continue testing.
Fonterra senior research scientist Jackie Wood said Fonterra constantly looked for ways to measure our products in the most reliable and cost-effective way.
“During her internship, Rehana carried out measurements on different infant formulas, milk powders and butter to provide information for these products. She also looked at the cost effectiveness of using the instrument compared to the current way we access colour of our product.
“It’s an important part of what we do so that we can guarantee the safety and quality of our final products in a time efficient and cost-effective way,” she says.
After completing an engineering degree in biomedical science, Ponnal moved to New Zealand in 2017 as an international student to fulfil her passion of studying food science.
Despite her achievements, Ponnal says she was finding it difficult to gain employment.
“It is quite disappointing. It’s hard finding a job. As an international student on a temporary work visa, it’s even harder to find work,” she says.
“I’m looking all over NZ and I am willing to move anywhere. I’m particularly interested in research, product development and technology roles, in the food, dairy and beverage industry.” n
Rehana Ponnal: Rehana Ponnal’s work on testing the effectiveness of using a colorimeter to measure the colour of infant formula powder was published in the International Dairy Journal.
Mapping NZ pastures
Farmers, scientists and rural industry leaders are meeting in Waikato later this year to start mapping out a secure future for
New Zealand pastures.
The Resilient Pastures Symposium (RPS), organised by the NZ Grassland
Association (NZGA), comes 10 years after the association’s landmark Pasture
Persistence Symposium.
With agriculture currently earning more than 40c in every NZ export dollar, those behind the event say pasture – and innovative thinking about its prospects in coming years – has never been more relevant.
Pasture is a significant global advantage for NZ, but faces increasing pressure from climate change, environmental regulation, and social and market expectations.
“The uniqueness of NZ’s high-value animal protein exports – their embedded naturalness and low per unit emissions compared with competitor countries – rests on our pasture base,” RPS organising committee chair and DairyNZ principal scientist David Chapman says .
“We want to make sure our market strength continues to grow from this base, because that is critical to NZ’s economic future.”
The 2011 Pasture Persistence Symposium gave rise to significant new pasture R&D and industry-led initiatives, including the highly influential DairyNZ Forage Value Index.
NZGA president and AgResearch senior scientist Warren King says 10 years on, climate change effects signalled in 2011 have intensified, and the physical environment for growing pasture is more challenging and volatile than ever.
But other challenges that barely registered then, are now competing for the attention of researchers, plant breeders and farmers alike.
Environmental regulations are putting caps on nutrient inputs and losses from pastoral systems. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are being considered, with emphasis on reduction.
King says the RPS will highlight current soil, plant genetics and management solutions, and look towards future opportunities, giving those who attend a chance to contribute to charting future priorities.
A key goal for the event is to achieve broad-based primary sector collaboration and direction for further pasture development. n
MORE:
The NZGA Resilient Pasture Symposium will be held May 11 and 12 at Karapiro. Early bird registrations open March 1 at www. grassland.org.nz
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High-quality, long-term research that supports the environment is key to New Zealand’s future.
Time to revisit NZ’s science system
By Anne Boswell
The way in which environmental research is funded is not suitable and needs to be changed, a top scientist says.
Distinguished professor Sir Peter Gluckman says changes to environmental funding are needed to ensure the future success of the dairy industry. Arevision of the current environmental research funding model is imperative to the future success of New Zealand’s dairy industry, says distinguished professor Sir Peter Gluckman.
Gluckman, who is director the of Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures at the University of Auckland, says the long-term nature of the environmental research so critical to all of NZ’s primary industries is not suited to the current competitive funding models, which tend to focus on relatively short-term excellent and high-impact research.
“The system has evolved to focus on an economic perspective, but environmental research needs to have different dimensions of understanding,” Gluckman says.
“At the moment, we do not favour ‘non-sexy’ research, but it is essential research the country needs.
“Long-term research will fill environmental data gaps in areas such as soil, biodiversity and water, so we are able to make future environmental decisions on a data-informed basis.”
Gluckman, who was the former chief science advisor to the Prime Minister and president-elect of the International Science Council, says a report released by The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton – A review of the funding and prioritisation of environmental research in New Zealand – warrants serious consideration by government and policymakers.
“The comprehensive nature of the Upton report offers an opportunity for ongoing in-depth analysis and discussion about how to optimally use funds for environmental research
Sir Peter Gluckman
and therefore, the public good,” he says.
“Simon has made a cogent case. It is an important and timely report which identifies many arguments for a fundamental rethink of our science system, both within the University and Crown Research Institute system and in its relationship to public good and economic outcomes.”
One PCE report recommendation was to implement and fund an environment research strategy through an expert-led Environmental Research Council.
The complex and often long-term nature of environmental research has strong parallels with medical research which, for many years, has been well supported by the Health Research Council.
Gluckman says it has been almost 30 years since any fundamental changes have occurred in the CRO system, and it’s time to revisit the science system as a whole.
The recent Koi Tū report – The Future is Now: Exploring the Post-Pandemic Direction for Aotearoa New Zealand – also calls for a collective of stakeholders, such as the Government, scientists and end users, to work together to develop a fitfor-purpose science system.
He says high-quality, long-term research that supports the environment is key to NZ’s future.
“It is through meticulous and continuous work that real and perennially applicable discoveries are made,” he says.
“For environmental research, this work can overturn long-held assumptions and very often spawn new ideas and directions.”
Gluckman says there are big environmental decisions ahead of NZ, and it will only gain strength from having a data-rich approach.
“We can’t duck the fact that we live in a changed world,” he says. “NZ is not using science as well as it might, and it can’t continue with a nonstrategic approach.” n Former chief science advisor to the Prime Minister Sir Peter Gluckman says longterm research will help fill environmental data gaps.
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