Volume 154 – November 6, 2023
Ag&Ed Educational resources for schools & students
Read, listen to and watch what is happening in New Zealand agriculture by scanning the QR codes or following the links. Answer the questions to complete the exercises. In the news
The big issue
How can we measure livestock emissions on farm?
Why feed seaweed to livestock? The benefits of feeding seaweed and seaweed extracts to livestock are being researched. bit.ly/feed-seaweed Have a go: 1. What are all the potential benefits of feeding seaweed and seaweed extracts to livestock? 2. What percentage can red, brown and green seaweeds reduce emissions by? 3. Why does there need to be a balance between reducing methane, animal production, animal health and food quality? 4. What is the risk of using seaweed species containing bromoform?
Groundbreaking new portable technology is available to measure methane emissions from cattle on farm, bolstering efforts to reduce climate change impact from livestock. bit.ly/new-onfarm-tech Have a go: 1. Why is so much research going into methane emissions? 2. Who developed the Portable Accumulation Chambers? 3. What is the advantage of the chamber being portable? 4. How can genetics and breeding help achieve methane reductions on farm without cutting stock numbers? Stretch yourself: 5. Describe how farmers can use the information from the chamber to help their decision making.
Watch this
Stretch yourself: 5. Why do you think more research is needed?
Did you know?
Why wilt mown feed? This article by PGG Wrightson Seeds discusses why allowing grass to wilt is so important for making quality baleage. bit.ly/why-wilt Have a go: 1. MJME is the megajoules of metabolisable energy in the feed. What is DM%? 2. List some crops that have a high DM% at harvest time, so don’t need wilting. 3. What is wilting and why is it important to let cut grass wilt before making baleage and silage? 4. Why is it best to wilt the mown greenfeed as quickly as possible? What are the risks of letting it wilt for more than 24 hours? Stretch yourself: 5. What factors influence the wilting time?
How did Harriet meat her career? Watch the video to learn about Harriet Watson’s role at ANZCO and how her Meat Industry Association scholarship helped her get there. bit.ly/meat-career Have a go: 1. What is Harriet’s role at ANZCO? 2. What university did Harriet attend and what did she study? 3. What does she enjoy about her role? Stretch yourself: 4. How did the MIA scholarship help Harriet get to where she is? 5. What opportunities does Harriet see for the industry?