Genetic improvement of Merino sheep in Australia

2. Genetic improvement of Merino sheep in Australia Laurie Piper CSIRO Livestock Industries Armidale NSW Australia

3. Researching the Global Market Place 56 Target Consumer Discussion Groups ABC1, 25-40 Clothing Interest USA, JN, UK, GE, FR, IT 10,500 Quantitative Consumer Survey Major Six plusCH, KOR, POL, CSFR 38 Major Retailer Interviews (7 Countries, 3000 Outlets) 83 Processing Partner Interviews (11 Countries) IWS REVIEW 1992/93 IWS Global Product Management Continual Market Data and External Surveys A NEW AWARENESS OF WHAT TODAYS CONSUMER IS DEMANDING

4. Changing Apparel Requirements in the 90’s SUMMARY • Quality at a competitive price • More comfort (lightweight, soft) and practicality • Transeasonal versatility • Natural fibres • Readily accessible product information

5. Processing changes • Processing speeds increasing • Labour inputs decreasing • Spinners and Weavers trying to reduce yarn and fabric weights but hampered by reduced labour inputs and higher processing speeds in modern mills • Solution is to use finer wool and to investigate other processing options such as singles yarns, Sirostretch etc.

6. Competition from other apparel fibres • Cotton has reduced its fibre diameter by around 25% in the last 15 years • Man-made fibres have become significantly finer in the last 5-7 years • Wool must reduce its diameter to remain competitive

7. Wool as a textile fibre Strength (g/tex) Diameter (µm) Wool 14 14-26 Cotton 36 13 Rayon 30 3-18 Acrylic 24 3-18 Polyester 40 3-18 Nylon 51 3-18 Silk 36 5

9. Wool QualityEffect of raw wool traits on Product Value TOP YARN CLOTH Yield **** VM ** ** Mean Fibre Diam. **** **** **** Fibre Diam Var. * * * Staple Length *** * Staple Length Var. E Staple Strength ** Crimp/Res. to Comp. * * * Colour * * * Dark Fibre Content E E E

10. Wool Price 1975 - 2000

11. Average premium = 60%

12. Sheep numbers Production (2000/01) Millions Wool $2971m (22%) 1989/90 180 Mutton $224m (2%) 1997/98 117 Lamb $671m (5%) 2000/01 115 Live exports $189m (1%) Sheep Production statistics

13. Merino statistics - 1999/2000 • Total sheep numbers 115 million • Total wool production 632,000 tonnes • Total ewes mated 53 million • Total ewes mated with Merino rams 42 million • Total Merino rams sold /year 180,000 • Total number Merino studs 1900 • 250 studs account for 80% of the rams sold

14. Merino studs - philosophies of selection • Breeding Objectives - Sheep cutting more wool with better processing performance • Selection strategies • Traditional hand and eye appraisal by professional stud classers - little or no use of objective measurements • Objective measurement based programs incorporating some input from professional stud classers - Rampower, Merino Lambplan, Merino benchmark, etc • “Soft Rolling Skin”, “Elite Wool” trademark methods based around the expertise of a “guru”

15. Parent studs Rams Daughterstuds Rams Commercial growers Traditional Merino industry structure • Strong links between parent, daughter, grower

17. More recent trends • Across-flock information fosters increased mobility of ram buyers Studs Rams Commercial growers

21. Genetic improvement for commercial Merino breeders • Buy rams from the traditional stud just like Dad and Grandad • Define a breeding objective and utilise publicly available performance data to choose an appropriate stud • National wether trial database evaluating performance of a large number of Merino bloodlines • Central Test Sire Evaluation database evaluating performance of a large number of rams based on controlled progeny tests • Evaluate current breeding program with chosen stud and assess likely progress towards breeding objective

22. Choosing a ram source on current production level • Impact of bloodline change on fleece weight, diameter, wool quality and size / reproduction • Wether trials provide data on most traits, except reproduction and disease resistance • Information from wether trials represent past performance (5-10 years ago) and needs to account for recent genetic gain

23. Wether trial production differences

24. Differences in profitability (1995-1999 market)

25. Choosing a ram source on likely genetic gains (future production level) • Genetic responses determined by: • breeding objective - expected changes • selection accuracy - traits measured, selection emphasis, index selection • across-flock selection - central test sire evaluation, Merino Benchmark • Measures (indicators) of genetic change: • time trends - phenotypic, BLUP • benchmark against other flocks

26. Genetic responses after 4 years of index selection in the QPLU$ lines

27. Effect of genetic options individually on flock fibre diameter Source - 2mm finer bloodline Gain - 1mm finer over 10 years Rams - 1mm finer than average Ewes - cull 30% replacements on diameter

28. Effect of combined genetic options on flock fibre diameter Source - 2mm finer bloodline Gain - 1mm finer over 10 years Rams - 1mm finer than average Ewes - cull 30% replacements on diameter

30. Changes in diameter have arisen from: • Ram source changes • More targeted breeding practices by many ram breeders • Selection of flock rams at source • Diameter measurement of commercial ewes and wethers

31. Conclusions • Merino breeding programs in Australia are rapidly evolving • Breeding objective focus in studs is increasingly on major profit drivers, clean fleece weight and fibre diameter • Publicly available comparative performance information on bloodlines, studs and individual rams is transforming the accuracy of choice for commercial sheep breeders • Changes of ram source and use of measurement by commercial sheep breeders is leading to higher rates of productivity increase in the Merino industry