In this section:
About SARDI Livestock
SARDI Livestock and Farming Systems research division assists the animal industries in achieving economic and sustainable levels of production of high quality competitively priced produce by conducting research and encouraging technological improvement. Promote the development and marketing of livestock industries and products and provides science policy advice to the Government on animal issues.
Science Program Areas
- Grazing Production Systems Program (Meat & Wool) conducts scientific research on beef production, sheep meat and wool production and on the sustainability of existing and novel grazing systems designed to increase industry productivity.
- Integrated Biosystems Program area requires multidisciplinary skills to integrate aquaculture, bioprocess engineering, microbiology, phycology, zooplankton culture for integrated biosystem model development. The program provides scientific and technical advice across government, industry and the community in respect of key issues associated with the sustainable development of primary industries based on integrated resource management principle.
- Intensive Livestock Production Systems Program (Pig & Poultry) specialises on the pork, chicken and egg industries.
- Livestock Breeding and Genetics Program provides a range of specialist capabilities in quantitative and molecular genetics, reproductive biology and wool metrology currently being applied mainly to the extensive livestock industries of sheep and cattle to enhance genetic improvement programs, breeding efficiency and to ensure product quality, but which can also be applied to aquatic species and other livestock species (dairy cattle, pigs, chickens, goats, deer, alpaca, rabbits etc).
Research Facilities
Pig and Poultry Production Institute
Research Projects
The SARDI Livestock team are involved in a number of research projects
- Sheep program
- Pig and poultry projects
- Genetics and reproduction
- Animal health and metabolism
- Ratites program (emu oil, transgenesis services, salt tolerance of deer, deer meat production, ostrich hide qualities)
Xtreme sheep, SARDI researchers called for sheep with extreme and even undesirable features hold the key to unlocking the merino genetic library. The information will help identify superior wool qualities needed to make Australia’s $2.8 billion wool industry more competitive.
Pasture utilisation, integrated production systems sub-program - evaluation of high technology grazing systems that explicitly target the maximal utilisation of pasture. More information on pastures.
