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Item Studies on the fertility and breeding management of New Zealand dairy cows : a thesis presented to Massey University as a requirement for the degree of Doctor of Science(Massey University, 1982) Macmillan, K. L.This thesis reviews an extensive research program on the fertility of dairy catt1e in New Zealand. Most of the work was completed between 1967 and 1977. It involved studying numerous basic aspects of reproductive physiology by analysing extensive amounts of data either lodged within a large centralised recording system, or produced through the participating cooperation of herd owners or inseminators. New concepts were developed and old recommendations sometimes found to be inappropriate.Item Water and solutes in soil : hydraulic characterisation, sustainable production, and environmental protection : application for the degree of Doctor of Science from Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2002) Clothier, Brent EThe soil of the rootzone, the fragile and fertile interface between the atmosphere and the subterranean realm, is characterised by massive transfers of water and solutes. Our understanding of the biophysical transport processes into, and through, soil has been enhanced by the research endeavours of the applicant, Brent Euan Clothier. Dr Clothier, a 1977 Ph.D. graduate of Massey University, has developed tools and techniques that increased the acuity of our vision of transport processes of water and solutes in soil, as well it has sharpened our ability to hydraulically characterise those mechanisms for the purpose of modelling and risk assessment. His research has also enhanced our understanding of how these biophysical processes affect sustainable agriculture, environmental protection, and the bioremediation of contamination. These endeavours are grouped, in this thesis, into four overlapping areas of research: • Processes and properties of water movement into and through soil • Processes and properties of solute movement through soil • Root uptake processes and sustainable irrigation • Plants, groundwater protection and bioremediation of contaminated soil. The key elements of these four themes, and their contribution to knowledge, form Chapters 2-5 of this thesis. Dr Clothier's awards, honours, and impact are discussed in Chapter 6.Item Maverick politicians : their beliefs and actions : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Policy at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 1999) Boyd, Hilary ChristineThrough interviews with maverick politicians and political commentators, this research explores the beliefs and actions of maverick politicians, a sub-group of actors within the policy-making process. It builds on previous research which focused primarily on the characteristics and beliefs of maverick politicians. This research was undertaken to ascertain the process by which the politicians attain the maverick label; explore the environment within which these politicians operate; examine the methods maverick politicians use to achieve change in policy, parliamentary practices and the political landscape; and determine their effectiveness in implementing change. Attaining the maverick status involved politicians undergoing a process of alienation from their party. They struggled to implement policy initiatives and adopted an oppositional approach as they battled with an antidemocratic policy-making process. Often unable to effect significant policy changes maverick politicians attempted reformation of the parliamentary practices and the political landscape. However, these attempts merely entrenched existing undemocratic processes. The research findings suggest that because of their underlying beliefs of how Parliament should operate maverick politicians choose to give priority to their constituents rather than to their party and support a notion of democracy that is participatory rather than representative. These choices contribute towards their maverick behaviour; result in alienation from their party; and limit their long-term effectiveness as policy-makers by leading them to focus on reformation. It is likely that, unless changes which accommodate politicians with differing views of representation and democracy occur within the parliamentary and party systems, there will continue to be disillusioned MPs who become alienated from their political parties and follow the maverick path.Item The effects of the application of large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer on milk yield, reproductive performance, and energy balance of spring-calved high genetic merit cows : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Sciences in Animal Production at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2005) Ordóñez, AlfredoThe intake of crude protein (CP) in amounts considerably above the cow's requirements has been associated by several overseas (OS) reports with reduced cow performance. In New Zealand (NZ), the CP content of pasture during spring is usually above the cow's requirements. During this time, application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer is a common practice which further increases the CP content of pasture. Despite this fact, few experiments have studied the effect of high CP intake on cow performance in NZ, and the existing results are not conclusive. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to measure the effect of two levels of CP concentration in pasture caused by application of different amounts of N fertilizer, on milk yield, reproductive performance, and energy balance of grazing, spring-calved, high genetic merit cows in NZ. Two groups, each of 20 high genetic merit cows, were offered a common pasture allowance (46 kg OM/cow/day) over the first 101 days postcalving, but from pasture which contained either a lower (low CP group) or a higher concentration (high CP group) of crude protein. The difference in CP concentration was created by applying either no N fertilizer or 35 kg of N fertilizer after every grazing. Herbage masses were measured on every paddock weekly, and every day pregrazing and postgrazing, using a rising plate meter. These values were used to calculate pasture growth, and apparent dry matter intake per group. Pasture composition was measured by near infrared spectroscopy. For each cow, milk yield and composition was measured by weekly herd tests. Reproductive performance was assessed by scanning of follicles and corpora luteal from day one until day 40 postcalving, and from 10 days before the predicted artificial insemination (Al) until 35 days post Al. Progesterone concentrations were measured in milk samples taken every second day. Liveweight and condition score of each cow were measured weekly, and concentrations of NEFA and IGF1 were measured in blood samples taken II once every week. Energy balance was calculated as theoretical energy requirements minus estimated energy intake, and feed conversion efficiency was also calculated. When compared with the low CP paddocks, the high CP paddocks produced more pasture (+1,260 kg OM/ha in 101 days) and it was of higher quality (11.8 vs. 11.4 MJ ME/kg OM; 83.4% vs. 81.2% digestibility; 24.5 vs. 21.6% CP). The apparent daily intakes of OM and ME of the two groups were not significantly different (16.2 and 15.9 kg OM/cow; 195 and 184 MJ ME/ cow). However, the high CP group ate significantly more CP than the low CP group (4.2 vs. 3.5 kg CP/cow/day, and had a higher blood urea concentration (7.8 vs. 5.3 mmol/I). There were no significant or consistent differences between the two groups in milksolids yield (1.84 vs. 1.91 kg MS/cow/day for the high and low CP groups), reproductive measurements, liveweight, condition score or IGF1 concentrations. However, the high CP group had significantly lower NEFA concentrations than the low CP group (0.45 vs. 0.56 mmol/I). The high CP group had lower apparent feed conversion efficiency than the low CP group, which may have been partially due to the calculated value of 3.2 MJ ME extra required per day to excrete the extra urea from the high CP group. In conclusion, even though the high CP group had higher blood urea concentrations, no significant differences in cow performance were detected between the two groups. The application of 130 kg N/ha produced an extra 1,264 kg OM/ha, which would have been expected to produce an extra 140 kg MS/ha, although this increase in MS yield may have been reduced slightly (by 9%) by the lower calculated feed conversion efficiency of the high CP group. Subject for further research include attempts to increase the feed conversion efficiency of animals grazing pastures with high CP content, through the use of sources of extra rumen degradable energy; the effect of diets high in CP on embryo quality and viability; and the ecological impact of using large amounts of N fertilizers.Item Venison and velvet production from Red and hybrid deer by one year of age : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Agricultural Science in Animal Science at Massey University, New Zealand(Massey University, 1996) Min, Byeng-RyelA grazing experiment was conducted at Massey University Deer Research Unit, Palmerston North, New Zealand during 1995, to study the effects of grazing chicory (Cichorium intybus), Lotus comiculatus and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne)lwhite clover (Trifolium repens) pasture upon the growth, voluntary feed intake (VFI), venison and velvet production of red and hybrid (0.75 red;0.25 elk) deer from weaning to slaughter at one year of age. The animals were randomly allocated to graze either chicory, lotus or pasture and grazed these forages during autumn and spring using a rotational grazing system, with each group balanced for genotype and sex. All groups were joined to graze pasture during winter, when chicory and lotus were dormant. 1. Few animals attained the target slaughter weight (50kg carcass or greater) when grazing pasture and spiker velvet antler weight was low at approximately 0.2 kg per stag. 2. In this study the greatest advantages obtained for specialist forages were for chicory. Carcass weight of deer grazing chicory was higher than for deer grazing pasture, due mainly to increasing autumn LWG and dressing-out percentage at slaughter, with a smaller response in spring LWG. The largest carcass weights were consistently obtained from hybrid stags grazing on chicory, with values for red deer and hybrid stags being 56.0 and 59.3 kg when grazed on chicory and 48.6 and 53.3 kg respectively when grazed on pasture. Chicory had a higher organic matter digestibility (OMO) and VFI than pasture during autumn but similar values in spring, accounting for its autumn growth stimulation. Carcass subcutaneous fat depth (GR) was higher for deer grazing chicory than pasture, but after being adjusted to equal carcass weight, there was no difference in GR measurement. Relative to deer grazing on pasture, grazing on chicory increased total spiker velvet antler production (323 v 225 g/stag), by advancing the dates of pedicle initiation (18 days), velvet antler initiation (24 days), and first velvet cutting (17 days) and increasing the rate of velvet antler length growth. Initiation of velvet growth was correlated with liveweight, with each 10 kg increase in liveweight advancing the dates of pedicle initiation, commencement of velvet growth and first velvet cutting by 10, 18 and 13 days respectively. Correction of the data to equal liveweight removed a component of the advancement produced from feeding on chicory, but an effect still remained due to chicory feeding per se. It was concluded that grazing chicory not only increased carcass weight (especially in hybrid stags), but also increased velvet antler production. This was achieved by increased VFI and increased OMO of chicory in autumn, relative to deer grazing pasture, and probably by increased absorption of protein and minerals in deer fed chicory. 3. OMO of lotus was higher than that of pasture during autumn, but not in spring. The OMO of either chicory or lotus showed little change between seasons, but pasture changed with the season, being of lowest OMO in autumn and highest OMO in spring. 4. Responses to deer grazing lotus were limited by the reduced number of grazing days that could be achieved, due to problems in lotus establishment. In spite of these problems, grazing lotus (48 gCT/kg OM) did increase the LWG of stags during autumn (248 v 176 g/day) and increased the efficiency of growth in spring, with LWG being similar to deer grazing pasture, but VFI being lower (1.53 v 2.00 kgOM/day) for lotus compared to pasture. Although deer grazing lotus had a similar carcass weight compared to deer grazing pasture, dressing-out percentages of deer grazing lotus were higher than that of deer grazing pasture (56.4 v 53.2 %). The carcass GR tissue depth of deer grazing lotus had similar values compared to pasture. There was no interaction between forage and genotype for carcass weight and dressing out percentage. Stags grazing lotus did not show any advancement in dates of pedicle initiation, velvet antler initiation and weight of velvet production compared to stags grazing pasture. 5. Total condensed tannin (CT) concentration in lotus was 48 and 13 g/kgOM in hand plucked and oesophageal fistulae (OF) extrusa samples respectively. Most CT in hand plucked lotus samples was extractable, with much smaller amounts being protein-bound or fibre-bound. Extractable CT was not detected in lotus OF extrusa samples, and the concentration of protein-bound and fibre-bound CT remained similar to hand plucked samples. Therefore, after chewing during eating, the extractable component of CT in lotus feed could not be extracted and detected by the Butanol/HCI analysis methods and may have been bound to deer salivary proteins. Total CT in both hand plucked and OF extrusa samples was 3.1 v 5.8 g/kgOM for chicory and 0.3 v 1.5 g/kgOM for pasture. As a result, chewing (in OF samples) did not reduce the CT content of pasture or chicory. This may be due to the low concentration of extractable CT (and high proportions of bound CT) in these forages, which may have limited access for the deer salivary CT-binding proteins. 6. Overall it was concluded that chicory was of very high feeding value (FV) and had excellent nutritional advantages for increasing deer production. However, crops of chicory need to have specialised grazing management to increase persistency. New chicory cultivars need to be selected to increase persistency and to reduce reproductive stem formation during summer. Effects of protein supply on initiation of pedicle and velvet antler development in weaner stags grazing fresh forages also needs to be studied. The small responses obtained in the present study give some indication that the CT content of Lotus comiculatus may have a number of values for improving the efficiency of growth in young deer. Further experiments are needed in this area.Item Review of the New Zealand Theileria orientalis Ikeda Type Epidemic and Epidemiological Research since 2012.(19/10/2021) Lawrence K; Gedye K; McFadden A; Pulford D; Heath A; Pomroy WThis article sets out to document and summarise the New Zealand epidemic and the epidemiological research conducted on the epizootic of bovine anaemia associated with Theileria orientalis Ikeda type infection, which began in New Zealand in August 2012. As New Zealand has no other pathogenic tick-borne cattle haemoparasites, the effects of the T. orientalis Ikeda type infection observed in affected herds and individual animals were not confounded by other concurrent haemoparasite infections, as was possibly the case in other countries. This has resulted in an unbiased perspective of a new disease. In addition, as both New Zealand's beef and dairy cattle systems are seasonally based, this has led to a different epidemiological presentation than that reported by almost all other affected countries. Having verified the establishment of a new disease and identified the associated pathogen, the remaining key requirements of an epidemiological investigation, for a disease affecting production animals, are to describe how the disease spreads, describe the likely impacts of that disease at the individual and herd level and explore methods of disease control or mitigation.Item A history of collection development at the Suter Art Gallery, Nelson, 1896-1997 : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Museum Studies at Massey University(Massey University, 1997) Taylor, Judith M.The dissertation outlines the history of the collection at the Suter Art Gallery and traces patterns of collecting and collection growth there. The broader New Zealand historical, sociological and museological context of the collection is considered and discussed with reference to literature on collecting in other New Zealand institutions. The influence of shifting cultural fields and their effect on collecting at the Suter Art Gallery is considered. Reassessment of the collection and changes in collecting practices at the Gallery are examined with reference to specific events and influences. The extent to which the collection is representative of the growth and development of the arts and artistic production in the Nelson Region is discussed. Unique characteristics of the collection are identified and discussed. Possible directions for the future of collecting at the Gallery are outlined.Item The profitability of beef production on some New Zealand sheep farms : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Agricultural Science in Farm Management at Massey University(Massey University, 1971) Lowe, Kevin I.New Zealand sheep farmers are currently receiving product prices which, when considered in relation to their farm costs, are the lowest they have been for many years. Wool prices appear unlikely to recover to levels experienced ten years ago and many sheep farmers are still relying on wool as a major source of farm income. There is an increasing awareness that beef animals can no longer be regarded as aids to good sheep husbandry and instead, must make a direct contribution to farm income. The increasing acceptance of animals of dairy origin as beef-producers, and continued confidence in the long-term market for beef, have helped provide a climate for large-scale moves toward beef-production on many New Zealand sheep farms. As a consequence, there has been a rapid increase in demand for economic information on all aspects of beef production and particularly with relation to established sheep enterprises. It is intended that this thesis shoud go some way towards meeting this demand. [From Introduction]Item An incubation study to assess the effect of waste sludge additions on some chemical characteristics of mine spoils : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Horticulture in Soil Science at Massey University(Massey University, 1997) O'Reilly, Joanne LimpusIn 1985 a study undertaken by the New Zealand Soil Bureau identified a major shortfall in topsoils for mining rehabilitation works and the use of surrogate materials to overcome this shortfall was postulated (Wills, 1992). The Resource Management Act 1991 places constraints on the disposal of wastes and may act as a catalyst for research into the beneficial utilisation of once waste products for land rehabilitation. The most common problem reclaiming of derelict and degraded land is a shortage of organic matter (Pulford, 1991) in the growing medium. The overall objective of the research reported in this study was to investigate chemical interactions between various mine spoils and sludge materials as organic amendments and to determine the level of sludge application (based on organic matter content) that maximised the chemical benefit to the mine spoils. A controlled incubation study was used to achieve the objectives of the study. Six mine spoils from two sources (a gold mine and a coal mine) and three sludge amendments from two sources (municipal sewage sludge and paper sludge) were used. The sludge amendments were applied to the mine spoils to supply three different rates of organic matter (2, 5 and 10% in the amended spoils) and incubated for 38 weeks. The incubations were sampled every four weeks until week 20 and finally at week 38 for chemical analysis. Results of the study revealed that organic matter, total and mineral N, total and Olsen P levels of the amended spoils could be predicted directly from the characteristics of the sludge and spoil constituents but pH, EC, CEC could not. The benefit of sludge addition on many of the chemical characteristics of the mined spoil increased with increasing level of sludge addition. Manukau sewage sludge was the most beneficial sludge to apply with respect to P fertilisation. North Shore sewage sludge presented the greatest benefit for mine spoil rehabilitation with respect to N and it provided less risk of heavy metal contamination than Manukau sewage sludge. Paper sludge presented the most benefit with respect to pH and organic matter and the least risk of heavy metal contamination; however, nutritionally it was inferior to the sewage sludges.Item Consumer and farmer perceptions of the New Zealand dairy industry's image : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Applied Science in Agricultural Systems and Management, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 1999-07) Billones, Regina G.A new marketing concept has emerged in response to concerns about the global environment. Many products now make claims about their "environmentally-friendly" attributes. Misleading advertising by some industries, however, have caused some consumers to become skeptical and disillusioned about "clean and green" claims. New Zealand dairy products are sold to over 115 countries and trade on the country's "clean and green" image. It is therefore important to understand and define clearly what "clean and green" means to different people in order to meet their expectations and needs. The aim of this research was to determine the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviour of different stakeholders in relation to New Zealand's "clean and green" image. Ninety-one Massey University international students and 250 supermarket shoppers from New Zealand, Philippines and UK were surveyed to determine their perceptions and buying behaviour with respect to New Zealand dairy products. Two-hundred and eighteen New Zealand dairy farmers were also surveyed to determine their perceptions concerning their industry's "clean and green" image. Stakeholders from the Philippine dairy industry were also interviewed and their systems for milk production, processing and quality control were contrasted those used in New Zealand. The consumers studied do perceive New Zealand as being "clean and green" and this had influenced their decision to buy its dairy products. However, caution needs to be excercised in extrapolating these conclusions to all markets. The "clean and green" image was associated to health and safety rather than environmental- or animal-welfare friendliness by Filipino shoppers and Asian university students. British consumers on the other hand, bought New Zealand dairy products primarily for their taste. Of the attributes studied, health and safety, taste and price were found to be the main determinants of consumer buying decisions. Conclusive evidence was not found that current practices on New Zealand dairy farms affect the marketability of its dairy products. Some consumers, however, expressed that they were willing to pay more for products that had environmental- and animal-welfare assurance. Where New Zealand dairy products are promoted as being "clean and green", farming practices need to be aligned to meet consumer expectations without sacrificing economic efficiency in milk production.
