2019 MLA phosphorous challenge

Do you want to be part of Meat Livestock Australia’s (MLA) phosphorus challenge? MLA are looking for 100 producers willing to participate in blood sampling of nominated mobs to determine their P status. It will lead to an assessment of the P status of northern herds and help demonstrate that supplantation provides a cost benefit.

To be eligible, producers must be able to:

• Yard stock at a time nominated for sampling OR can organise a technician, extension officer or vet to collect the samples during routine husbandry practices before the end of May 2019.
• Have adequate stock handling equipment, such as a vet crush.
• Have young breeders, heifers OR steers on a good plane of nutrition.

Producers should also meet at least two of the following criteria:

• Have cattle grazing in a known P deficient region OR an old cropping paddock.
• Steers/heifers achieving annual growth of less than 120kg OR a record of poor reproductive performance.
• Understand they’re managing P deficient country and feed P (but want to know if supplementation is sufficient).
• New to the industry and keen to manage any P deficiency to improve production.

Producers interested in the 2019 P Challenge should contact their local Regional Beef Research Committee chair. You can find their contact details by visiting the North Australia Beef Research Council’s website and selecting your region.

For more information about the P Challenge contact:

Dr Nigel Tomkins
MLA Project Manager - Research and Development, Grassfed Beef
Email: ntomkins@mla.com.au