Genetics congress people see best of NZ
Conference goers will see some of the best places to visit in New Zealand when they attend the World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, says an organiser.
Massey University Professor, from the College of Animal Sciences, Hugh Blair, said he expected about 900 visitors to attend the congress, but 1250 were registered.
For many people it would be their only chance to see New Zealand, he said.
It is the first time New Zealand has hosted the congress, which will be in Auckland next week. The congress was only previously hosted in the Southern Hemisphere once before in its 11 year history, in Australia.
Blair said the congress programme would have a New Zealand flavour.
‘‘We are having 10 field trips next Wednesday. One will include dairy farms and organisations and one will be beef and an angus stud, there will be added trip to Hobbiton which was first to fill up. And we have horticulture, trees and equine trips and added-on trips to the Waitomo Caves, and Waiheke Island.’’
Blair said conference goers would listen to four days of lectures and scientific papers which were planned for the other days.
‘‘There are 930 papers, so we have to run five parallel sessions. Massey has a strong contingent going, seven PHD students and staff.’’
He said New Zealand was known for its animal production genetics, with pioneers such as Professor Dry (who developed the drysdale sheep) and Peren (with the perendale) in the 1930s and more recently Al Rae.
‘‘All the big names now of genetics are coming. It covers everything that is bred and genetics which are vital, such as in animals, trees and plants.
‘‘The easy way to describe it is what we’re doing is using performance and DNA information to rank animals or plants for selection.’’
Blair said the same genetics did not work worldwide.
‘‘Sheep or cattle in the tropics or China and Mongolia need to be different to those in New Zealand. It is not one size fits all. But the principles of ranking animals, are the same everywhere.’’
He said the same issues hit everyone such as welfare and disease, whether it be sheep, dairy cows beef cattle or trees as well as kiwifruit.
Blair said the gala dinner was to be a New Zealand barbecue highlighting New Zealand food such as mussels and beef as well as lamb.
Partners had an exciting trip planned too he said.