Mineral response in Tibetan livestock

This project LPS-2005-129 extends and follows-up the recommendations of the survey of the mineral nutrition of pregnant sheep, lactating cattle and yaks in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) of China. As a first step, Dr Geoff Tudor, who had been the Senior Beef Research Officer in the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, was appointed to the project in February 2007 as a research fellow with the role and responsibilities to link operations between Perth, Beijing and Lhasa while located in Lhasa. Dr Tudor arrived in Lhasa in April 2007, and immediately began organising the staff and operations to complete the mineral survey the summer and autumn of 2007. Meanwhile, Dr Bill Winter, as manager of the Livestock Production Systems Program, coordinated a workshop involving the researchers and staff from the major ACIAR livestock projects in Tibet. The workshop took place in Lhasa from 21st May to 1st of June 2007. For LPS-2005-129 in particular, Professor Costa and Dr Tashi led a four-day workshop where all the personnel in the project established the project's scope and operations for 2007 and beyond.
At the workshop, TAAAS staff agreed to coordinate the daily operations of the mineral survey, and mineral response trials for the project, while CAAS staff agreed to conduct the mineral analyses on all samples. Dr Geoff Judson acted as a consultant to the workshop and research team and was instrumental in developing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) that will form the basis of sample collection, handling, processing, mineral analysis and data collection, collation and statistical analysis. A mineral survey strategy was developed for 440 farms across 10 counties. The equipment and consumables for these surveys were purchased in Australia and shipped to Lhasa ready for the survey to commence. However, progress on the mineral survey was totally disrupted by the severe illness and subsequent withdrawal of Dr Geoff Tudor from the project. Without Dr Tudor's linking and on-ground coordinating role, and delays in obtaining visas for Mr Allan Clark, [formerly senior technician at Hamilton Research Station] who was initially contracted to assume leadership of the sample collection training role in Lhasa, meant that little progress was achieved in 2007.
Notwithstanding these setbacks, there have been some achievements for 2007: all of the project team are familiar with each other, everyone has agreed priorities and process for the project, and the basic infrastructure for conducting the mineral survey has been purchased in Australia and is in place in Lhasa and Beijing. Most importantly all of the consumables and equipment are in place, and the standard operating procedures confirmed which are the prerequisites to completing the survey work. Once a replacement for Dr Tudor has been confirmed, then the project is ready to continue and meet its objectives. Each collaborating institution remains committed to the success of the project.