GREATER amounts of white clover could start appearing in dairy pastures again thanks to new scientific research.
Genetic modification has been used to develop "designer white clover" which could overcome "genetic limitations" such as Alf Alfa Mosaic Virus.
AbacusBio pasture genetic consultant Dr Kevin Smith told the crowd at DairySA "pastures for the future" South East Dairy Innovation Day at Mt Gambier last week the Alf Alfa Mosaic Virus caused white clover to yield and survive less but, at this stage, no "genetic variation for resistance to this virus" in white clover had been found.
This meant researchers had to use a different technology to disable the virus.
"We used a GM approach which is similar to vaccination, in that when this virus comes to infect the white clover it sheds what's called its coat protein and then infects," he said.
"If the virus detects that the coat protein is already in the plant then it says 'OK, this plant's already infected, I will just keep alive to infect the next one'."
Dr Smith said that over a number of years results showed a reduction in the level of the virus in the genetically modified white clover compared with the traditional variety.
This technology was in the trial stage and he expected it to be available on farm "realistically" in five-to-10 years.
Other advances covered by the Hamilton-based pasture expert included using a GM approach to change the physical position of sugar in rye grass.
Dr Smith said it was mostly located in the base of the plant, but using this technology it can be moved into the leaf blade so the cow would harvest more energy more effectively.
DNA finger-printing has also been used to identify the strain of ryegrass endophyte that has the toxin Lolitrem B which causes rye-grass staggers.
Dr Smith told farmers they must identify their business "profit drivers" so they are best placed to benefit from scientific improvements in forages.
He said farmers were in a strong position to tell breeders and geneticists what to "target" when it came to scientific improvements in forages.
By understanding profit drivers of their own business, he said, farmers would know what questions to ask and know what they would be prepared to "trade-off" to achieve their required improvements in pasture.
