Rutherglen may be a long way to come to study strategies to improve ruminant performance and meat quality, but that didn’t discourage Italian university student Gianluca Baldi.
Mr Baldi is from a town 20 kilometres from Milan in northern Italy and is currently working at the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR) Rutherglen to focus on his PhD studies in animal nutrition and food safety.
Mr Baldi said spending six months of his final year of his PhD studies at Rutherglen would give him the opportunity to work with some of the top scientists in his research field.
“My focus is on nutritional and management strategies to improve ruminant performance and meat quality and while here, I will be involved in a project evaluating the impact of high antioxidant supplementation during hot seasonal conditions on finishing lamb performance, antioxidants and meat quality,” Mr Baldi said.
He said the research could have implication for farms throughout the world.
DEDJTR researcher Nick Linden said the sheep involved in the project were being fed three different diets during an eight week period. The impacts of various supplements in helping animals withstand periods of high temperatures were being reserved and recorded.
“At the half way stage all the lambs are performing well, but we really need to get through to the end point before we can get too carried away with results," Mr Linden said.
This project is in collaboration with DEDJTR Attwood and Rutherglen, University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, University of NSW and NSW Department of Primary Industries.
Mr Linden said the national and international collaboration allowed the sharing of skills and innovative thinking from leading scientists.
“It has also been great to have Mr Baldi working in the lamb industry, he has a beef production background at home, so I’ve been really proud to show him how sophisticated and professional the Victorian lamb industry is.”