Wool Industry Research Articles

Infrared thermography as a non-invasive tool to study animal welfare

AbstractGrowing public concern regarding animal welfare and consumer demand for humanely produced products have placed pressure on the meat, wool and dairy industries to improve and confirm the welfare status of their animals. This has increased the need for reliable methods of assessing animal welfare during commercial farm practices. The measurement of the stress caused by commercial farm practices is a major component of animal welfare assessment. However, a major issue for animal welfare science is that many of the techniques used to measure stress involve invasive procedures, such as blood sampling, which may themselves cause a stress response and therefore affect the measurement of interest. To reduce this problem, a number of non-invasive or minimally invasive methods and devices have been developed to measure stress. These include the measurement of cortisol concentrations in saliva and faeces, and remote devices for recording body temperature, heart rate and the collection of blood samples. This review describes the benefits and limitations of some of these methods for measuring stress. In particular, the review focuses on recent advances and current research in the use of infrared thermography (IRT) for measuring stress. Specific applications for IRT in the dairy and beef industries are also described including an automated, non-invasive system for early diagnosis of infection in cattle. It is essential that non-invasive measures of acute and chronic stress are developed for reliable assessment of animal welfare during standard farm management practices and IRT may be a useful tool for this purpose. IRT may offer advantages over many other non-invasive systems as it appears to be capable of measuring different components of the stress axis, including acute sympathetic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical responses.

From Stroud to Strouds: The Hidden History of a British Fur Trade Textile

Museum records indiscriminately use the term 'strouds' for all kinds of woollen trade cloth used in Native American artefacts. The term is frequently encountered in fur trade journals and literature of all kinds. Yet, in histories of the British woollen industry there seems to be little knowledge that this type of cloth was produced in England and specifically designed for Native American markets. This article outlines the importance and roles of strouds in Great Lakes Native people's fur trade fashions and develops a precise profile for its physical characteristics. It also examines the British coarse broadcloth industry in relation to the extant records of major fur trade companies. Insofar as possible, the article thereby traces the trajectories of strouds from their points of manufacture to their ultimate destinations in Native North America.

New Institutional Arrangements for Rural Development: The Case of Local Woolgrowers' Associations in the Transkei Area, South Africa

Until recently, smallholder farmers in the Transkei area had very limited access to a profitable market outlet for their wool. In response, the South African wool industry built shearing sheds, managed by a local association that sells directly to the brokers. This article investigates the effect of joint wool marketing through the shearing shed on the farmers' revenue from wool. A three-step regression model of the revenue from wool indicates that the farmers selling through the shearing shed obtain better financial results as compared to those who use alternative channels. This analysis shows how new institutional arrangements may contribute to economic development.

Scientific Breeding in Central Europe during the Early Nineteenth Century: Background to Mendel’s Later Work

Efforts to bring science into early 19th century breeding practices in Central Europe, organised from Brno, the Hapsburg city in which Mendel would later turn breeding experiments into a body of timeless theory, are here considered as a significant prelude to the great discovery. During those years prior to Mendel’s arrival in Brno, enlightened breeders were seeking ways to regulate the process of heredity, which they viewed as a force to be controlled. Many were specialising in sheep breeding for the benefit of the local wool industry while others were showing an interest in commercial plants, especially fruit trees and vines, and later cereals. Breeders explained their problems in regulating heredity in terms of (1) climatic influences (2) disruption due to crossing (3) sports or saltations. Practical experience led them to the concepts of ‘inheritance capacity’ and the ‘mutual elective affinity’ of parents. The former was seen to differ among individuals and also among traits; the latter was proposed as a means of adding strength to heredity. The breeders came to recognise that traits might be hidden and yet transmitted as a ‘potential’ to future generations. They also grew to understand that heredity would be strengthened when a quality was ‘fixed’ within a lineage by ‘pure blood relations.’ Continued selection of the desired quality might then lead to ‘a higher perfection.’ But the ultimate ‘physiological’ question about breeding, ‘what is inherited and how?,’ found no answer. Major figures in this development included Abbot Napp, the one who asked this question and who was due to receive Mendel into the monastery in 1843, and Professor Diebl whose lectures on agriculture and natural science at the Brno Philosophical Institute Mendel would attend in 1846. Here we analyse their progress in theorizing about breeding up until about 1840. In discussing this development, we refer to certain international contacts, especially with respect to information transfer and scientific education, within the wider context of the late Enlightenment.

Collective Action in a Complex Institutional Environment

The importance of social capital and institutional reform is increasingly recognized in current development reporting. This article illustrates the complexity of the institutional environment in which smallholders in developing countries operate and how institutional innovation can contribute to increasing farmers' incomes. A case study of small-scale farmers in the Transkei area of South Africa illustrates the success of new institutional arrangements via a project of the South African wool industry, which aims at improving the livelihoods of farmers by supporting wool production and securing market access. However, possibilities with respect to specialization are limited because of a peculiar institutional environment, in particular a communal land-tenure system.

An Entrepreneurial Silk Weaver in Renaissance Florence

Analyzes 32 account books kept by Florentine weaver of silks and brocades Iacopo di Tedesco (d. 1548) during his working life, 1490-1539, as well as his nine years of retirement. The books recount the activities of nine of the ten partnerships he participated in as well as his personal income and expenditures. Since weaving constituted the most expensive part of the production process and since Tedesco and his enterprises concentrated on high-quality products, he contributed greatly to the economic development of his city by generating a highly skilled workforce and valuable products for sale at high prices. Unfortunately, he also employed large numbers of low-skilled, low-wage workers whose lot in life and contribution to the economy were less enviable. In this, the silk industry contrasted starkly with the contemporary Florentine wool industry. After Tedesco's retirement, the silk industry underwent a change making it more like the wool industry, producing simpler, low-end material and leveling the skill level of the workforce.

LCA of Multicrystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Systems - Part 2: Application on an Island Economy (8 pp)

Part 1: Present Situation and Future Perspectives Part 2: Application on an Island Economy In the first part of this paper, we developed a methodology to incorporate exposure and risk concepts into life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). We argued that both risk assessment and LCIA are needed to consider the impacts of increasing insulation for single-family homes in the US from current practice to the levels recommended by the 2000 International Energy Conservation Codes. In this analysis, we apply our model to the insulation case study and evaluate the benefits and costs of increased insulation for new housing. The central estimate of impacts from the complete insulation manufacturing supply chain is approximately 17 premature deaths, 470 asthma attacks, and 8.100 restricted activity days nationwide for one year of increased fiberglass output. Of the health impacts associated with increased insulation manufacturing, 83% are attributable to the supply chain emissions from the mineral wool industry, which is mostly associated with the direct primary PM2.5 emissions from the industry (98%). Reduced energy consumption leads to 1.3 premature deaths, 36 asthma attacks, and 610 restricted activity days avoided per year, indicating a public health 'payback period' on the order of 13 years. Almost 90% of these benefits were associated with direct emissions from power plants and residential combustion sources. In total, the net present value of economic benefits over a 50-year period for a single-year cohort of new homes is $240 million with a 5% discount rate, with 49 fewer premature deaths in this period. Recommendation and Outlook. We have developed and applied a risk-based model to quantify the public health costs and benefits of increased insulation in new single-family homes in the US, demonstrating positive net economic and public health benefits within the lifetimes of the homes. More broadly, we demonstrated that it is feasible to incorporate exposure and risk concepts into I-O LCA, relying on regression-based intake fractions followed by more refined dispersion modeling. The refinement step is recommended especially if primary PM2.5 is an important source of exposure and if stack heights are relatively low. Where secondary PM2.5 is more important, use of regression-based intake fractions would be sufficient for a reasonable risk approximation. Uncertainties in our risk-based model should be carefully considered; nevertheless, our study can help decision-makers evaluate the costs and benefits of demand-side management policy options from a combined public health and life cycle perspective.

A Risk-Based Approach to Health Impact Assessment for Input-Output Analysis, Part 2: Case Study of Insulation (8 pp)

In the first part of this paper, we developed a methodology to incorporate exposure and risk concepts into life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). We argued that both risk assessment and LCIA are needed to consider the impacts of increasing insulation for single-family homes in the US from current practice to the levels recommended by the 2000 International Energy Conservation Codes. In this analysis, we apply our model to the insulation case study and evaluate the benefits and costs of increased insulation for new housing. The central estimate of impacts from the complete insulation manufacturing supply chain is approximately 14 premature deaths, 400 asthma attacks, and 7000 restricted activity days nationwide for one year of increased fiberglass output. Of the health impacts associated with increased insulation manufacturing, 83% is attributable to the supply chain emissions from the mineral wool industry, which is mostly associated with the direct primary PM2.5 emissions from the industry (98%). Reduced energy consumption leads to 1.2 premature deaths, 33 asthma attacks, and 600 restricted activity days avoided per year, indicating a public health “payback period” on the order of 11 years. Over 90% of these benefits were associated with direct emissions from power plants and residential combustion sources. In total, the net present value of economic benefits over a 50-year period for a single-year cohort of new homes is $190 million with a 5% discount rate, with 49 fewer premature deaths in this period. Recommendation and Outlook. We have developed and applied a risk-based model to quantify the public health costs and benefits of increased insulation in new single-family homes in the US, demonstrating positive net economic and public health benefits within the lifetimes of the homes. More broadly, we demonstrated that it is feasible to incorporate exposure and risk concepts into I-O LCA, relying on regression-based intake fractions followed by more refined dispersion modeling. The refinement step is recommended especially if primary PM2.5 is an important source of exposure and if stack heights are relatively low. Where secondary PM2.5 is more important, use of regression-based intake fractions would be sufficient for a reasonable risk approximation. Uncertainties in our risk-based model should be carefully considered; nevertheless, our study can help decision-makers evaluate the costs and benefits of demand-side management policy options from a combined public health and life cycle perspective.

Ross & Glendining and the Development of the New Zealand Woollen and Worsted Industries before 1914

Cyclical downturns and heavy unemployment from the 1860s onwards encouraged the New Zealand government to foster the development of industry in order to promote economic stability. The woollen and worsted industry was a beneficiary of bonuses and tariffs, and by the turn of the century there were ten mills at work. Although not the first mover, the dominant firm in the industry was that of Ross & Glendining. Initially a major importer of clothing and textiles, this firm integrated backwards into woollen manufacturing to take advantage of growing markets. The success of the firm was partly due to the considerable mercantile wealth of the partners and their access to an extensive distributional network. More important, perhaps, was their enterprise and their willingness to innovate even under the most adverse conditions. This present article exploits a hitherto little used archive in order to provide a unique insight into the ways in which two Scottish entrepreneurs took advantage of that environment to create the basis for what was to become the country's largest manufacturing enterprise.

Town and Factory: An Historic Building Survey of 200 Years of John Paton's Kilncraigs Woollen Mill in Alloa, Clackmannanshire

A programme of historic building recording took place at Kilncraigs, later Patons & Baldwins woollen mill, in Alloa, Clackmannanshire in advance of the redevelopment of the site as a supermarket. This project involved a full architectural, historical and social study of the complex, which ranged from several stone-built mills of the 19th century to modern single-storey spinning sheds of the 1980s and which had, for over two centuries, been a striking and socially important landmark for this small town on the Hillfoots of the Ochils. The recording work carried out by AOC Archaeology was to a specification laid out by Clackmannanshire Council. This article has been sub-divided into four sections. The first part of the article deals with the background surrounding the project and what was required to record the mill in its entirety prior to demolition. The second part of the article deals with the methodology employed on-site during the archaeological works. Thirdly, the wool industry in Scotland is discussed and the role that Kilncraigs mill had in this industry and in Alloa. Finally, the article concentrates on the architectural history and development of one of the most intact remains of the woollen industry throughout the last two centuries in Central Scotland.

The economic benefits of rabbit control in Australian temperate pastures by the introduction of rabbit haemorrhagic disease

The European rabbit is present in most Australian environments and causes economic loss in agricultural systems by reducing production and imposing control costs on producers and governments. Research into rabbit control has recognised the need for reliable benefit–cost analysis to justify inputs into rabbit management. This paper provides estimates of the costs of rabbits in Australian temperate pasture systems and of the long-term benefits of reducing rabbits by the introduction of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD). Rabbits impose annual costs on wool producers in the temperate pasture areas of between 7.1 and 38.7 million Australian dollars (mA$) depending on their density. Controlling rabbits by RHD has the potential to generate substantial long-term economic benefits by reducing grazing competition with sheep. Reducing rabbit costs by 25% generated 15-year net present values (NPVs) between 18.4 and 97.3 mA$ at various pre-RHD rabbit densities. A 50% reduction in rabbit costs increased the total NPVs between 36.9 and 202.4 mA$, virtually all of which was captured by temperate area wool producers. The corresponding benefit–cost ratios were between 2.9:1 and 16.2:1 for a 25% rabbit reduction and 5.9:1 and 32.4:1 for a 50% reduction, where the total costs of the RHD program in the temperate pasture areas were incurred by the wool industry. The analysis provides guidelines for the economic evaluation of other pest problems in agricultural production systems.

The economic benefits of rabbit control in Australian temperate pastures by the introduction of rabbit haemorrhagic disease

AbstractThe European rabbit is present in most Australian environments and causes economic loss in agricultural systems by reducing production and imposing control costs on producers and governments. Research into rabbit control has recognised the need for reliable benefit‐cost analysis to justify inputs into rabbit management. This paper provides estimates of the costs of rabbits in Australian temperate pasture systems and of the long‐term benefits of reducing rabbits by the introduction of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD). Rabbits impose annual costs on wool producers in the temperate pasture areas of between 7.1 and 38.7 million Australian dollars (mA$) depending on their density. Controlling rabbits by RHD has the potential to generate substantial long‐term economic benefits by reducing grazing competition with sheep. Reducing rabbit costs by 25% generated 15‐year net present values (NPVs) between 18.4 and 97.3 mA$ at various pre‐RHD rabbit densities. A 50% reduction in rabbit costs increased the total NPVs between 36.9 and 202.4 mA$, virtually all of which was captured by temperate area wool producers. The corresponding benefit‐cost ratios were between 2.9:1 and 16.2:1 for a 25% rabbit reduction and 5.9:1 and32.4:l for a 50% reduction, where the total costs of the RHD program in the temperate pasture areas were incurred by the wool industry. The analysis provides guidelines for the economic evaluation of other pest problems in agricultural production systems.

Potential economic benefits to the Australian wool industry from improving pastures in the hill country of eastern New South Wales

Large areas of undeveloped pastures in non-arable hill country in eastern New South Wales could be improved by aerial methods. The potential economic benefits of pasture improving a portion of the hill country area were evaluated in terms of the economic welfare changes in the Australian wool industry. Hill country wool producers and international wool consumers would derive nearly all of the benefits from this process. Other Australian and international wool producers would lose economic welfare because of the reduced price from increased regional wool production. For conservative anticipated levels of pasture improvement adoption, the overall benefits to the Australian wool industry had 15-year mean present values of between $30.2 million and $122.1 million, depending on whether the introduced pasture was predominantly perennial grass or legume based. The value of this analysis is that it provides improved economic information for planning investment in new pasture technologies in the Australian livestock industries.

Increasing the economic benefits from agricultural research: the case of enhancing the diffusion of a pasture weed technology

The process of enhancing the diffusion of a new technology attempts to shorten the time between the completion and adoption of an agricultural research programme, as well as to increase the overall level of adoption. The economic benefits of introducing a new technology are influenced by the technology development lag, the adoption lag and the maximum, or ceiling, level of adoption. Technology diffusion embodies these issues and concerns the uptake of a new technology across a population of potential adopters. Diffusion enhancement is now considered to be a desirable component of pasture research programmes in Australia. This paper evaluates the economic benefits of enhancing the diffusion process for new technology in the management of Vulpia, which is a prominent annual grass weed of Australian temperate pastures. Differences in economic benefits were calculated for a range of scenarios, by varying the values of the main elements of the diffusion process relative to those of a base scenario which represented the most optimistic adoption expectations for the technology. The discounted total benefits to the Australian wool industry, calculated for a 15-year period from reducing Vulpia in temperate pastures, were between A$31.9 million and A$287.3 million, according to differences in the pasture's Vulpia content. While the 2 main time components of the diffusion process both had strong effects on the potential benefits, the technology lag had a much larger influence than the adoption lag. This result emphasises the importance of agricultural research programmes that are able to quickly diffuse such technologies to the potential adopters.

Farewell to Arcady: or Getting Off the Sheep's Back

The saying that `Australia rode to prosperity on the sheep's back' never had more than a small measure of truth; it is better rephrased as `Australia has enjoyed limited periods of modest prosperity through the near-destruction by sheep of a fragile native vegetation'. Sheep, however, have had a cultural role in Australia that needs to be understood if the failures of the wool industry leadership are to be grasped. This role has had a long history, in part Biblical (the Good Shepherd, the episcopal crosier, pastoral care), greatly reinforced by the Enclosures of the 18th century in Britain, promoting an idealized landscape of trees and grass. Settlers found Arcady in eastern Australia, often prepared for them by Aboriginal land use; in came the sheep, the lawn-mowers of the day, and up went the place names, from Camden Park on. `Parks' had social status. Landscapes of trees and grass were much admired, but lacking an understorey, essentially rather sterile from an ecological point of view. The grassy open woodlands were painted by the likes of Hans Heysen, while Tom Roberts painted the shearers. They became the very image of Australia, but the landscapes are dying, and the isolated trees are not regenerating. Many of the images remain potent. But sentiment will not pay the bills of the new century, so it is farewell to Arcady. The nymphs are long departed. This essay, like Gaul, is divided into three parts, the first of which considers sheep and the pastoral industry as a land use: the second is about the politics of wool; the third, about Arcady in Australia, is a theme that helps to explain the first two.

Co-Branding in the New Zealand Wool Industry: Does an Extra Brand Add Value or Clutter?

Co-Branding in the New Zealand Wool Industry: Does an Extra Brand Add Value or Clutter?

Ozonation of high strength segregated effluents from a woollen textile dyeing and finishing plant

Effluents from dyeing processes of woollen textile finishing industries are highly polluted with recalcitrant compounds compared to effluents from rinsing and finishing processes. Oxidation of woollen textile dyeing effluent consisting of wastewater generated from spent dye baths and first and second rinses (remaining composite wastewater) were investigated. Ozone oxidation ( C O3=18.5 mg/l; input rate) was applied on remaining composite wastewater, before and after the biological treatment, for various time intervals. Treatment efficiency was monitored by decolorization and by COD removal rates. Additionally, toxicity tests (bioluminescence test) were carried out to determine the effect of oxidation process. The results indicated that 40 min ozonation of biologically treated wastewater yielded almost colorless effluent with a decolorization efficiency of around 98–99% and with a corresponding ozone absorption rate of 58.0 mg/l. Biological treatment followed by 10 min ozone oxidation reduced the overall toxicity significantly (92%). However, ozonation was found to have only slight effect on COD removal.

Sheep blowfly strike reduction using a synthetic lure system

The effectiveness of a synthetic lure system to reduce the incidence of blowfly strike in sheep flocks was assessed, using randomised field trials. Four field trials used eight total groups of sheep randomised to treatment (flytrap) or control on two properties in southern Queensland between 1999 and 2001. Treatment consisted of the operation of flytraps in paddocks as per manufacturer’s recommendations. All sheep were inspected physically each month for flystrikes. Flytraps were associated with a reduction in flystrike incidence of 38–55%, compared to control sheep. Results confirm that traps are a useful component of a flystrike-control program. The use of fly traps by a substantial proportion of woolgrowers could assist the Australian wool industry to meet targets of reduced pesticides on shorn wool.

Anthrax and the wool trade. 1902.

John Henry Bell. Anthrax-Its Relation to the Wool Industry. Oliver T, ed. Dangerous Trades: The Historical, Social, and Legal Aspects of Industrial Occupations as Affecting Health, by a Number of Experts. London: John Murray; 1902: 634-643.

Economic impact of Vulpia in temperate pasture systems in south-eastern Australia

An increasing incidence of annual grasses is considered to be a primary cause of decline in the productivity of Australia's temperate pasture systems. In particular, Vulpia (silver grass) comprises a significant proportion of the biomass of many temperate pastures and can seriously affect livestock productivity. The main economic effects of Vulpia include reducing pasture carrying capacities, contaminating produce and competing with more desirable pasture species. This paper presents the results of an economic evaluation of the costs of Vulpia and the long-term benefits of improving Vulpia management in the high-rainfall areas of south-eastern Australia. The evaluation used an integrated economic modelling system that determined the grazing system and livestock industry impacts of Vulpia and translated these into measures of economic welfare change that enabled the benefit-cost analysis of various levels of Vulpia management to be undertaken. With a focus on wool, the analysis established the high annual costs of Vulpia to wool producers and consumers, together with substantial long-term economic benefits that could potentially result from reducing the incidence of Vulpia in pastures. Total annual costs to the wool industry in the temperate pasture zone of New South Wales and Victoria ranged between A$7 and $30 million, while the potential discounted net benefits to the Australian and international wool industries were between $32 and $287�million over a 15-year period at a real discount rate of 5%. These estimates provide a strong economic basis for promoting improved management strategies for reducing Vulpia incidence in pastures.