Editors Notes
This edition of the Newsletter has been produced without the assistance of Malcolm Brown, who retired from AWTA Ltd on the 27th December 2002 (see Profiles). Since 1998 Malcolm has been a key member of our editorial team, and his contributions, creative input and advice has been truly appreciated. Malcolm will be missed but we know he is enjoying a well-earned retirement.
Kay Shivers, a well-known face to our Fremantle clients, has also left AWTA Ltd (see Profiles).
A constant theme throughout this issue is the detection of contamination of wool by dark and medullated fibres. Australia’s wool has an enviable reputation for its low level of contamination by these ‘objectionable fibres’ compared with wool produced by other countries. This is a reflection of the efforts by our wool growers to minimise contamination by appropriate animal husbandry and management techniques. They have been assisted in this by the efforts of our Stud Masters, research conducted by CSIRO, leadership provided by organisations such as the former Australian Wool Corporation, research and extension by the various state departments of agriculture, and by advice and encouragement provided by the Brokers and Agents representatives all over the country. However, we can do even more to enhance this reputation.
In our News section we provide some details about a new dark and medullated fibre testing service, which will be provided by AWTA Ltd from March this year. This service is targeted at identifying contamination from contact of merino ewes with exotic rams during mating, or with their crossbred lambs. While expensive (the test procedure is very labour intensive) it is an important first step to meet a present need, while less expensive technologies are developed. The inherent difficulties associated with testing for pigmented fibres from black spots and urine stain remain and this technology will not overcome these.
However, in our Opinion section we discuss initiatives AWTA Ltd has been promoting to provide purchasers of Australian wool with additional information about the risks of contamination from black spots, urine stain and also medullated fibres from individual sale lots. This is essentially the CSIRO Dark Fibre Risk Scheme, which was developed during the 1980’s but never implemented. We proposed to a seminar organised by the Federation of Australian Wool Organisations in November 2002 that the industry should revisit the DFRS and incorporate the new risks associated with contamination from exotic sheep breeds into the scheme. This is not simply a vendor declaration scheme as some sections of the media have suggested, although it does require information to be provided by wool producers to determine the risk factors for their lots.
In the Features section we have summarised the key paper outlining the DFRS, which was presented to CSIRO’s Woolspec seminar in Sydney in 1994. The original paper and earlier related documents are also available from our website (http://www.awta.com.au/Publications/Research_Papers/
Contamination.htm).
The For Technophiles section of this issue continues our series on technologies for measuring Mean Fibre Diameter of wool. Here we consider Direct Measurement using a micrometer or micrometer calliper and Optical Diffraction. Of these technologies the latter is of the most interest, because although it has not been adopted by the wool industry it is used throughout the world by other industries to determine the thickness of synthetic fibres, optical fibres and fine wires. In the next issue we will describe the technology of radiometry.
In the News section we also report on the last IWTO meeting in Nice, and announce the availability of more detailed information on wools testing finer than 16.5 microns. The latter is provided via the WOOLINK® system and is only available at the moment to users of this system. We also provide details of a new Premium Micron Testing Service, designed to provide wool growers with increased precision for diameter distribution statistics if they require it. The new Laserscan technology makes it possible to provide this service at a relatively small marginal cost.
This Newsletter is now widely distributed throughout China. To all our Chinese Readers:
Gong Xi Fa Cai (A Prosperous & Happy New Year).
Our Chinese Experts tell us that 2003 is the Year of the Black Sheep, which is appropriate, given the focus on Dark Fibre in this edition of the Newsletter.
Peter Sommerville
Corporate Development Manager – AWTA Ltd