R&D update
Promising progress of applicator research
AWI Wool Production General Manager, Ian Rogan briefed a woolgrowers forum this week on the promising progress in the trials of applicators for non-surgical alternatives to mulesing.
A major challenge in converting collagenase into a commercial product is to develop a reliable applicator that meets the specific criteria.
“Those criteria are that the applicator must consistently inject to a depth of 1-2mm; it must work over a curved crescent shape and inject through dag, dirt and wool; it must not spread infection and it must be reliable in yard conditions,” said Ian Rogan.
“Because of the technical difficulties in developing an applicator, we have deliberately backed a number of different companies using a number of different approaches,” he said.
“We are very pleased to report that we concluded a round of testing two weeks ago on three needle-less applicators at Armidale in NSW. The results were very satisfying. All three will be further evaluated in field trials over the next two months.”
The R&D program continues apace, with several projects currently underway.
“Another project with veterinary surgeons at the University of Sydney aims to simplify the pattern we use to apply the treatment. This could make the treatment easier and cheaper, without compromising efficacy,” said Ian Rogan.