As a service to members and the wider sheep industry MerinoLink is participating in the AWI Funded Merino Lifetime Productivity Project. The trial site is “The Vale”, Goldifelds Way, Temora, utilising the Bluechip Livestock ewes.
About the MLP Project
Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) and the Australian Merino Sire Evaluation Association (AMSEA) have teamed up with five sire evaluation sites to deliver the Merino Lifetime Productivity (MLP) Project 2015-25. The project is designed to capture lifetime data across diverse environments and Merino types to help better understand and deliver Merino ewe lifetime performance outcomes for the Australian Merino industry.
The AWI funded project is a $7 million (plus $5 million in support from project partners), 10-year partnership between AWI, AMSEA, nominating stud breeders and the site hosts. The collaborative effort will generate a unique Merino dataset that can be analysed to better understand how current selection approaches using visual selection along with 1) Raw Data, 2) Sire Adjusted Means, 3) Within Site and Project Breeding Values and 4) Australian Sheep Breeding Values (with and without genomic information), best predict the lifetime performance of the Merino ewe and how breeding strategies might be enhanced to deliver better productivity improvements to industry in the future.
For more information on the MLP Project and location of other MLP sites, head to the Merino Superior Sires website: https://merinosuperiorsires.com.au/mlp-project/
The MerinoLink Site
The Merino Lifetime Productivity (MLP) project has been designed to capture lifetime data from diverse environments, genetics and Merino types that will help us better understand and deliver lifetime performance outcomes for the Australian Merino industry. The project is funded by entrants and Australian Wool Innovation.
The project offers a unique opportunity to answer many industry questions. The MLP project runs on five sites where sire evaluation trial operates for the first two years and then the MLP project continues to measure the performance of ewe progeny over four to five joinings and annual shearings.
The ewe progeny will be annually assessed for visual and objective traits. Below is a list of sires participating at the MerinoLink site:
| Joined | Sire Name |
| 2016 | Bella Lana,130296 |
| 2016 | Boyanga, 145112 |
| 2017 | Bundilla, 140055 |
| 2017 | Centre Plus Poll, 407185 |
| 2017 | Collinsville, 130545 (Apollo) |
| 2017 | DT Kenilworth, WH13017 |
| 2016 | Glen Donald,120014 |
| 2016 | Greendale, 120012 |
| 2017 | Greendale, 140141 |
| 2017 | Lachlan, 305 |
| 2016 – Link | Leahcim Poll, 090918 |
| 2017 | Leahcim Poll, 132624 |
| 2016 – Link | One Oake No. 2 R56 |
| 2016 | Pastora Poll, 082893 |
| 2016 | Poll Boonoke, 120020 |
| 2016 | Pooginook Poll,140632 |
| 2016 | Roseville Park, 140611 |
| 2017 | Tallawong, 150280 |
| 2017 | Toland Poll, 151058 |
| 2017 | Trefusis, 150282 |
| 2017 – Link | Trigger Vale Poll, 140477 |
| 2016 | Trigger Vale Poll, 140477 |
| 2017 | Wallaloo Park, WP 422 |
| 2016 | Wattledale, 140754 |
| 2017 – Link | West Plains Poll (Mercenary), 110004 |
| 2016 | Wurrook, 130149 |