The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Cattle-study team wins top prize
Researchers at the Scottish rural college who put pedometers on the legs of dairy and beef cows to find out more about their movements have won an international scientific prize.
The SRUC team – Bert Tolkamp, Marie Haskell, Fritha Langford, Colin Morgan and David Roberts – collected an Ig Noble Prize. The awards are intended to celebrate the unusual, honour the imaginative and spur people’s interest in science, medicine and technology.
Prizes are awarded for research that makes people laugh, and then makes them think.
The pedometers were fitted as part of research aimedat finding out ifcows are more likely to lie down the longer they stand.
Buttheworkfoundcattle which stood for six hours were just as likely to lie down for the same length of time as others only standing for an hour. The researchers also discovered some cattle spend more time standing than others.
Mr Tolkamp said the team were surprised and pleased to receive the award. “Anything that promotes interest in science is very welcome and we hope that winning the prize will give us additional opportunities to explain to other scientists, funding bodies and the public what we are doing and why it is worthwhile,” he added.
“As farms get bigger, there is less and less direct contact between farm workers and animals, whichmightmeanlaterdetection of problems. By shedding light on cow behaviour as an indicator of potential problems, our research is providing newopportunities to protect and improve cattle health and welfare.”
Mr Tolkamp collected the award in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the US. Anoted show calf producer returned to the show ring in style yesterday.
Ian Wilson, of Wester Cairnglass, Gollanfield, near Inverness, won the supreme at Aberdeen and Northern Marts' show and sale of weaned and suckled calves at Inverurie's Thainstone Centre.
Mr Wilson dispersed half his suckler cow herd earlier this year and has not had any cattle on the summer show circuit as a result.
He and son Paul had beasts at last week's Spectacular. Their leader at the Nicol of Skene-sponsored show at Thainstone yesterday was a 12-month-old 530kg (1,168lb) Charolais cross steer, by the now deceased Elgin Elton and out of a Simmental cross cow bought from Stronachs, of Berryleys, Grange, Keith.
Show judge Gordon Kemp, ofWaterside, Alford, backed up his judgment and bought his champion for £1,420.
Mr Kemp also paid the same price for the heifer champion, a 13-month-old 528kg (1,163lb) Charolais cross from W.E. Forbes, of Dalrachie Farm, Ballindalloch.
Arthur Nicol, of Nicol of Skene, presented the trophies. A trust which awards scholarships to young people to travel and study agriculture and the rural economy elsewhere in the world is inviting applications for assistance. The Roy Watherston Memorial Trust is available to anyone under 30. The trust is administered by the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. Details from Adele Thomson, on 0131 335 6200 or adelet@rhass.org.uk Farmer Norman Morrow, of Brunthill, New Deer, is the owner of a new quad bike after winning it from insurance broker Clark Thomson. The Perthbased firm had stands at Turriff, Perth and Black Isle shows and offered the bike in a prize draw.