Jamie Young (M.Sc. Student)
Being an animal lover and wanting to change the world, I did my undergraduate degree in animal science. In these 4 years, I developed a passion for sustainability, which brought me to the world of pasture sciences.Β
The agricultural industry has many obstacles preventing its role in sustainability, such as finances and high demands, to name but a few. The agricultural industry can be positively changed by working through sustainable solutions in the pasture sciences field. I have learned that sustainability is a concept with a multitude of perspectives, with no one specific definition.Β The diversity of the South African climate and the need for economical, highly productive crops for animal production have brought to light the opportunity to use a weed as a possible new pasture species.Β Conyza bonariensisΒ is one such weed. My research will be focused on analysing this possibility and exploring what beneficial characteristicsΒ C. bonariensisΒ may present to the agricultural industry. Research into the forage quality of this weed species and its relative value to agriculture will potentially enable us to exploit it as a sustainable, resilient pasture species.
Experimentation will be conducted to assess the initial forage quality ofΒ C. bonariensisΒ and the influence of both climatic and management effects on the quality of the weed. The trials will be conducted in our very own greenhouse, with relatively controlled conditions and uniform applications to ensure accurate results. By the end of these two years, I hope to have attained answers to all these questions, be it negative or novel results; both will be an answer nonetheless. However, above this, I hope to have gained invaluable knowledge in our industry and acquire skills that will enable me to make a valuable contribution to the pasture sciences field.