Farmers will talk about whether it’s in flower or not and what kind of oil content it might achieve at harvest.

But now canola is on the table for a different reason. It is being used to successfully fatten beef cattle. 

CSU Bachelor of Animal Science (Honours) student Emma Lynch will present her research at the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation’s annual beef forum on August 4. 

“The canola meal we have used is a by-product of oil production and in recent years it’s been a cheaper option than the pellets,” she said. 

The going rate for canola meal is about $345/tonne. 

Canola meal also meets the guidelines for vendors who want to sell their stock within the Pasture Fed Cattle Assurance System (PCAS). 

During the 60-day Wagga trial 20 steers which were fed the canola meal ration gained 2.5 kilograms a day. 

“The steers were weighed every 14 days to compare growth rates and we also collected samples to study the fatty acids in the blood, in particular Omega-3,” Ms Lynch said. 

The fatty acid data, in particular the amount of omega-3, will provide valuable information that will link with other projects examining human health attributes of meat. 

“The study will also provide useful information for processors about how canola meal influences the carcass traits of grass-fed beef cattle.”

The research is supervised by lecturer in farming systems  Michael Campbell from CSU’s School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) livestock research officer Dr Edward Clayton.