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An evaluation of Merino wool quality:II. An estimate of the incidence of coarse fibres in Australian Merino wool

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

J. R. Gallagher
J. R. Gallagher
Affiliation:
Department of Livestock Husbandry, University of New England, Armidale, N.S.W., Australia
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Summary

Estimates of the incidence of coarse fibres and medullation were made from 1014 bales of Merino greasy wool, from the five major wool-selling centres in Australia. A full range of wool types was represented from the fault-free spinners types to the burry, dusty, inferior topmakers' types. The wool consisted of 36 processors' lots ranging from 1 to 120 bales.

The mean diameter of the 36 lots was 20·7 ± 5·3 μ 2·4% of the fibre population exceeded 30 μ the incidence of medullation was 1·1%.

Mean diameters of the individual lots ranged from 14·7 to 25·3 μ Twenty-one of the 36 lots had coefficients of variation of mean fibre diameter which exceeded 23%. The range of clean, oven-dried yield was 49·4–69·1%. The between-lot variation in fibre medullation was 0–3·1%.

It is concluded that fibre coarseness as measured by diameter was not a problem in the wide range of wool sampled. However, the incidence of medullation is an increase on previous estimates and should be a cause of concern to breeders.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 74 , Issue 1 , February 1970 , pp. 99 - 102
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1970

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References

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