FOOTBRIDGE LODGE,
Chamberlain Road,
Bombay Hills,
Auckland 1850,
New Zealand.
PO Box 27,
Bombay,
Auckland 1730
Phone/Fax:
64-9-2360510
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FOOTBRIDGE LODGE, |
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THE LILY FORD CENTRE
“In the sciences, hypothesis always precedes law, which is to
say, there is always a lot of tall guessing before a new fact is established.
The guessers are often quite as important as the fact- finders; in truth, it
would not be difficult to argue that they are more important. New facts are
seldom plucked from clear sky; they have to be approached and smelled out by a
process of trial and error, in which bold and shrewd guessing is an integral
part. The Greeks were adept at such guessing, and the scientists of the world
have been following the leads they opened for more than two thousand years.”
H.L.Mencken.
Two divisions operate at the centre. The first does R&D work in equine related
science, the other, Millennium Microbes, is seeking ways of reducing the
reliance of chemical in our food chain.
The Equine Performance Laboratory
One of the purposes of this laboratory is to promote the NZ Equine Industry
through the pursuit of knowledge in equine sport science and its application in
the raising and training of NZ horses.
PAST PROJECTS
1/ RENASCENCE TREADMILL
The development of treadmill technology at The Lily Ford Centre followed an investigation of other high- speed machines manufactured in the USA and Europe and their incorporation into performance laboratories throughout the world, mainly in leading universities.
2/ EquINFORM Software
This software fills a void in the recording and reporting of the equine athlete
through various phases of its life and training.
The software is interactive with a Content Management System, giving it the
ability to inform the horse’s owners of up to date information, via a secure
network.
Both the Renascence Treadmill and EquINFORM Software projects are ready for
commercial development.
3/ Prices Rd /Airport Pollution Report.
This paper was written to try and make some sense out of the
scientific evidence available in regard to the influence pollution will have on
a group of athletic mammals, namely our thoroughbreds.
Fortunately commonsense prevailed and the project was abandoned with the total
rejection of the protagonists at the next election of the board of the Auckland
Racing Club.
(Flag To)
(Review of
Health Risks Associated with Large Airports and their Surrounds)
Paper Written
by Dr G. R. Ford
4/ Fairtax Campaign
The original meeting of the Fairtax group was held at Footbridge.
Jo Davis was working at the Lily Ford Centre designing templates for the
EquINFORM Software at the time. Graeme Ford had visited Laurie Sutherland in
Invercargill the previous month and informed Laurie that the time was ‘ripe’ to
launch something from Auckland. Jo Davis shifted into the Fairtax role and
anchored the project.
With the determination and generosity of Rob MacAnulty and a small group of
dedicated workers awareness of the unfair taxation regime by the Labour
Government influenced the Election.
Most of the group were subjected to a significant amount of personal abuse
during the campaign.
(Flag To "Horse Dung Politics" PDF File)
FUTURE PROJECTS
1)GPS--completion of heart rate/GPS technology to dovetail into
the EquINFORM Software.
2) Data Bank -The accumulation of data files for later use. Most of these are to
do with exercise physiology and will be kept up to date by scanning Internet
data from the research establishments and journals.
3)Fatigue –a closer look at the central nervous system and its relationship to
fatigue.
Professor Tim Noakes has a new paradigm that looks interesting.
RESEARCH and DEVELOPMENT IN MILLENNIUM MICROBES
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White Fly and Aphids being killed by Fungi |
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Technology has been developed to identify and produce naturally occurring
entomopathogenic fungi (fungi that kill specific insects) in large enough
quantities, which can then be utilized as an efficient and cost effective
alternative to chemical spraying of our crops.
A number of specific NZ native strains of insect pathogens have been identified
and research carried out using them in a number of pest management strategies.
In March 2005 Millennium Microbes was accepted into the Business Escalator
Scheme. Only 5 projects out of 100 that apply are placed on the scheme and
eventually 3 will receive investment.
The Laboratory at the Lily Ford Centre
Four other companies were created during the restructuring-Crop Solutions Ltd,
Varroa Solutions Ltd, Millennium Diagnostics and Biorational Solutions Ltd.
The Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) has now approved registration
for the products Beaugenic, Vertikil and Vertiblast. These products differ from
anything else on the market in NZ. They are not genetically modified and
resistance by the targeted pests goes not appear to occur. Each time a chemical
is used on a crop, the plants are temporarily ‘shocked’ leading to an eventual
loss of net production.
This does not appear to occur with this biotechnology. They are target specific
and do not harm other commonly found beneficial insects/mites.
There is no known mammalian toxicity, no chemical residue and no known negative
impact on the environment has been identified. The Government has made it
extremely difficult to register new chemical products in NZ. The multinational
chemical companies are reluctant to register new products within the current
environment that prevents any chance of generating profit and leaves them open
to scorn and criticism generated by the public’s hardening of attitude toward
chemicals in their food chain.
(Flag to Grower Information Crop Solutions - PDF File)
(Flag to "Thrips" Control, Pre &
Post Harvest - PDF File)
Jarrod Ford - Young Scientist in the making
