This summary has been extracted from the application. A copy of the student’s Abstract/Thesis has not been received.
Clover disease, caused by the ingestion of phytoestogenic clovers, negatively impacts the reproductive function of sheep and has been shown to reduce overall flock fertility. Research in mouse models also indicates potential transgenerational effects to males exposed to phytoestrogens in utero. This project aims to inspect the incidence of phytoestrogenic clovers in South Australian pastures and observe the links between the prevalence of these pastures and their effect on sheep reproductive biology and physiology. This project will utilise current data on flock fertiltiy and pasture samples, as well as make use of abbattoir material. New data will also be collected via collabroation with marking contractors on the occurrence of congenital urogenital abonormalities in lambs that have been exposed to phytoestrogenic clovers.