A team of Japanese researchers recently won the satirical lg Nobel Prize for a study that showed painting cows with zebra-like white stripes significantly protects them against biting flies.
The lg Nobel Prize is a satirical award designed to “honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think.”
But while it might be mistaken for a silly parody, receiving an lg Nobel Prize does require genuine scientific work. For example, this year, one award went to a Japanese team of researchers from the Aichi Agricultural Research Center who carried out a wacky experiment that showed how zebra-like stripes painted on cows with water-based paints could protect them from biting flies. The researchers observed a reduction in biting flies by as much as 50 percent on the animals given white stripes compared to those given black stripes or not painted at all.
Biting flies are some of the most damaging pests to cattle, heavily impacting grazing and feeding, and causing significant stress. This results in reduced weight gain in beef cattle and milk yields in dairy cows. Farmers rely on insecticides to protect their cattle, but this increases the risk of insecticide-resistant flies and contaminated beef and milk. Luckily, a few painted stripes could help lower dependency on chemical insecticides.
The Japanese researchers’ study expanded on research by an international team of scientists from Hungary, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, which found that biting flies landed less often on white horses than they did on darker color ones. Although the reason for that isn’t clearly understood, the difference was significant enough to warrant more research.
Because water-based paint washes away after a few weeks, a more permanent solution would be needed for the zebra-like pattern to make sense for farmers. Until such a solution is found, you’re unlikely to see bovine zebras grazing.
Japanese Researchers Win Lg Nobel Prize for Painting Cows with Zebra-Like Stripes
