Eric Underwood - Research

Research

On his return to Western Australia, Underwood returned to the Department of Agriculture. In 1933 he was appointed Animal Nutrition Officer. One of the first research studies he undertook was on Denmark wasting disease in sheep, as there was speculation that the disease was caused by iron deficiency. At the same time Hedley Marston was researching the disease in South Australia, and in January 1935, Marston published his findings concluding that the cause was a deficiency in the trace element cobalt, Underwood published his findings in March 1935 with similar conclusions. Years later the findings were confirmed with cobalt-containing Vitamin B12 shown as the key to the disease and the factor in haematopoiesis. Nowadays sheep receive B12 supplements in the poor-pasture areas of the south coastal strip to manage cobalt and selenium deficiencies.

Underwood's next research project was the beginning of a 30-year association with Avondale Agricultural Research Station, this study was into the effect of sulfur on wool growth. This was followed investigations with botulism in sheep, results of which were published in the Journal of Agriculture. During the 1940s he studied the nutritional value of hay and pasture for sheep, the ongoing results from these Studies in Cereal Hay production in Western Australia were published in the Journal of Agriculture.