REX · rova | REX

The continuing evolution of DAGI - Ryan Luckman

April 7, 2026·14 min·1 clip

Ryan Luckman reveals how Daggy predicts invisible larvae hotspots and their genetics to prevent drench resistance.

Ryan Luckman, the developer of the DAGGY app and a vet from South Canterbury, discusses his tool for managing parasite resistance in livestock. The episode focuses on the app's development and its role in sustainable farming practices. Luckman was recently highly commended in the Rural Professionals Awards and will speak at a Beef and Lamb New Zealand conference. The DAGGY app currently has about 40 farmers in its first beta testing cohort, with a second round planned for late April or early May. Users input data on their sheep and cattle mobs and cropping activities to create a digital twin of their farm. A model in the background predicts the locations and populations of parasite larvae on the property. The app aims to soon provide color-coded heatmaps showing high-risk "hot" paddocks to help farmers avoid grazing livestock there. This approach focuses on parasite avoidance and refugia management to reduce reliance on drenching chemicals. Luckman references the new Wormwise booklet and its FARMED acronym, which outlines key parasite management strategies. DAGGY primarily addresses the "A" for avoidance and also models the genetic makeup of larvae to aid in refugia management. He cites a parliamentary paper estimating drench resistance costs the New Zealand industry about $117 million annually. Over a third of farmers are now diagnosed with triple drench resistance, which Luckman describes as having a significant emotional and practical toll. A surprising insight is that the app models whether larvae populations carry "good" or "bad" genetics related to drench resistance. Luckman notes a cultural shift where farmers are now more open about drench resistance in discussion groups, whereas it was once a taboo subject. He recently retired from full-time veterinary work to focus on DAGGY and has just returned from Argentina, where he consulted on cow wearable technology. The trip revealed similarities between Argentinian farms using seasonal calving and New Zealand systems. Luckman will give a 45-minute deep dive on DAGGY at the Ag Innovation event in Palmerston North on April 22nd. He mentions that farmer understanding often comes from cumulative learning, citing an attendee for whom a recent talk "finally clicked" after 15 previous seminars. Outside of work, Luckman remains active in music, playing violin in a band and having recently been involved in a children's theater production with his kids. The tone is a casual, friendly conversation between the host and an expert deeply passionate about agricultural technology. The style is educational and interview-based, focusing on practical farm solutions and personal anecdotes. Listeners interested in agricultural technology, sustainable farming, and New Zealand's pastoral industry will find this episode valuable. Those seeking highly produced narrative storytelling or topics unrelated to farming might choose to skip it.

As heard by us

A plainspoken discussion of Daggy, drench resistance, and the realities of building something farmers can actually use.

Ryan Luckman treats Daggy as a practical response to drench resistance in sheep parasites, and the conversation stays close to what it takes to make a tool like that work on farm.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Hear how a sheep-drench problem becomes a beta app in the hands of farmers.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from REX