Introduction
Approximately 40 project plans contributing to the Food Animal Production National Program were approved by peer panel review in 2002. The project plans contain objectives to address problems consistent with the mission of ARS and approaches that ensure the objectives will be met on a timely basis. Stakeholders, customers and partners contributed to defining these problem areas. Meeting the objectives contribute to the effective conversion of resources to food animal products while addressing societal concerns for the environment. Meeting this challenge provides solutions that ensure an ample supply of food animal products and contribute to the economic well being of the food animal producers.
The National Program Staff is indebted to Drs. Curt Van Tassell, John McMurtry and Thomas Jenkins for serving as the Acting National Program Leader for Food Animal Production during 2002.
An increase of $600,000 was appropriated for research to discover, test, and implement improved genetic evaluation techniques for economically important traits in dairy cattle.
An increase of $400,000 was appropriated for research on evaluation, collection, and storage of animal germplasm.
An increase of $720,000 was appropriated for research on improving efficiency of cloning.
An increase of $200,000 was appropriated for research on Coccidiosis.
ARS co-hosted the Stakeholders Workshop for Animal Agriculture: FAIR?2002 Implementation Partnerships, November 27, to 29, 2001 at the Holiday Inn, College Park, MD.
Several scientists were recipients of national research honors, some of which include:
Thomas Geary, from Ft. Keogh Livestock and Animal and Range Laboratory in Miles City, Montana, was awarded the Western Section of American Society of Animal Science 2002 Young Scientist of the Year Award.
Tommy L. Wheeler from the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska, was awarded the American Society of Animal Science Meats Research Award.
Paul M. Van Radden from the Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, Beltsville, MD was awarded the National Association of Animal Breeders' Research Award.
Lawrence A. Johnson, retired Research Leader at Germplasm and Gamete Physiology Laboratory, Animal Natural Resources Institute, Beltsville, MD, was names as a Fellow by the American Society of Animal Science.
Reproductive Performance
Innovative approach identified for improving the reproductive efficiency of turkeys. Use of artificial insemination to utilize genetic resources available to the turkey industry is limited because viable techniques for long-term storage of sperm are not available. Using the high throughput technique Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE), researchers at the Germplasm and Gamete Physiology Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, characterized critical gene expression events that enable fertile sperm to remain viable in the turkey hen's reproductive tract for up to 70 days after mating. This research produced the world's first SAGE library databases identifying critical gene expression events associated with prolonging sperm storage in turkeys. These results provide a basis for developing novel technologies to preserve semen and thereby improve the efficiency of reproduction in turkeys.
Maintenance and Enhancement of Genetic Diversity
Genetic diversity contributes to quality products through food animal production. Future food animal production requires maintaining genetic diversity within food animal populations to meet future production environment challenges. To meet these challenges, the National Animal Germplasm Program in Ft. Collins, CO, expanded the inventory of conserved genetic resources to contain five dairy and five beef cattle breeds, three sheep breeds, two goat breeds, two swine breeds and 40 lines of chickens. This inventory is composed of over 16,000 units of semen and 650 embryos. Nationally, germplasm from industry and university sources was collected and shipped to the repository in either a fresh or frozen state where it was prepared and placed in long-term storage. This continuing activity will assure animal genetic resources and maintenance of animal genetic variation to meet future needs.
Product Quality (pre-harvest)
Tender beef carcasses identified with non-invasive technology. Accurate, non-invasive identification of tender beef carcasses during the on-line process at beef processing plants can assure desirable beef products for consumers. Responding to an industry request for guidance in identifying such a system, researchers at the Meat Animal Research Center (MARC), Clay Center, NE, in collaboration with scientists from Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO, and South Dakota University, Brookings, SD, evaluated the performance of three available systems. In comparison with two other non-invasive systems, the Beef Classification System technology developed by scientists at MARC was identified as the system most suited for identifying tender beef carcasses at beef processing plants. Using the results from this study, the Tenderness Instrument Assessment Committee of the National Beef Cattlemen's Association issued a recommendation that beef processing companies interested in predicting beef tenderness should adopt the Beef Classification System developed by researchers at MARC.
Genetic Improvement
Cost of identifying lambs with greater genetic potential for growth reduced Monitoring growth performance, for lengthy periods of time after weaning to identify sires and dams with greater potential for growth rate, increases the cost of genetic improvement in sheep. Researchers at the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station, Dubois, ID, in collaboration with scientists at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, NE, evaluated the length of time needed to monitor post-weaning growth performance to reliably identify lambs with higher genetic potential for reaching market weight at younger ages. An eight-week growth performance test is sufficient to identify lambs of superior genetic potential for growth without a loss in accuracy of estimated breeding values of the potential sires and dams. This result allows producers to genetically improve the productivity of sheep for growth at lower cost.
Demand for new beef products through genetic improvement Increasing consumer demand for naturally lean beef product creates a need for new breeding programs for beef cattle producers. Researchers at Ft. Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory, Miles City, MT, evaluated the gene action involved in the production of cattle differing in their potential for muscularity. Production and histology data were collected from the F2 generation of crossbred cattle of three sire breeds to evaluate production and carcass characteristics. Cattle with three-quarters Piedmontese breeding were genotyped for the presence of mutations of an allele controlling muscularity in cattle. Beef cattle breeders can develop breeding programs that optimize the use of specific genotypes in the production of lean beef from this information.
Genomes
Tools identified to associate chromosome locations and traits of interest across species Information from the nearly completed human, mouse and rat genome sequences could be beneficial in livestock improvement through use of high resolution comparative maps. This transfer of information across the species requires novel bioinformatics tools for reducing the time required to identify genes in a chromosomal region with a specific function. Applying innovative computer science technology, researchers at the Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, NE, developed automated software that integrates many different sources of information. Application of this tool reduces the time required to identify genes in a chromosomal region with a specific function. Applying comparative maps to improve the effectiveness of discovery of more genes affecting important livestock traits promotes more efficient livestock improvement.
Growth and Development
Nutrition affects expression of genes related to fatness in chickens Commercial broiler chickens bred for fast growth and large muscle mass tend to consume feed in excess of that required for lean growth. This higher feed intake results in of accumulation of surplus body fat. Researchers at the Growth Biology Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, collaborated with scientists at the University of Arkansas to quantify expression of genes controlling fat metabolism of broiler lines under full and restricted feeding. Specific, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assays were designed to determine the changes in the expression of 15 different genes involved in liver lipid metabolism. Understanding how the expression of genes related to fat accumulation of commercial broiler lines are affected by feed availability will provide the poultry industry an approach to provide leaner products for consumption.
Nutrient Intake and Utilization
Energy needs of sheep affected by age and breed Current feeding standards available to the sheep industry for meeting the energy needs of growing ewe lambs does not consider the genetic diversity of sheep breeds available to producers. Collaborative efforts by researchers in the Nutrition Research Unit and Biological Engineering Research Unit at the Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE, studied the question of how resting energy expenditures change as growing lambs age, and how these changes with age are influenced by breed. Differences in resting energy requirements for growing ewes of diverse breeds were due to differences in rates of maturing among the breeds. These results should lead to more accurate feeding standards allowing producers to more precisely meet energy needs for growing ewe lambs of diverse breeds.
Information improves future feeding strategies for the dairy industry. Costs of production for dairy farmers associated with feed are increasing. Contributing to this increase is the cost of feeding protein to the producing cow. These cost increases will be attributable to the expense of feed protein sources and the need to meet environmental guidelines related to nitrogen loss from the farm. Researchers at the Growth Biology Laboratory, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, Beltsville, MD, in cooperation with researchers from the Department of Animal Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, evaluated the effect of increasing amounts degradable protein on nutrient digestion, nitrogen excretion and performance of lactating dairy cows. Results indicated that increasing levels of rumen degradable protein, up to approximately 10% of diet dry matter, improved lactation performance of dairy cows. Exceeding this amount did not improve performance and increased nitrogen excretion by the dairy cow. Dairy producers can use this information to develop optimal protein feeding strategies for producing cows.
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