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Making Safe, Affordable And Abundant Food A Global Reality, Jeff Simmons

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Introduction

A growing wave of food insecurity threatens more than 1 billion people around the world.1 Global food costs are growing to dangerous levels, reaching record highs in January 2011. And these prices are expected to persist, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

We are at a crossroads. In the past two years, the global economic recession has decreased consumer buying power and increased food insecurity. In the next two years, tight supplies and rising food prices may stretch an already extended system to the breaking point. No longer is the number of hungry people steadily …

Vaccination: What The Heck Am I Doing?, G. L. Stokka

Range Beef Cow Symposium

The use of vaccines and vaccination in general can be a very confusing topic. There are literally hundreds of different vaccines available for use by beef producers, with multiple antigens and differing levels of effectiveness and safety. Veterinarians serve a critical function in making proper recommendations based on individual herd objectives and assessment of risk of exposure and economic loss. However, there is a lack of objective peer reviewed literature to assist the practitioner and beef producer in this area. The purpose of this paper is to bring some sense of philosophy, science and logic to this topic. Management keys …

Planning Ahead To Save Aums And The Cow Herd In Times Of Forage Shortage, Jerry D. Volesky, Don C. Adams

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Introduction

Drought is a recurring phenomenon with potential to significantly impact the livestock industry. During the past 14 years, the majority of livestock producers in the Great Plains and western states have experienced some level of drought ranging from moderate to extreme or even exceptional. Many grazing experts recommend developing a ranch drought plan to reduce their drought risk (Nagler et al. 2007). Most of these plans are specifically customized to an individual operation and include both short-term and long-term strategies and objectives. Producers with a drought plan actively monitor resources; build ecological, financial, and social resilience into their operations; …

Book Review: Gourmets In The Land Of Famine, Emily Hill

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Why is “eating in Canton” (shi zai Guangzhou) known as the best in China? Seung-joon Lee’s lively and original study examines the peculiarities and politics of eating in Canton (Guangzhou) from Qing times to 1937. Using a delectable range of materials in Chinese, Japanese, and English, the book offers an illuminating entrée to the culture and political correctness of eating in modern Chinese history. As the author points out, few historical studies focus on food supplies. Many narrative histories of China, for instance, include sections on the Canton-based events of the 1920s when the Guomindang and the Chinese …

Nutrient Composition Of Spoiled And Non-Spoiled Wet Byproducts Mixed And Stored With Straw, Jennifer R. Yelden, Crystal D. Buckner, Kelsey M. Rolfe Rolfe, Dana I. Christensen, Terry Klopfenstein, Galen Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Wet corn byproducts were mixed with straw and stored in 55 gallon barrels for 56 days to simulate bunker storage. The spoilage process caused a decrease in fat content and an increase in pH, NDF, ash, and CP. Covering with plastic or distillers solubles reduced the amount of spoilage and the change in nutrient composition.

Analyses Of Fruit Flies That Do Not Express Selenoproteins Or Express The Mouse Selenoprotein, Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase B1, Reveal A Role Of Selenoproteins In Stress Resistance, Valentina A. Shchedrina, Hadise Kabil, Gerd Vorbruggen, Byung Cheon Lee, Anton A. Turanov, Mitsuko Hirosawa- Takamori, Hwa- Young Kim, Lawrence G. Harshman, Dolph L. Hatfield, Vadim N. Gladyshev

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Selenoproteins are essential in vertebrates because of their crucial role in cellular redox homeostasis, but some invertebrates that lack selenoproteins have recently been identified. Genetic disruption of selenoprotein biosynthesis had no effect on lifespan and oxidative stress resistance of Drosophila melanogaster. In the current study, fruit flies with knock-out of the selenocysteine-specific elongation factor were metabolically labeled with ⁷⁵Se; they did not incorporate selenium into proteins and had the same lifespan on a chemically defined diet with or without selenium supplementation. These flies were, however, more susceptible to starvation than controls, and this effect could be ascribed to the …

Development And Optimization Of An Lc-Ms/Ms-Based Method For Simultaneous Quantification Of Vitamin D2, Vitamin D3, 25- Hydroxyvitamin D2 And 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3, Jiri Adamec, Amber Jannasch, Jianjie Huang, Emily Hohman, James C. Fleet, Munro Peacock, Mario G. Ferruzzi, Berdine Martin, Connie M. Weaver

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Simultaneous and accurate measurement of vitamin D and 25-hydroxyvitamin D in biological samples is a barrier limiting our ability to define “optimal” vitamin D status. Thus, our goal was to optimize conditions and evaluate an LC-MS method for simultaneous detection and quantification of vitamin D₂, vitamin D₃, 25-hydroxyvitamin D₂ and 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ in serum. Extraction and separation of vitamin D forms were achieved using acetone liquid–liquid extraction and by a reversed phase C8 column, respectively. Detection was performed on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer (QQQ-MS/MS) equipped with atmospheric pressure photo ionization source. The …

Defining A Relationship Between Dietary Fatty Acids And The Cytochrome P450 System In A Mouse Model Of Fatty Liver Disease, Monika Gonzalez, Whitney Sealls, Elliot D. Jesch, M. Julia Brosnan, Istvan Ladunga, Xinxin Ding, Paul N. Black, Concetta C. Dirusso

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Liver-specific ablation of cytochrome P450 reductase in mice (LCN) results in hepatic steatosis that can progress to steatohepatitis characterized by inflammation and fibrosis. The specific cause of the fatty liver phenotype is poorly understood but is hypothesized to result from elevated expression of genes encoding fatty acid synthetic genes. Since expression of these genes is known to be suppressed by polyunsaturated fatty acids, we performed physiological and genomics studies to evaluate the effects of dietary linoleic and linolenic fatty acids (PUFA) or arachidonic and decosahexaenoic acids (HUFA) on the hepatic phenotypes of control and LCN mice by comparison with a …

Aphids: A Model For Polyphenism And Epigenetics, Dayalan G. Srinivasan, Jennifer A. Brisson

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Environmental conditions can alter the form, function, and behavior of organisms over short and long timescales, and even over generations. Aphid females respond to specific environmental cues by transmitting signals that have the effect of altering the development of their offspring. These epigenetic phenomena have positioned aphids as a model for the study of phenotypic plasticity. The molecular basis for this epigenetic inheritance in aphids and how this type of inheritance system could have evolved are still unanswered questions. With the availability of the pea aphid genome sequence, new genomics technologies, and ongoing genomics projects in aphids, these questions can …

Maize Cellulosic Biofuels: Soil Carbon Loss Can Be A Hidden Cost Of Residue Removal, Amy Kochsiek, Johannes Knops

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Second generation biofuels, like cellulosic ethanol, have potential as important energy sources that can lower fossil fuel carbon emissions without affecting global food commodity prices. Agricultural crop residues, especially maize, have been proposed for use as biofuel, but the net greenhouse warming effect of the gained fossil fuel carbon offset needs to account for any ecosystem carbon losses caused by the large-scale maize residue removal. Using differential 13C isotopic ratios between residue and soil in an incubation experiment, we found that removal of residue increased soil organic matter decomposition by an average of 16%, or 540–800 kg carbon ha -1. …

Male Field Crickets Infested By Parasitoid Flies Express Phenotypes That May Benefit The Parasitoids, Oliver M. Beckers, William E. Wagner

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Parasites can cause changes in the phenotypes of their hosts that may benefit the parasite, the host, or both. To understand the evolutionary dynamics of host–parasite interactions it is necessary to first examine the effect of parasitic infestation on the host phenotype and whether the host or parasite benefits from these changes. The fly Ormia ochracea parasitizes the variable field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps, and it uses male song to locate hosts for its lethal larvae. Adult flies preferentially orient to male songs with faster and longer chirps. We tested the effect of larval infestation on two types of host traits. …

Vapc6, A Ribonucleolytic Toxin Regulates Thermophilicity In The Crenarchaeote Sulfolobus Solfataricus, Yukari Maezato, Amanda Daugherty, Karl Dana, Edith Soo, Charlotte Cooper, Sabrina Tachdjian, Robert M. Kelly, Paul H. Blum

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The phylum Crenarchaeota includes hyperthermophilic micro-organisms subjected to dynamic thermal conditions. Previous transcriptomic studies of Sulfolobus solfataricus identified vapBC6 as a heat-shock (HS)-inducible member of the Vap toxin– antitoxin gene family. In this study, the inactivation of the vapBC6 operon by targeted gene disruption produced two recessive phenotypes related to fitness, HS sensitivity and a heat-dependent reduction in the rate of growth. In-frame vapBC6 deletion mutants were analyzed to examine the respective roles of each protein. Since vapB6 transcript abundance was elevated in the vapC6 deletion, the VapC6 toxin appears to regulate abundance of its cognate antitoxin. In contrast, vapC6 …

Identification Of Holocarboxylase Synthetase Chromatin Binding Sites In Human Mammary Cell Lines Using The Damid Technology, Dipika Singh, Angela K. Pannier, Janos Zempleni

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Holocarboxylase synthetase (HCS) is a chromatin protein that is essential for mediating the covalent binding of biotin to histones. Biotinylation of histones plays crucial roles in the repression of genes and repeats in the human genome. We tested the feasibility of DNA adenine methyltransferase identification (DamID) technology to map HCS binding sites in human mammary cell lines. Full-length HCS was fused to Dam for subsequent transfection into breast cancer (MCF-7) and normal breast (MCF-10A) cells. HCS docking sites in chromatin were identified by using the unique adenine methylation sites established by Dam in the fusion construct; docking sites were unambiguously …

Fallow Effects On Soil, David C. Nielsen, Francisco J. Calderón

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Fallow has been defined as a farming practice wherein no crop is grown and all plant growth is controlled by cultivation or chemicals during a season when a crop might normally be grown. (Haas et al., 1974). Fallow as a practice, associated with crop rotation, had its origins in Mediterranean agriculture (Karlen et al., 1994) and continues to be used throughout the semiarid and arid regions of West Asia and North Africa (Ryan et al., 2008). Additionally, summer fallow has been practiced widely across the 15 western states of the United States and the farmed areas of the prairie provinces …

Water Infiltration And Surface-Soil Structural Properties As Influenced By Animal Traffic In The Southern Piedmont Usa, Alan J. Franzluebbers, John A. Stuedemann, Dorcas H. Franklin

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Surface-soil structural condition in perennial pastures is expected to be modified by how forage is (a) harvested through haying or grazing and (b) stimulated through source of nutrients applied, as well as by compactive forces, e.g., grazing cattle or hay harvest machinery. Changes in surface-soil condition can affect hydrologic processes that have important implications for plant growth, greenhouse gas emissions and off-site water quality. We determined the effects of harvest management and nutrient source on the rate of ponded water infiltration and penetration resistance in a bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.]/tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum Schreb. S.J. Darbyshire) pasture …

Dry Matter Production And Leaf Elemental Concentrations Of Rambutan Grown On An Acid Ultisol, Ricardo Goenaga

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Little is known about the adaptability of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) to highly acidic soils rich in aluminum (Al). A 2-yr field study was conducted to determine the effects of various levels of soil Al on dry matter production, plant growth, and nutrient concentration in the leaves of four cultivars of rambutan. Cultivars and the cultivar x year interaction were not statistically significant for most variables measured in the study. Total, leaf, petiole, stem and root dry weights significantly increased at soil Al concentrations ranging from 0.67 cmol kg⁻¹ to 11.0 cmol kg⁻¹. At this range …

Twentieth-Century Trends In Essential Fatty Acid Intakes And The Predicted Omega-3 Index: Evidence Versus Estimates, William S. Harris, David M. Klurfeld

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Although the health benefits of omega-3 (n–3) fatty acids are widely appreciated, those of the omega-6 (n–6) fatty acids have become somewhat controversial in recent years, with some viewing them as harmful at current intakes (1, 2) and others (3) [including the American Heart Association (4)] supporting the status quo. Understanding the relations between intakes of these essential fatty acids and disease prevalence over time could inform the debate. To that end, this issue of the Journal contains a report by Blasbalg et al (5) that attempts to reconstruct those intakes and, from this information, to estimate fatty acid tissue …

Climate Impacts On Agriculture: Implications For Forage And Rangeland Production, R. C. Izaurralde, A. M. Thomson, J. A. Morgan, P. A. Fay, H. W. Polley, J. L. Hatfield

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Projections of temperature and precipitation patterns across the United States during the next 50 yr anticipate a 1.5 to 2°C warming and a slight increase in precipitation as a result of global climate change. There have been relatively few studies of climate change effects on pasture and rangeland (grazingland) species compared to those on crop species, despite the economic and ecological importance of the former. Here we review the literature on responses of pastureland and rangeland species to rising atmospheric CO₂ and climate change (temperature and precipitation) and discuss plant and management factors likely to influence pastureland and rangeland …

2011 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report [Complete]

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

mp94.indd

Cow/Calf

Winter Grazing System and Supplementation of Beef Cows During Late Gestation Influence Heifer Progeny

Influencing Steer Performance Through Maternal Nutrition

Integration of DNA Marker Information into Breeding Value Predictions

Granulosa Cell Gene Expression is Altered in Follicles from Cows with Differing Reproductive Longevity

Growing

Performance of Growing Cattle Fed Corn Silage or Grazing Corn Residue from Second Generation Insect-protected (MON 89034), Parental, or Reference Corn Hybrids

Nutrient Composition of Spoiled Wet Byproducts Mixed and Stored with Straw

Use of Dry Rolled Corn, Dry or Wet distillers Grains Plus Solubles as an Energy Source in High Forage Diets for …

Winter Grazing System And Supplementation Of Beef Cows During Late Gestation Influence Heifer Progeny, Richard N. Funston, Jeremy L. Martin, Adam F. Summers, Don Adams, Jacqueline Musgrave, T. L. Meyer, Daniel M. Larson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Effects of cow winter grazing system and supplementation on heifer progeny were evaluated. Cows grazed range (WR) or corn residue (CR) with (PS) or without (NS) supplement. Both PS and CR increased weaning weight. Heifersfrom WR-NS dams weighed less at breeding and pregnancy diagnosis than WR-PS. Heifers from PS dams were younger at puberty, and pregnancy rate tended to be greater. Heifers from CR-PS dams gained the least and were least efficient. First-calf production and rebreeding were similar. There appear to be fetal programming effects of dam winter grazing system and supplementation on heifer progeny.

Effects Of Feeding High Levels Of Wet Distillers Grains And Straw On Beef Quality, Siroj Pokharel, Chris Calkins, Amilton S. De Mello Jr., Lasika S. Senaratne, Jeremy B. Hinkle, Timothy P. Carr, Galen Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Cattle (n = 336; 595 ± 20 lb) were fed one of seven diets (corn/5% straw; 40% distillers grain (DG)/5% straw; 70% DG/8% straw; 70% DG/25% straw; 77.5% DG/9% straw; 77.5% DG/17% straw, and 85% DG/10% straw – DM basis) to measure effects of feeding high levels of DG on shelf life of aged beef. Except for 70% DG/25% straw, strip loins were cut into three steaks each after 20 days of postmortem aging for 0, 4, and 7 days of retail display. The treatment having 70% DG/8% straw had the greatest oxidation status. Trans fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty …

Influencing Steer Performance Through Maternal Nutrition, Adam F. Summers, Kenneth H. Ramsay, Jim Teichert Teichert, T. L. Meyer, Rick N. Funston

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Cows were fed a 28% CP cube at one of two supplement levels, high (HN) or low (LN), while grazing dormant winter range during late gestation to determine the effects of maternal supplementation level on male progeny performance and carcass characteristics. Steer initial BW did not differ between treatments; however, year 1 steers from cows fed higher supplement levels had greater final BW, HCW, marbling scores, and carcass value compared with steers from cows receiving lower supplement levels. Year 2 HN steers had greater proportions grading USDA quality grade modest or greater when compared to steers from both treatments in …

Marketing Source-Verified Beef To Restaurant Patrons, Kimberly A. Varnold, Chris Calkins, B. Lynn Gordon Gordon, Wendy I. Umberger

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

To determine consumer ordering behaviors in high-end restaurants and to see if consumers are interested in the origin of their beef, both an online survey and in-restaurant taste testing were conducted. About two-thirds of the participants in the in-restaurant taste testing ordered the steak with either the state or farm-of-origin description. Compared to a non-source verified steak, taste participants were willing to pay $4.74 more for the steak with the state-of-origin description, and $8.75 more for the steak with the farm-of-origin description. Almost all of the participants acknowledged the best beef comes from the Midwest, specifically naming Nebraska as a …

Protein, Fiber, And Digestibility Of Selected Alternative Crops For Beef Cattle, Jennifer A. Walker, Karla H. Jenkins, Terry Klopfenstein Klopfenstein

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Field peas, dry edible beans, pumpkins, chicory, beets, and beet pulp grown in western Nebraska were analyzed for their salvage value in beef cattle diets when they do not meet specifications for human consumption. The digestibilities of all the crops were high (61-88%). Beet pulp, beet root, and chicory root were low in CP (< 7%) while all other crops were greater than 9%. Neutral and acid detergent fiber were ≤ 50%. Lectins in raw dry edible beans force them to be limited to < 2% of diet DM. Palatability of chicory root can reduce intake.

Feedlot Cattle Performance When Fed Silage And Grain From Second-Generation Insect Protected Corn, Parental Line Or Reference Hybrids, Barry M. Weber, Brandon L. Nuttelman, William A. Griffin Griffin, Galen Erickson, Terry Klopfenstein

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Feed conversion and carcass characteristics of cattle fed second generation insect-protected (Bt) corn and corn silage was compared to those fed a nontransgenic parental hybrid and two commercially available nontransgenic reference hybrids. Finishing performance and carcass characteristics were not influenced as a result of corn source.

Performance Of Growing Cattle Fed Corn Silage Or Grazing Corn Residue From Second Generation Insect-Protected (Mon 89034), Parental, Or Reference Corn Hybrids, Barry M. Weber, Brandon L. Nuttelman, William A. Griffin Griffin, Joshua R. Benton, Galen Erickson, Terry Klopfenstein

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Effects of feeding second generation insect-protected transgenic corn (MON 89034) on growing steer performance was evaluated in two experiments. In Experiment 1, a corn silage-based diet was fed to growing steers in pens, and the transgenic test hybrid was compared to a non-transgenic parental hybrid and two commercially available reference hybrids. In Experiment 2, steers grazing corn residue of the transgenic test hybrid were compared to steers grazing a non-transgenic parental hybrid. In both experiments, growing performance was not affected by source of corn silage or residue.

2011 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Cow/Calf

• Winter Grazing System and Supplementation of Beef Cows During Late Gestation Influence Heifer Progeny
• Influencing Steer Performance Through Maternal Nutrition
• Integration of DNA Marker Information into Breeding Value Predictions
• Granulosa Cell Gene Expression is Altered in Follicles from Cows with Differing Reproductive Longevity

Growing

• Performance of Growing Cattle Fed Corn Silage or Grazing Corn Residue from Second Generation Insect-protected (MON 89034), Parental, or Reference Corn Hybrids
• Nutrient Composition of Spoiled Wet Byproducts Mixed and Stored with Straw
• Use of Dry Rolled Corn, Dry or Wet distillers Grains Plus Solubles as an Energy Source in High Forage Diets for Growing …

Low-Fat Wet Distillers Grains And Beef Quality, Asia L. Haack, Amilton S. De Mello Jr., Siroj Pokharel Pokharel, Lasika Senaratne, Jerilyn Hergenreder, Kim Varnold, Chris Calkins, Galen Erickson, Timothy Carr, D. Dwain Johnson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A low-fat (4.72%) wet distillers grain (LFWDG) diet was compared to a traditional wet distillers grain with solubles (WDGS) diet and a corn-based diet. All wet distillers diets increased polyunsaturated fatty acids in comparison to the control. The LFWDG diet caused greater oxidative rancidity and had a decreased shelf life; however, there was no change in sensory properties. The LFWDG diet evaluated in this study caused decreased oxidative stability of the muscle compared to the TWDGS and the control diets.

Tanning Predicts Bone Mass But Not Structure In Adolescent Females Living In Hawaii, Daniel L. Osborne, Connie M. Weaver, Linda D. Mccabe, George P. Mccabe, Rachel Novotny, Carol Boushey, Dennis A. Savaiano

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between facultative skin pigmentation, which predicts circulating levels of plasma 25-hydroxymitamin D, and several measures of bone mass and structure in a cross sectional sample of adolescent females living in Hawaii.

Methods: Our sample was composed of adolescent females (n = 94) living in Hawaii where seasonal sun exposure is minimal, and who self-identified as either white (n = 16) or Asian (n = 78). Bone mineral content (BMC) of the total body, the lumbar spine and the hip, and cross sectional area (CSA) and section modulus (Z) at the …

Heifer Development Systems: A Comparison Of Grazing Winter Range Or Corn Residue, D. M. Larson, Andrea S. Cupp, Richard N. Funston

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Two experiments at 2 Nebraska locations evaluated effects of heifer development system on growth and pregnancy rate. In Exp. 1, heifers (n = 270, BW = 225 ± 2 kg) grazed winter Sandhills range (WR) or west central Nebraska corn residue (CR) with a supplement (0.45 kg/animal; 31% CP; 80 mg·animal⁻¹·d⁻¹ of monensin). In Exp. 2, heifers (n = 180, BW = 262 ± 3 kg) grazed eastern Nebraska WR or CR with a supplement (0.45 to 0.90 kg/d; 31% CP; 80 to 160 mg·animal⁻¹·d⁻¹ of monensin). The CR heifers tended to have less …