Beef Science Commons^™

Primary Industries Development Research Highlights 2021, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Tim Scanlon

Books & book chapters

The Primary Industries Development Research Highlights 2021 showcases the breadth and depth of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s research and development activities over the past several years.

Stories featured in Research Highlights 2021 stem from about 60 (of 140) current and recently-completed projects undertaken by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) 1100 scientists, technical experts and economists throughout the State.

Explore our Research Highlights 2021.

The publication demonstrates the innovative and applicable research that DPIRD and its collaborators and investment partners deliver to Western Australia.

Download the Research Highlights 2021 here. Alternatively, …

Meat Tenderness: Advances In Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Mechanisms And New Technologies, Robyn D. Warner, Tommy L. Wheeler, Minh Ha, Xin Li, Alaa El-Din Bekhit, James Morton, Rozita Vaskoska, Frank R. Dunshea, Rui Lui, Peter Purslow, Wangang Zhang

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Meat tenderness is an important quality trait critical to consumer acceptance, and determines satisfaction, repeat purchase and willingness-to-pay premium prices. Recent advances in tenderness research from a variety of perspectives are presented. Our understanding of molecular factors influencing tenderization are discussed in relation to glycolysis, calcium release, protease activation, apoptosis and heat shock proteins, the use of proteomic analysis for monitoring changes, proteomic biomarkers and oxidative/nitrosative stress. Each of these structural, metabolic and molecular determinants of meat tenderness are then discussed in greater detail in relation to animal variation, postmortem influences, and changes during cooking, with a focus on recent …

Behavioral And Productive Parameters Of Lactating Dairy Cows As Indicators Of The Early Detection Of Metabolic And Digestive Diseases, Juan Manuel Vergara

International Programs

No abstract provided.

Pilot-Scale H2S And Swine Odor Removal System Using Commercially Available Biochar, Kyoung S. Ro, Brian Woodbury, Mindy Spiehs, Ariel A. Szogi, Philip J. Silva, Okhwa Hwang, Sungback Cho

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Although biochars made in laboratory seem to remove H2S and odorous compounds effectively, very few studies are available for commercial biochars. This study evaluated the efficacy of a commercial biochar (CBC) for removing H2S and odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs). We found that the well-known Ergun equation may not be adequate in predicting pressure drop for properly sizing a ventilation system. The H2S breakthrough adsorption capacity of the CBC was 2.51 mg/g under humid conditions, which was much higher than that for dry conditions. The breakthrough capacity increased with the influent concentration of H2S. The efficacy of a pilot-scale biochar …

The Ovarian Follicle Of Ruminants: The Path From Conceptus To Adult, Jennifer L. Juengel, Robert A. Cushman, Joëlle Dupont, Stéphane Fabre, Richard G. Lea, Graeme B. Martin, Francesca Mossa, Janet L. Pitman, Christopher A. Price, Peter Smith

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

This review resulted from an international workshop and presents a consensus view of critical advances over the past decade in our understanding of follicle function in ruminants. The major concepts covered include: (1) the value of major genes; (2) the dynamics of fetal ovarian development and its sensitivity to nutritional and environmental influences; (3) the concept of an ovarian follicle reserve, aligned with the rise of anti-Müllerian hormone as a controller of ovarian processes; (4) renewed recognition of the diverse and important roles of theca cells; (5) the importance of follicular fluid as a microenvironment that determines oocyte quality; (6) …

Evolution Of The Sheep Industry And Genetic Research In The United States: Opportunities For Convergence In The Twenty-First Century, J. W. Thorne, B. M. Murdoch, B. A. Freking, R. R. Redden, Thomas W. Murphy, J. B. Taylor, Harvey D. Blackburn

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The continuous development and application of technology for genetic improvement is a key element for advancing sheep production in the United States. The US sheep industry has contracted over time but appears to be at a juncture where a greater utilization of technology can facilitate industry expansion to new markets and address inefficiencies in traditional production practices. Significant transformations include the increased value of lamb in relation to wool, and a downtrend in large-scale operations but a simultaneous rise in small flocks. Additionally, popularity of hair breeds not requiring shearing has surged, particularly in semi-arid and subtropical US environments. A …

Economic Contribution Of The Agricultural Sector To The Arkansas Economy In 2019, Leah English, Jennie Popp, Wayne Miller

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

Agriculture and associated agricultural activities are major contributors to the Arkansas economy. Agriculture is defined as the sum of agricultural production and processing activities, unless otherwise specified, and includes crop and animal production and processing, agricultural support industries, forestry and forest products, and textile goods. Agriculture contributes to the economy through direct agricultural production and value-added processing, leading to economic activity in other parts of the economy.

This report is the fourteenth in a series that examines agriculture’s economic contribution to the Arkansas economy. The total economic contribution of agriculture (direct, indirect, and induced effects) on value added, employment, and …

Influence Of Estradiol On Bovine Trophectoderm And Uterine Gene Transcripts Around Maternal Recognition Of Pregnancy, Emmalee J. Northrop-Albrecht, Jerica J.J. Rich, Robert A. Cushman, Runan Yao, Xijin Ge, George A. Perry

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Embryo survival and pregnancy success is increased among animals that exhibit estrus prior to fixed time-artificial insemination, but there are no differences in conceptus survival to d16. The objective of this study was to determine effects of preovulatory estradiol on uterine transcriptomes, select trophectoderm (TE) transcripts, and uterine luminal fluid proteins. Beef cows/heifers were synchronized, artificially inseminated (d0), and grouped into either high (highE2) or low (lowE2) preovulatory estradiol. Uteri were flushed (d16); conceptuses and endometrial biopsies (n = 29) were collected. RNA sequencing was performed on endometrium. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed on TE (n = 21) …

Low-Oxygen Dry Aging Of Beef, Joseph A. Sonderman

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The objective of this research project was to determine the effects of removing oxygen from the beef dry aging process. Boneless upper 2/3 Choice beef strip loins (n = 18) were randomly assigned to three aging treatments: wet aging, traditional (aerobic) dry aging, and low-oxygen dry aging. All treatments were aged for 41 days at 2 ± 1°C. The dry-aged treatments were held at 50% relative humidity (RH) with a fan speed of 2,200 revolutions per minute (RPM). Low-oxygen dry-aged samples were aged in chambers housed within an oxygen impermeable film bubble. After aging, yield was determined for the …

Complete Closed Genome Sequence Of The Extremely Heat- Resistant Strain Escherichia Coli Aw1.7, Manita Guragain, James L. Bono, Joseph M. Bosilevac

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Escherichia coli isolate AW1.7 is an extremely heat-resistant bacterium and has been widely used as a reference strain in extreme heat resistance studies for almost a decade. Here, we report its complete closed genome sequence.

Using Genomics To Measure Phenomics: Repeatability Of Bull Prolificacy In Multiple-Bull Pastures, Gary L. Bennett, John W. Keele, Larry A. Kuehn, Warren M. Snelling, Robert A. Cushman, Tara G. Mcdaneld, Aaron M. Dickey, Darrell Light

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Phenotypes are necessary for genomic evaluations and management. Sometimes genomics can be used to measure phenotypes when other methods are difficult or expensive. Prolificacy of bulls used in multiple-bull pastures for commercial beef production is an example. A retrospective study of 79 bulls aged 2 and older used 141 times in 4–5 pastures across 4 years was used to estimate repeatability from variance components. Traits available before each season’s use were tested for predictive ability. Sires were matched to calves using individual genotypes and evaluating exclusions. A lower-cost method of measuring prolificacy was simulated for five pastures using the bulls’ …

Production Performance Of Cows Raised With Different Postweaning Growth Patterns, Harvey C. Freetly, Robert A. Cushman, Gary L. Bennett

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The period of heifer development is a relatively small fraction of a cow's life; however, her pattern of growth may have permanent effects on her productivity as a cow. We hypothesized that altering the growth pattern during the peri-pubertal period would increase life-time productivity across genetic types of Bos taurus cows. The objective was to determine the stayability, calf production, and weight of calf weaned across six calf crops. Heifers (n = 685) were placed on one of two developmental programs at 256 ± 1 d of age. Control heifers received a diet that provided 228 kcal ME·(body weight [BW], …

The Usda-Ars Ag100pest Initiative: High-Quality Genome Assemblies For Agricultural Pest Arthropod Research, Anna K. Childers, Scott M. Geib, Sheina B. Sim, Monica F. Poelchau, Brad S. Coates, Tyler J. Simmonds, Erin D. Scully, Timothy P. L. Smith, Christopher P. Childers, Renee L. Corpuz, Kevin Hackett, Brian Scheffler

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The phylum Arthropoda includes species crucial for ecosystem stability, soil health, crop production, and others that present obstacles to crop and animal agriculture. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service initiated the Ag100Pest Initiative to generate reference genome assemblies of arthropods that are (or may become) pests to agricultural production and global food security. We describe the project goals, process, status, and future. The first three years of the project were focused on species selection, specimen collection, and the construction of lab and bioinformatics pipelines for the efficient production of assemblies at scale. Contig-level assemblies of 47 species …

Enhancement Of Dry-Aged Beef Quality By Dietary Supplementation Of High Levels Of Vitamin E, David Manuel Velazco Marroquin

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Crossbred cattle (n = 150; 10/pen) were grain-finished with the dietary addition of 2,200 international units of vitamin E (α-tocopherol) per head per day for 100 days. One low-Choice carcass (n = 12) was selected, and strip loins were collected. Low Choice control carcasses (n = 12) were randomly selected from commercial, fed-cattle production to serve as controls. Strip loins were randomly assigned to wet or dry aging for 42 days. On day 42, control dry-aged and control wet-aged loins had the highest TBARS values and vitamin E wet and dry-aged loins had lower TBARS values ( …

Reference Transcriptomes Of Porcine Peripheral Immune Cells Created Through Bulk And Single-Cell Rna Sequencing, Juber Herrera-Uribe, Jayne E. Wiarda, Sathesh K. Sivasankaran, Lance Daharsh, Haibo Liu, Kristen A. Byrne, Timothy P. L. Smith, Joan K. Lunney, Crystal L. Loving, Christopher Tuggle

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Pigs are a valuable human biomedical model and an important protein source supporting global food security. The transcriptomes of peripheral blood immune cells in pigs were defined at the bulk cell-type and single cell levels. First, eight cell types were isolated in bulk from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by cell sorting, representing Myeloid, NK cells and specific populations of T and B-cells. Transcriptomes for each bulk population of cells were generated by RNA-seq with 10,974 expressed genes detected. Pairwise comparisons between cell types revealed specific expression, while enrichment analysis identified 1,885 to 3,591 significantly enriched genes across all 8 …

Engineering And Characterization Of Human Β-Defensin-3 And Its Analogues And Microcin J25 Peptides Against Mannheimia Haemolytica And Bovine Neutrophils, Harpreet Dhingra, Kamaljit Kaur, Baljit Singh

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Mannheimia haemolytica-induced bovine respiratory disease causes loss of millions of dollars to Canadian cattle industry. Current antimicrobials are proving to be ineffective and leave residues in meat. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) may be effective against M. haemolytica while minimizing the risk of drug residues. Cationic AMPs can kill bacteria through interactions with the anionic bacterial membrane. Human β-Defensin 3 (HBD3) and microcin J25 (MccJ25) are AMPs with potent activity against many Gram-negative bacteria. We tested the microbicidal activity of wild-type HBD3, three HBD3 peptide analogues (28 amino acid, 20AA, and 10AA) derived from the sequence of natural HBD3, and MccJ25 …

Effects Of Farrowing Stall Layout And Number Of Heat Lamps On Sow And Piglet Behavior, Suzanne Leonard, Hongwei Xin, Tami M. Brown-Bandl, Brett C. Ramirez, Anna K. Johnson, Somak Dutta, G.A. Rohrer

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Farrowing stalls are used in the United States swine industry to reduce pre-weaning piglet mortality, enable efficient individual animal management, and decrease facility construction and operating costs. The quantity and quality of space provided for sows and piglets in farrowing stalls are important economic and welfare considerations. To further explore the impacts of farrowing stall space allocation, a large-scale field study was conducted to compare sow and piglet behavior when housed in three farrowing stall layouts (TSL – traditional stall layout, ECSL – expanded creep area stall layout, ESCSL – expanded sow and creep area stall layout) with either one …

Cattle Producer Motivations And Willingness To Participate In Industry Animal Welfare Program Verification, Chase Decoite

Master's Theses

As consumers have become increasingly interested in where their food comes from and how it is grown, the cattle and beef industry is without exception. Many consumers are beginning to question traditional animal husbandry practices and on-farm animal welfare protocol. It is essential that the food system meets new demands and understands consumer views. In order to address these concerns, the industry has rallied around the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program to set the standard for cattle welfare and beef quality, with the explicit goal of improving consumer confidence. The goal of this research is to determine if cattle producers …

Invited Review: Mineral Nutrition Considerations For Extensive Sheep Production Systems, W. C. Stewart, J. D. Scasta, J. B. Taylor, T. W. Murphy, A. A.M. Julian

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Purpose: Our purpose is to discuss contemporary and pertinent considerations related to mineral-supplementation strategies for sheep grazing marginal rangelands in extensively managed production systems. Sources: Grey literature, peer-reviewed literature, and data (published and unpublished) from co-authors were used. Synthesis: Precision trace-mineral nutrition of sheep that are grazing extensive production systems requires a comprehensive understanding of the sheep and the grazing environment. Generally, extensive sheep production systems are found in remote geographical regions composed of marginal rangelands not suitable for cultivated crop farming or improved forages. Sheep production is subject to the accessibility and availability of grazable forage, which may vary …

Some (Im)Material Girls, Living In (Im)Material Worlds, With Seeds, Stars, And Shit, Matthew Weiderspon

Theses and Dissertations

This writing situates material and gestural vocabularies cultivated in my artwork in relation to my lived experience; primarily my rural upbringing in Colorado. Scattered floor dispersals, calling sounds, and bodily movements desire reconsiderations of hope in precarity through a disorientation of place, association, scale, and language.