Purebred Cattle Group Picks Illinois
Published: Mar. 25, 2008
URBANA - Although the prairies of central Illinois may seemed far removed from the image of large-scale cattle production, a national purebred cattle association knows better and has picked a site near the University of Illinois campus for its national conference. SimPlace 2008, The Science of Making Better Cattle and Better Beef, the national meeting of the American Simmental Associaton, will be held April 8-9 at the Holiday Inn, Urbana.
"It is no accident that this event is being held here," said Neal Merchen, head of the U of I Department of Animal Sciences. "Our programs are leading the way internationally in measuring efficiency relative to the genetic background of the animal."
With a new beef facility on the South Farms and cutting edge research, the Department has surged to the forefront of research identifying the best genetics for the future of the beef industry.
Jerry Lipsey, executive vice president of the American Simmental Association, emphasized the leadership of the U of I beef program.
"No land-grant university in the nation has invested more in the utilization of feed to grow beef," he said. "It is, without question, number one in the country. It is completely appropriate then to converge on Champaign-Urbana April 8-9 to see and hear what the U of I has to say about the coming challenges."
He noted that the association, along with Montana State University and the U of I, is involved in a long-term research project focusing on the feed utilization and efficiency that is now in its third year. When it began, few anticipated today's $5 per bushel corn and $21 per bushel wheat prices.
"But we did feel that feed utilization and efficiency of production would be important factors for cattle producers in the future," he said. "Today's feed prices show that assumption could not be more true."
Lipsey said 180 cattle producers have pre-registered for the event, one the association holds about every five years, and he expects "standing-room only" for the sessions as "cattle producers from almost every state in the nation" turn out.
SimPlace 2008 is focusing on genetic research and efficiency research as methods to improve profitability in a competitive industry with tight profit margins.
"Feed costs for cattle producers have risen dramatically in the past few years," explained Doug Parrett, U of I Extension beef specialist, "moving feed efficiency to the forefront of producers' concerns.
"And it appears that corn prices will continue to be high well into the future."
However, just before corn prices sent feed costs skyrocketing, the U of I opened its new beef facility with its advanced research capabilities.
"This facility allows us to collect feed information on individual animals on a large scale," explained Dan Faulkner, another U of I Extension beef specialist, who is a presenter at the conference. "This made it possible to begin testing what a number of researchers had identified as a potential tool for producers--genetically selecting animals with high feed efficiency."
The project's lead researcher, who is also presenting at the conference, elaborated. "At the beef facility south of campus we are testing to define the feed efficiency of progeny of sires used in the beef industry," explained Larry Berger, a professor of animal sciences.
"We are trying to determine how much variation in feed efficiency can be traced to genetics. Can you select animals for improved feed efficiency?"
Faulkner reports that researchers have already found a "huge difference in feed efficiency based on genetics."
Berger, Faulkner, and Parrett agree with Lipsey that the U of I facilities are unique in the United States.
"No one else could do this because it demands the ability to measure the feed intake and performance of individual animals on a large scale--something made possible by the technology available in the new beef facility," said Berger.
With rising feed costs driving producers to produce the most feed-efficient cattle, Parrett noted that the U of I boasts "the biggest capacity in the world to do this kind of research.
"In a sense, the U of I is becoming the 'Mecca' for beef cattle feed efficiency research. And feed efficiency will be an ongoing high priority."
The U of I research also involves genomics and a multi-disciplinary approach to questions, positioning the university and its researchers as "a leader in this area nationally and internationally," said Parrett.
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