Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

NCA-6 Livestock Production Minutes of Annual Meeting February 2, 2005 San Antonio, TX Attendees: Don Beermann (NE), Don Boggs (SD), Alan Grant (IN), Ric Grummer (WI), Maynard Hogberg (IA), James Kinder (OH), Neal Merchen (IL), Vikram Mistry (SD), Ken Odde (ND), Karen Plaut (MI), Abel Ponce de Leon (MN), Dan Schaefer (WI), Janice Swanson (KS), Muquarrah Qureshi (USDA-CSREES), Elton Aberle (WI), administrative advisor . Absent:Mike Smith (MO). James Kinder called the meeting to order. The agenda was approved as distributed. Review of Multi-State Committees: Renewals and New Projects NC temp 1861 (NC 131)  Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Skeletal Muscle Growth and Differentiation - Grant and Beerman Reviewers · Very productive committee in the past · Well attended -18 stations involved · Generate fundamental knowledge regarding regulation of skeletal mussel growth · Methods clearly address objectives for each station · Outreach plan and publication in scientific journals · Well leveragedno central project but excellent interactivity and productivity · Grant moved to approve. Ponce de Leon seconded. Approved. NC temp 1981- Applied Animal Behavior - Schaefer and Merchen Reviewers · Optimize animal welfare and productivity, assessment of fear and pain · Outgrowth of NCR 131transitioning to funded status rather than coordinating · Excellent governance and participation plan · Important research areaneed more linkage, more evidence of collaborative research · Schaefer moved to approve. Hogberg seconded. Approved. Mid-Term Reviews: NC 1004  Genetic and Functional Approaches to Improve Pork Production and Quality of Pork - Ponce de Leon and Merchen Reviewers · Did not meet in 2004met in January 2005 · Only 20% of publications were collaborative · Need stronger international linkages and linkages with commodity groups · Leverage believed to be good, but not reported · Recommend that collaboration (or reporting of collaboration) be strengthened and funding reporting · Ponce de Leon moved to approve, Beermann seconded. Approved. NC 1006  Methods to Increase Reproductive Efficiency in Cattle - Kinder and Odde Reviewers · Progress has been good. Committee is moving toward objectives · Linkagesappears to be interdependence and interaction · Funding - participants have funding but not interdependent · Need to improve funding of interdependent projects · Odde  questioned the groups lack of attention to dairy reproduction o Need interdisciplinary approach to dairy reproduction · Kinder suggested this should be addressed at re-write · Abel moved to continue, Odde seconded. Approved NC 1007  Enteric Diseases of Swine and cattle: Prevention, Control and Food Safety - Odde and Boggs Reviewers · Project started in 2002, no recent report in system · Eight stations, 16 participants · Good collaborations and publication record · Odde moved to approve. Beermann seconded. Approved. NC 1009  Metabolic relationships in Supply of Nutrients for Lactating Cows - Mistry and Merchen Reviewers · Project in 2nd of 5 years, very productive committee · 27 participants includes USDA and industry, good attendance · Consortium established through industry collaborative · Report does not document funding · Mistry moved to approve, Merchen seconded. Approved. NC 1010  Interpreting Cattle Genomic Data: Biology Applications and Outreach - Ponce de Leon and Schaefer Reviewers · No meeting in 2004met in January 2005 · 16 stations, 26 participating scientists, poor attendance, poor linkages · Only 8% of publications were collaborative · No evidence of leveraging on report, excellent technology transfer · Needs more collaboration, evidence of leveraging, increase in participation · Committee has very broad objectives · Need to find better way of summarizing reports for objectives · Encourage more collaborationhighlight leverage · Recommend that the committee redefine objectives and develop more focus · Need to improve attendance and they need to determine if they are going to operate as an NC or NCR committee · Ponce de Leon moved to approve with changes, Plaut seconded. Approved. NC 1119  Management Systems to Improve the Economic and Environmental Sustainability of Dairy Enterprises  Grummer and Mistry reviewers · Excellent progress, good linkages, numerous industry collaboration · Poor attendance, participation waning by some stations · Economics and environment lagging behind nutrition · Funding not reported but assumed to be good · Good technology transferCES represented in committee members · Need to focus on stated objectives · Need to report impacts and accomplishments by stated objectives · Grummer moved to approve, Mistry seconded. Approved. NCR 131  Animal Behavior and Welfare - Merchen and Schaefer Reviewers · Have initiated transition to NC committee (NC temp 1981) · Committee is functioning well to bring animal behavior researchers together · Good linkages to industry - active in welfare audit process · Need to update Appendix E and show evidence of collaborative research · Encourage collaboration and develop clear statements of outcome and impact, need to include industry at meetings · Merchen moved continuation; Grant seconded. Approved. NCR 204  The Interface of Molecular and Quantitative Genetics in Plant and Animal Breeding - Hogberg and Ponce de Leon Reviewers · Good progress toward objectives 1 and 2, need more work on 3 · Excellent linkage based on publications · Need to interface between molecular and quantitative · Participation - good core group; however some need to be dropped for missing two meetings · Hogberg moved to approve, Schaefer seconded. Approved. Primary reviews are responsible for getting reviews to Aberle (word document) who will submit to NIMSS. Other Items Discussed · Discussion was held regarding the duties/purpose of the committee liaisons. Aberle will contact administrative advisors regarding liaison from NCA 6. Liaisons need to make contact with committees and work with them on reviews, forms, etc. · Odde suggested some training on regional committee process. Aberle will ask Daryl Lund develop PowerPoint on multi-state structure and administrative advisor responsibilities · Aberle discussed high requirement for reporting research activity. Odde felt compliance requirements were cutting into productivity. Qureshi indicated that CSREES was receptive to changes in protocol and the review process. Minutes recorded by Don Boggs.

NCAC006 continues to monitor closely the multi-state projects in the NCRA that relate to livestock production. The committee assigns a lead reviewer and a second reviewer to each project that is subject to either mid-term or new/revised project reviews each year. The reviewers bring a written review to the committee meeting and lead discussion of the project progress or prospect for success and impact. Substantive recommendations are offered for the various project committees to maximize the impact of their work. The 2005 meeting was held jointly with animal science department chairs and heads from the other three regions. More than 40 department administrators were in attendance. The first day of the two-day meeting was devoted to a combined session of all in attendance. The agenda focussed on issues common to all animal science department administrators and included the following topics: National Academy of Science National Research Council Restructuring and Impact on the Nutrient Requirement Publications; National Academy of Science Evaluation of Research Doctorate Programs and the Inclusion of Animal Sciences in the Study; CSREES Updates; Animal ID and Homeland Security; Federation of Animal Science Societies Update; American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists Update; Mega Issues Facing the Beef Industry; Establishment of a National Swine Research and Information Center; Animal Science Department Salary and Student Survey; National Institute for Food and Agriculture Proposal; University/Department Farms: Management, Location, Pressures, Future Viability; Non-equine Companion Animals as Part of the Animal Sciences Curriculum. The second day was devoted regional meetings.

Not applicable.