Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Brief summary of minutes of annual meeting:

Meeting was called to order at 9:00 am MDT.

Participants introduced themselves

Dr. Jennifer Thomson provided a brief background of the group and the status of the project.

Dr. Kelly Crane – Project Administrator provided some introductory comments on Multi-state projects and stressed the need to show collaboration within the project.

Station reports were provided by Montana- Dr. Jennifer Thomson, Dr. James Oltjen – University of California – Davis, Dr. Phillip Lancaster – Kansas State University, and Dr. Ibukun Ogunade and Dr. Matt Wilson – West Virginia University.

There was a brief break

The meeting was readjourned at 10:45am MDT with station reports by Dr. Gordon Carstens- Texas Agrilife Research and Dr. Samodha Fernando- University of Nebraska, Dr. Jared Jaborek provided a brief introduction of his work at Michagan State University.

Dr. André Cibils- NIFA representative presented an update on NIFA activities and staffing, the NIFA budget and competitive programs.

Following that report, the annual business meeting was conducted.

The group decided to hold our next meeting in conjunction with the ASAS meeting in Oklahoma City. Dr. Ibukan Ogunade will chair the next meeting. Station report requirements were discussed.  Dr. Thomson committed to provide a template and requested reports by Jan 10.

Following the business meeting a discussion was held to discuss recruitment, funding opportunities and opportunities for collaboration.

 Dr. Thomson commented on following up with people who expressed interest in the group previously and that each member should reach out to one or two individuals about joining the group.

Dr. Carstens commented on potential for collaboration on RFI in Beef/Dairy cross cattle with ST Genetics, Dr. Fernando spoke on opportunity for collaboration in work on microbial colonization in young cattle, Dr. Thomson spoke about potential opportunity for a grant working on tools for multi-omic data integration. The committee talked about a need for systems biology specialists to work in this area. 

Meeting was adjourned at approximately 12:15 pm MST.

1. To understand biological sources of variation in the efficiency of nutrient utilization in beef cattle.

Research at Montana is evaluating muscle and adipose tissue gene expression and metabolites during the late feedlot fattening period in steers. This will be used to better understand how fattening is regulated so a specific carcass quality grade can be achieved and to allow precision management of feedlot cattle. Additionally, a Montana project is evaluating metabolic rate, body temperature, heart rate, circulating metabolites and liver gene expression throughout two yearly production cycles with samples taken in each season and three samples taken during the winter in both supplemented and grazing cows.

Research at Texas focus on understanding how variation in feeding behavior patterns, digestibility and methane emissions differs between animals with divergent residual feed intake in beef cattle.

In California, Dr. Oltjen is evaluating how different measures that can be observed when cattle enter a feedlot can be used to account for variation and thus better predict individual animal performance and carcass characteristics. This will allow better methods to sort incoming cattle, as well as predict days of feed for optimum financial returns in precision management of feedlot cattle.

Research in West Virginia is evaluating blood metabolomic and hepatic metabolic signals associated with RFI in beef cattle as potential indicators of biological targets to explain variation in nutrient use efficiency.

 2. To discover and develop biomarkers and genetic markers for the genetic improvement of nutrient utilization efficiency.

In Montana,  research is identifying metabolite and transcript expression biomarkers for USDA quality grade, temperament, feed efficiency, and response to changing environments.

In West Virginia, research is identifying metabolomic biomarkers for feed efficiency that could become targets for genetic markers of feed efficiency.

 3. To evaluate life-cycle efficiency of nutrient utilization in beef cattle to improve economic/environmental sustainability

Montana has a project evaluating metabolic rate, body temperature, heart rate, circulating metabolites and liver gene expression throughout two yearly production cycles with samples taken in each season and three samples taken during the winter in both supplemented and grazing cows.

In Kansas, research is underway to determine the relationships among feed efficiency traits across production segments and physiological stages in cattle using dataset with individual feed intake on females from weaning until 5 yr of age, and on progeny from birth to slaughter.

In West Virginia, researchers are collecting data on each group of animals tested in our central test station on water intake.  The outcome of this work should be data about how to estimate biological water use efficiency.  These comparisons will initially be for off-test relative comparisons but should in time create sufficient data to begin to calculate residual water intake (RWI) or other measure EPDs.  A subset of this work is focused on developing predictions of DMI based on water intake, performance and climate data for application to grazing settings.  This should also provide evidence for comparing confinement RFI (rank) with grazing RFI (rank).

In Texas, there is research focus on evaluation of the effectiveness and accuracy of using statistical process control  (SPC) procedures to monitor real-time sensor data (rumen temperature, DMI, feeding behavior, rumination) for preclinical detection of bovine respiratory disease in beef cattle

4. To develop and propagate EPDs, selection indices, and decision-support tools to facilitate selection for improved nutrient utilization efficiency.

In West Virginia, the work on biological water use efficiency is likely to ultimately lead to EPDs of water use efficiency.

In California, researchers have developed growth models to predict animal performance and carcass characteristics which require updated parameter estimates for modern beef cattle.

 5. To develop producer educational programs to enhance technology adoption by the beef industry.

In Texas,  work was presented an invited talk entitled “What are the impacts of selection for RFI on feedlot performance, carcass quality and the cow herd?” at the 70^th Annual Beef Cattle Short Course, University of Florida in May 2021. Presented invited talks to producer groups on the merits of using RFI to improve cow efficiency.

In California, models of cattle growth and carcass yield and quality can and have been adopted by various groups to improve cattle management.

Short-term Outcomes: Short-term outcomes include 13 publications and 15 abstracts/presentations along with producer outreach in Texas and California during the current reporting period.

Outputs: Outputs include increased knowledge and understanding of nutrition utilization and efficiency in livestock species as evidenced by 13 publications , two published theses, 15 abstracts that were published and presented at meetings and 7 new or ongoing grants supporting research in this area.

Peer-Reviewed Publications:

Flesch, E., T. Graves, J. Thomson, K. Proffitt, R. Garrott. 2021. Average kinship within bighorn sheep populations is associated with connectivity, augmentation, and bottlenecks. Accepted Oct 21,2021 for publication in Ecosphere

Engle, Bailey, Molly Masters, Jane A. Boles, and Jennifer Thomson. 2021. "Gene Expression and Carcass Traits Are Different between Different Quality Grade Groups in Red-Faced Hereford Steers" Animals 11, no. 7: 1910. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11071910

O’Shea-Stone, Galen, Rachelle Lambert, Brian Tripet, James Berardinelli, Jennifer Thomson, Valerie Copié, and Robert Garrott. "1H NMR based metabolic profiling distinguishes the differential impact of capture techniques on wild bighorn sheep." Scientific reports 11, no. 1 (2021): 1-12.

Wottlin, Lauren R., Gordon E. Carstens, William C. Kayser, William E. Pinchak, Jennifer M. Thomson, Valerie Copié, and Galen P. O’Shea-Stone. "Differential haptoglobin responsiveness to a Mannheimia haemolytica challenge altered immunologic, physiologic, and behavior responses in beef steers." Journal of animal science 99, no. 1 (2021): skaa404.

Hieber, Jordan K., Rachel L. Endecott, Jane A. Boles, and Jennifer M. Thomson. "Identification of Genomic Regions for Carcass Quality Traits within the American Simmental Association Carcass Merit Program." Animals 11, no. 2 (2021): 471.

P.A. Lancaster, M.E. Davis, J.J. Rutledge, L.V. Cundiff. 2021. Relationships among feed efficiency traits across production segments and production cycles in cattle. Trans. Anim. Sci. 5:txab111.

Godstime Taiwo, Modoluwamu Idowu, Shelby Collins, Mathew Wilson, and Ibukun M. Ogunade. 2021. Chemical group-based metabolome analysis identifies candidate plasma biomarkers associated with residual feed intake in beef steers. Frontiers in Animal Sci. https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2021.783314. 

Godstime Taiwo, Modoluwamu Idowu, Mathew Wilson, and Ibukun M. Ogunade. 2022. Residual feed intake is associated with differences in hepatic expression of amino acid, fatty acid, and mitochondrial energy metabolism genes. Frontiers in Animal Sci. (under revision after 1^st round of review). 

Godstime Taiwo, Modoluwamu Idowu, Mathew Wilson, and Ibukun M. Ogunade. 2022. Identification of key pathways associated with residual feed intake of beef cattle based whole blood transcriptome data analyzed using gene set enrichment analysis. Frontiers in Veterinary Sci. (In revision).

Kim, J., K. Shaffer, S. Plum, N. Lansink, K. Garossino, J. Hubbart, J. Hatton and M.E. Wilson.  2022. Predicting dry matter intake in beef cattle with water intake and other variables. Animal (In revision).

Smith, P.S., G.E. Carstens, C.A. Runyan, J.F. Ridpath, J.E. Sawyer, and A.D. Herring. 2021. Effects of multivalent BRD vaccine treatment and temperament on performance and feeding behavior responses to a BVDV1b challenge in beef steers. Animals 11:2133. doi.org/10.3390/ani11072133

Božić, A.K., H. Gutiérrez-Bañuelos, A. Corral-Luna, G.E. Carstens, M.M. Arévalos-Sánchez, M. Félix-Portillo, A. Muro-Reyes, C. Arzola-Álvarez, R. Anderson and R. Harvey. 2021. Dynamics of gastrointestinal activity and ruminal absorption of the methane-inhibitor, nitroethane, in cattle. Front. Vet. Sci. 54:xxx(Accepted).

Kayser, W.C., G.E. Carstens, I.L. Parsons, K.E. Washburn, S.D. Lawhon, W.E. Pinchak, E. Chevaux and A.L. Skidmore. 2021. Efficacy of statistical process control procedures to identify deviations in continuously measured physiological and behavioral responses to an experimental viral-bacterial challenge in beef heifers. J. Anim. Sci. 99:1-12. doi.org/10.1093/jas/skab232

   Completed Theses:

Bouffiou, J.., 2021. " The Use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Measures of Cattle Temperament to Predict Feedlot Performance of Commercial Beef Cattle"

Schumacher, M., 2021. " A Comparative Approach to Refine Molecular Mechanisms Impacting Meat Quality and Carcass."

Abstracts, Proceedings, and Presentations:

Bouffiou, J., Boles, J., J. Thomson. 2021. PSXIII-20 Using 1H NMR Spectroscopy reveals metabolite markers associated to temperament and carcass quality in feedlot cattle. Journal of Animal Science 99(Supplement_3):438-438  10.1093/jas/skab235.784

H.M. Golder, I.J. Lean^,,  S.J. LeBlanc, T. Duffield,  H.A. Rossow, R. Bogdanich, L. Hernandez, E. Block and J. Thomson. 2021. Genome, Ruminal Metabolome, and Milk Associations in Lactating Holsteins. American Society of Dairy Science. July 2021

Thomson, J. M., M. Schumacher, J.A. Boles. 2021. A comparative approach to refine molecular mechanisms impacting meat quality and carcass characteristics. Translational Animal Science. Volume 5, Issue Supplement_S1, December 2021, Pages S189–S194, https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txab184

Flesch, E., C. Lee, B. Shapiro, J. Thomson, R. Garrott. 2021. Comparing ancient and contemporary bighorn sheep populations using bones recovered from ice patches in the Greater Yellowstone Area.

Glacial and Ice Patch Archaeology International Conference. 7-10 Sept 2021.

O’Shea, G, R. Lambert, B. Tripet, J. Berardinelli, J. Thomson, R. Garrott, V. Copie. 2021. ¹H NMR based metabolic profiling distinguishes the differential impact of capture technique on wild bighorn sheep. Metabolites 2021 International Conference

Lancaster, P.A.. 2021. Evaluation of relationship between feed efficiency traits and energy metabolism using comparative slaughter studies in growing and finishing cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 99:214-215.

Lancaster, P.A., M.E. Davis, J.J. Rutledge, L.V. Cundiff. 2021. Relationships among lifetime feed efficiency traits in growing heifers, mature cows and their progeny. J. Anim. Sci. 99:118-119.

Mata-Padrino, D. J., M. E. Wilson and I. Ogunade. 2021.  The effect of residual feed intake phenotype on herbage disappearance of a permanent pasture.  ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting.

Wilson, M. E., , K. S. Shaffer, S. Plum, N. Lansink, K. Garossino, J. Hubbart, J. Hatton and J. Kim.  2021.  Modeling Dry Matter Intake with Water Intake and Other Variables.  Journal of Animal Science.

Tedeschi, L.O., D’Souza, G.M., G.E. Carstens and R.F. Cooke. 2021. Research Update—Texas A&M University. Proc. Proc. Plains Nutrition Council Spring Conference, San Antonio, Texas.

O’Reilly, K., G.E. Carstens, L.R. Wottlin, J. Johnson and C.L. Daigle. 2021. Effects of interactive activity at the feedbunk on performance, feed efficiency and feeding patterns in feedlot cattle. J. Anim Sci. 99 (Abtract).

Lancaster, P.A., L.O. Tedeschi, M.J. Baker and G.E. Carstens. 2021. Assessment of ultrasound carcass composition equations to predict empty body composition. J. Anim. Sci. (Abstract)

O’Reilly, K., G.E. Carstens, B. Foris, and C.L. Daigle. 2021. Validation of an algorithm to assess feedbunk replacement events in beef cattle using an electronic feeding system J. Anim. Sci. 99 (Abstract).

O’Reilly, K., G.E. Carstens, L.R. Wottlin, C.L. Daigle, and J.R. Johnson. 2021. Effects of competitive feeding behavior on performance, feed efficiency and feeding patterns in feedlot cattle. Proc. Plains Nutrition Council Conference. AREC.

Hall, M.N., L.R. Wottlin and G.E. Carstens 2021. Evaluating the effects of direct-fed microbials with and without monensin on performance, feed efficiency, and feeding behavior traits in feedlot steers. Proc. Plains Nutrition Council Conference. AREC.