$2.5M awarded to livestock and forage research projects

Regina, SK – A total of $2.5 million in funding has been provided by Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Development Fund for 21 livestock and forage-related research projects.

The projects that received funding include developing new livestock feeds from the by-products of processed grains, pulses and oilseeds, benchmarking cost of production and performance measures for bison producers, control of postweaning syndrome in newly weaned piglets, and a comprehensive study of cattle grazing stockpiled forages compared to being fed hay in drylot pens.

The successful projects are as follows:

University of Saskatchewan

College of Agriculture and Bioresources

Department of Animal and Poultry Science:

Integration/Feeding Value of Newly Developed Hulless Barleys (High Energy) and New Co-products in Sustainable Beef and Dairy Production. Objectives: Funding: $98,000. Contact: Peiqiang Yu (306) 966-4132

Branded Feed Products for Cattle from By-Products of Grain, Pulse and Oilseeds Processing. Objectives: Funding: $120,500. Contact: John McKinnon (306) 966-4137

Effects of Pro-melanin Concentrating Hormone (PMCH) genotype in a Cow/calf Setting. Objectives: Funding: $47,967. Contact: Sheila Schmutz (306) 966-4153

Effects of Galanin Receptors and DEAF1 Genes on Cattle Production and Welfare. Objectives: Funding: $90,596. Contact: Fiona Buchanan (306) 966-4160

Department of Food and Bioproduct Sciences:

Improving Quality, Safety and Competitiveness of Lean, Low-sodium Meat Products. Objectives: Funding: $283,058. Contact: Phyllis Shand (306) 966-8842

Department of Plant Sciences and Crop Development Centre:

Practical Ways of Determining Optimal Forage Carryover Thresholds Needed to Sustain Forage. Production on Rangelands in Saskatchewan. Objectives: Funding: $158,965. Contact: J.T. (Jim) Romo (306) 966-4966

Development of Forage Barley Cultivars with Improved Yield and Nutritive Value. Objectives: Funding: $60,000. Contact: Bruce Coulman (306) 966-1387

Enhancing Seed Production of Plains Rough Fescue for Saskatchewan Forage and Seed. Producers Objectives: Funding: $86,714. Contact: Yuguang Bai (306) 966-4955

Department of Soil Science:

The Impact of Long-Term Manure Application and Cessation of Application on Saskatchewan. Soils Objectives: Funding: $93,890. Contact: Jeff Schoenau (306) 966-6844

College of Engineering

Department of Chemical Engineering:

Treatment of Swine and Food Processing Wastewaters and Generation of Electricity Using. Microbial Fuel Cell Technology. Objectives: Funding: $104,190. Contact: Mehdi Nemati (306) 966-4769

Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization

A Novel Approach to Protect Offspring Against Neonatal Diarrheal Disease. Objectives: Funding: $195,000. Contact: Heather Wilson (306) 966-1537

Western College of Veterinary Medicine

Towards Control of Porcine Postweaning Wasting/Catabolic Syndrome: A New Disease Causing Severe Nursery Mortality. Objectives: Funding: $165,000. Contact: John Harding (306) 966-7070

The Epidemiology of Taenia Ovis Infection in Saskatchewan Sheep Flocks. Objectives: Funding: $14,000. Contact: Chris Clark (306) 966-7165

The Trace Mineral Status in Beef Cattle at Calving and its Association with Neonatal Calf and Peri-partum Cow Health. Objectives: Funding: $93,000. Contact: Steven Hendrick (306) 966-7062

The Effect of Feeding Dried Distillers Grains on the Animal Health of Feedlot Cattle. Objectives: Funding: $56,000. Contact: Steven Hendrick (306) 966-7062

The Characterization, Economics and Mitigation of Lameness in Canadian Feedlot Cattle. Objectives: Funding: $57,466. Contact: Steven Hendrick (306) 966-7062

Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute

Short Rotation Forage Legumes for Reducing N Fertilizer Costs in Saskatchewan. Objectives: Funding: $231,018. Contact: Paul Jefferson (306) 682-3139 Ext. 272

Western Beef Development Centre (WBDC)

Reducing Cost of Backgrounding Calves with Extended Fall Grazing of Annuals. Objectives: Funding: $27,500. Contact: Bart Lardner (306) 682-3139

Utilization of stockpiled perennial forages. Objectives: Funding: $186,600. Contact: Bart Lardner (306) 682-3139

Saskatchewan Bison Association

Benchmark Study for Cost of Production and Performance Measures for Bison from Cow/calf to Carcass. Objectives: Funding: $250,000. Contact: Terry Kremeniuk (306) 522-4762

Prairie Swine Centre

Benchmarking Water Use and Developing Strategies for Water Conservation in Swine Production. Objectives: Funding: $119,875. Contact: Bernardo Predicala (306) 667-7444