Improved production efficiency in cattle to reduce their carbon footprint for beef production

Abstract The aim is to present validation studies that demonstrate the benefits of genomic retained heterozygosity, genomic enhanced expected progeny differences (gEPDs) for feed efficiency and carcass traits, as well as DNA pooling technologies, to the beef industry. Team members of Livestock Gentec are global leaders in beef genomics research as evidenced by their leadership roles on the Canadian Cattle Genome Project, 1,000 Bull Genomes Project, gEPDs for Commercial Cattle Project and the Functional Annotation of ANimal Genomes initiative. These large-scale projects have created databases of 380 whole bovine sequence genomes, >24,000 cattle genotypes imputed to sequence variants using Run 6 genotypes from 1000 Bull Genomes project, and >20,000 cattle with associated phenotypes for feed efficiency, carcass quality, cow fertility and methane emissions. The use of admixture analysis, genome wide association studies, and genomic prediction have resulted in new genomic tools that aid in mate selection, improve herd heterosis, female fertility, lifetime productivity and health resilience, and improve accuracy (acc. >0.36) of gEPDs for 18 traits in crossbred cattle. Genomic retained heterozygosity has a benefit of $161/female over five parities while decreasing morbidity of calves and improving the carbon intensity of beef production. Multi-trait selection studies using gEPDs for residual feed intake (acc. > 0.35) have demonstrated annual rates of genetic progress of 0.7%. Validation studies have reported that sires with superior gEPDs for increased marbling, decreased grade fat, increased ribeye and increased carcass weight (acc. > 0.45) produced progeny with improved AAA retail cut yield (59.9 vs 56.7%). DNA pooling shows potential for cheaper genotyping while providing information on pooled records related to sire contribution, heterosis and performance as influenced by genetics. The application of these genomic tools has potential to improve calf crop percentage, health resilience, and retail cut yield while decreasing the carbon footprint of beef production.

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Beef Cattle Production and Trade

10.1071/9780643109896 ◽

2014 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Keyword(s):

Beef Cattle ◽

Production Efficiency ◽

Production Systems ◽

Animal Husbandry ◽

Beef Production ◽

Cattle Production ◽

Beef Industry ◽

Pasture Management ◽

Beef Cattle Production ◽

Australian Experience

Beef Cattle Production and Trade covers all aspects of the beef industry from paddock to plate. It is an international text with an emphasis on Australian beef production, written by experts in the field. The book begins with an overview of the historical evolution of world beef consumption and introductory chapters on carcass and meat quality, market preparation and world beef production. North America, Brazil, China, South-East Asia and Japan are discussed in separate chapters, followed by Australian beef production, including feed lotting and live export. The remaining chapters summarise R&D, emphasising the Australian experience, and look at different production systems and aspects of animal husbandry such as health, reproduction, grazing, feeding and finishing, genetics and breeding, production efficiency, environmental management and business management. The final chapter examines various case studies in northern and southern Australia, covering feed demand and supply, supplements, pasture management, heifer and weaner management, and management of internal and external parasites.

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Down scaling to regional assessment of greenhouse gas emissions to enable consistency in accounting for emissions reduction projects and national inventory accounts for northern beef production in Australia

The Rangeland Journal ◽

10.1071/rj15061 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 38 (3) ◽

pp. 219 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sandra J. Eady ◽

Guillaume Havard ◽

Steven G. Bray ◽

William Holmes ◽

Javi Navarro

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Production Efficiency ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Emissions Reduction ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Reproduction Rate ◽

National Accounts ◽

Beef Production ◽

National Inventory ◽

State Territory

This paper explores the effect of using regional data for livestock attributes on estimation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the northern beef industry in Australia, compared with using state/territory-wide values, as currently used in Australia’s national GHG inventory report. Regional GHG emissions associated with beef production are reported for 21 defined agricultural statistical regions within state/territory jurisdictions. A management scenario for reduced emissions that could qualify as an Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) project was used to illustrate the effect of regional level model parameters on estimated abatement levels. Using regional parameters, instead of state level parameters, for liveweight (LW), LW gain and proportion of cows lactating and an expanded number of livestock classes, gives a 5.2% reduction in estimated emissions (range +12% to –34% across regions). Estimated GHG emissions intensity (emissions per kilogram of LW sold) varied across the regions by up to 2.5-fold, ranging from 10.5 kg CO2-e kg–1 LW sold for Darling Downs, Queensland, through to 25.8 kg CO2-e kg–1 LW sold for the Pindan and North Kimberley, Western Australia. This range was driven by differences in production efficiency, reproduction rate, growth rate and survival. This suggests that some regions in northern Australia are likely to have substantial opportunities for GHG abatement and higher livestock income. However, this must be coupled with the availability of management activities that can be implemented to improve production efficiency; wet season phosphorus (P) supplementation being one such practice. An ERF case study comparison showed that P supplementation of a typical-sized herd produced an estimated reduction of 622 t CO2-e year–1, or 7%, compared with a non-P supplemented herd. However, the different model parameters used by the National Inventory Report and ERF project means that there was an anomaly between the herd emissions for project cattle excised from the national accounts (13 479 t CO2-e year–1) and the baseline herd emissions estimated for the ERF project (8 896 t CO2-e year–1) before P supplementation was implemented. Regionalising livestock model parameters in both ERF projects and the national accounts offers the attraction of being able to more easily and accurately reflect emissions savings from this type of emissions reduction project in Australia’s national GHG accounts.

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Carbon footprint in different beef production systems on a southern Brazilian farm: a case study

Journal of Cleaner Production ◽

10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.01.037 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 96 ◽

pp. 435-443 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Clandio F. Ruviaro ◽

Cristiane Maria de Léis ◽

Vinícius do N. Lampert ◽

Júlio Otávio Jardim Barcellos ◽

Homero Dewes

Keyword(s):

Carbon Footprint ◽

Production Systems ◽

Beef Production

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BEEF PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY USING COMMERCIAL CROSS BREEDING

Rossiiskaia selskokhoziaistvennaia nauka ◽

10.31857/s2500262720060101 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 42-45

Author(s):

I.P. PROHOROV ◽

◽

O.A. KALMYKOVA ◽

A.N. PIKUL ◽

A.V. ALEKSANDROV ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Production Efficiency ◽

Beef Production ◽

Cross Breeding

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The interaction between milk and beef production and emissions from land use change – critical considerations in life cycle assessment and carbon footprint studies of milk

Journal of Cleaner Production ◽

10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.11.046 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 28 ◽

pp. 134-142 ◽

Cited By ~ 106

Author(s):

Anna Flysjö ◽

Christel Cederberg ◽

Maria Henriksson ◽

Stewart Ledgard

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Carbon Footprint ◽

Beef Production

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A review of factors influencing key biological components of maternal productivity in temperate beef cattle

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an12428 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 58 (1) ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

B. J. Walmsley ◽

S. J. Lee ◽

P. F. Parnell ◽

W. S. Pitchford

Keyword(s):

Time Scales ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Production Efficiency ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Total System ◽

Energy Reserves ◽

Production Traits ◽

Beef Production ◽

Heifer Development ◽

Cow Calf

Cow–calf efficiency or maternal productivity is highly correlated with total system efficiency of beef production. Balancing the needs of the cow herd with other production components is a daily challenge beef producers address to maximise the number of calves born and raised to weaning and, in turn, maximise maternal productivity. Pressure to satisfy modern consumer needs has shifted selection emphasis to production traits at the expense of fitness traits allowing adaptability to decline. Balancing the needs of the cow herd with production objectives presents cow–calf producers with the challenge of genetically tailoring their cattle to modern needs, while sustainably managing these cattle and natural resources. This balancing act is highlighted by the debate surrounding the application of residual feed intake to reduce costs associated with provision of feed for beef production. Some uncertainty surrounds the relationships between efficiency, production and maternal productivity traits. This review examines key components and definitions of maternal productivity. Management decisions as well as cow and calf traits have important interacting impacts on maternal productivity. Achieving a calving interval of 365 days represents the single most important production issue affecting maternal productivity and is dependent on heifer development during early life and energy reserves (i.e. body condition score) in subsequent years. Management issues such as calving date and selection decisions interact with environmental factors such as photoperiod and production traits such as feed intake, and previous production levels, to influence heifer development and cow body energy reserves. Some proposed definitions of maternal productivity simply include weaning weight per cow mated which can be averaged over all progeny weaned during a cow’s lifetime. Ideally, a definition should include the inputs and outputs of maternal productivity. Some definitions express maternal productivity over large time scales, e.g. a cow’s productive lifetime. Most definitions focus on the cow–calf unit, while some include progeny growth and feed intake to slaughter. This review recommends a definition that focuses on the cow–calf unit, as follows: (weight of calf weaned and cow weight change)/(metabolisable energy intake per cow and calf unit). This definition has the capacity to be scaled up, to include progeny postweaning production, as well as being applicable over varying time scales (e.g. 1 year to a cow’s whole productive life). Improvements in all facets of maternal productivity using this definition can be expected to improve beef-production efficiency.

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