Featured Articles

  • Jul
    06
    Infographic: Conceptualization and implementation of the Fiber Utilization and Cell Wall Constituents Symposium


    In 1991, researchers in animal and plant sciences met at the International Symposium on Forage Cell Wall Structure and Digestibility in Madison, WI (Front Matter, 1993). At that meeting, seven sessions were organized, representing some of the biggest names in forages and ruminant nutrition, to discuss and debate the cell wall, its role in ruminant nutrition, and the advances made in the science of forage nutrition.

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  • Jul
    06
    Interpretive Summary: Forages and pastures symposium: forage biodegradation: advances in ruminal microbial ecology


    Forage degradation in the rumen is critical to producing ruminant animals. For many years, scientists were limited to biochemical techniques to understand how ruminal microbes degraded forage, impairing our understanding of which microbes were involved with degrading which forage components.

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  • Jul
    06
    Interpretive Summary: Mineral composition of serially slaughtered Holstein steers supplemented with zilpaterol hydrochloride


    Mineral requirements for feedlot cattle are largely based on measured mineral concentration in the body at harvest. Fairly extensive research has been done quantifying Ca and P in the body of cattle, but data on Mg, K, and S are sparse. Serial harvest experiments are expensive and labor intensive and therefore not conducted frequently. A group of 115 Holstein steers was fed a finishing diet with serial harvest every 28 d.

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  • Jul
    06
    Interpretive Summary: Effects of starch sources varying in particle sizes on ruminal fermentation, nutrient flow, starch digestibility, and lactation performance of dairy cows


    Starch digestibility varies greatly depending on starch source (SS), grain processing, and potentially interactions between these factors. Four ruminally cannulated lactating Holstein cows were fed a total mixed ration that varied in SS and particle sizes (PS) to evaluate the interactions between SS and PS on ruminal fermentation, nutrient flow, starch digestibility, and lactation performance of dairy cows.

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  • Jul
    06
    Interpretive Summary: Enzymatic degradation of ochratoxin A in the gastrointestinal tract of piglets


    Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a potent toxin frequently present in animal feeds, which accumulates in the animal tissues for human consumption. This results in critical animal welfare issues, as well as food safety issues. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to show that OTA can be degraded by an enzyme supplemented with pigs’ feed.

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  • Jul
    06
    Interpretive Summary: Comparison of methods for the effective evaluation of the energy content of poultry byproduct meal for beagles


    The scale of the global pet food market is expanding daily, but there are relatively few evaluations that have been performed on many of the common ingredients in pet food recently. This study compares direct, difference, and regression methods of evaluating the effects of the energy values of poultry byproduct meal (PBM), which is commonly used in beagle foods.

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  • Jul
    06
    Interpretive Summary: Cell adhesion function was altered during the seasonal regression of the seminiferous epithelium in the mink species Neovison vison


    Here, we report for the first time the molecular mechanisms of testicular regression in mink. Our results, together with studies on other animals’ characteristic reproductive features, identify a cluster of events crucial to the seminiferous epithelium regression process in mammalian seasonal breeders and highlight perspectives unique to the mink.

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  • Jun
    29
    Interpretive Summary: USTR calls for dispute settlement consultations over Mexican GMO corn restrictions


    The United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai has requested dispute settlement consultations with Mexico under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). These consultations regard certain Mexican measures concerning products of agricultural biotechnology.

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  • Jun
    29
    Interpretive Summary: The EATS Act is introduced


    In response to the Supreme Court’s decision on California Proposition 12 (Prop 12), The Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act was introduced to prevent states like California from regulating farmers and ranchers nationwide.

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  • Jun
    29
    Interpretive Summary: Texas Governor signs meat labelling law


    Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently signed a bill into law that will require labels for meat alternatives and lab-grown meat sold in the state. The law directs plant-based and other alternative products to have clarifying verbiage appear next to the label with similar size text as the product being sold.

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  • Jun
    29
    Interpretive Summary: Supreme Court rules on WOTUS


    The United States Supreme Court recently published a ruling on Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, involving the “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Biden Administration’s revised Clean Water Act. The ruling limits the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in regulating certain bodies of water that qualify as WOTUS. This is a huge win for farmers and landowners.

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  • Jun
    29
    Interpretive Summary: Study finds carbon footprint of lab-grown beef might be worse than real beef


    A new preprint article from researchers at The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) has found that lab-grown meat’s environmental impact is likely to be higher than retail beef based on current and near-term production methods. Lab-grown meat is growing in popularity. It is cultured from animal cells and is often thought to be more environmentally friendly than beef due to the need for less land, water, and greenhouse gases compared to raising cattle.

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  • Jun
    29
    Interpretive Summary: SAVE Act is introduced


    The Safeguarding American Value-Added Exports Act (SAVE Act) was recently introduced in the House and Senate, to protect American food products from foreign trade practices.

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  • Jun
    29
    Interpretive Summary: New bill would support ag education at community colleges


    A new bill introduced by Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Todd Young (R-IN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) would fund community college workforce training, education, and research programs in agriculture.

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  • Jun
    29
    Interpretive Summary: NAMI launches the Protein PACT Academic Advisory Council


    The North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) recently announced the launch of the Protein PACT Academic Advisory Council. The advisory council was formed to advise on research priorities and the latest evidence related to meat production and consumption.

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  • Jun
    29
    Interpretive Summary: Lawmakers request funding for land-grant institutions


    House Ag Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Ranking Member David Scott (D-GA) recently sent an open letter to 18 state governors calling for increased funding for 1890 Land-Grand Institutions. The 1890 land-grant institutions are historically black universities that were established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890. The United States of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA's) 1890 land-grant institutions programs are intended to strengthen research, extension, and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences by building the institutional capacities of the 1890 Institutions.

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  • Jun
    29
    Interpretive Summary: FMMO hearing set for August


    The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has set August 23, 2023, as the date for the hearing to revise the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) system. If all goes to plan, an updated FMMO system could be actively benefiting farmers in late 2024.

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  • Jun
    22
    Interpretive Summary: Nutrient profile, amino acid digestibility, true metabolizable energy, and indispensable amino acid scoring of whole hemp seeds for use in canine and feline diets


    Hemp products have become popular in the human food and health industry over the past few years. Due to this, a growing interest in using hemp ingredients in animal products has developed as well.

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  • Jun
    22
    Interpretive Summary: The 13C-bicarbonate technique as a tool for measurement of energy expenditure in overweight dogs undergoing body weight reduction and the effect of different dietary composition


    The most common nutritional disorder in dogs is overweight, and knowledge about dogs’ energy requirement is therefore important to adjust daily feed allowance. Changes in body weight may affect energy expenditure (EE) and, thereby, energy requirement. This study aimed to measure such potential changes under resting conditions in overweight dogs.

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  • Jun
    22
    Interpretive Summary: Effects of five carbohydrate sources on cat diet digestibility, postprandial glucose, insulin response, and gut microbiomes


    Pet obesity is becoming increasingly common and may have a negative impact on pet health. The exploration of measures to alleviate pet obesity is urgently needed.

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