Research Update: Five projects receive funding in 2023

Proposals are received through the Agriculture Funding Consortium, undergo a scientific technical review, and then are evaluated by the producer representatives on the ABP research committee. Decisions are guided by the Five-Year Canadian Beef Research and Technology Transfer Strategy and consider scientific merit as well as benefits for the beef sector in the short, medium or long term.

In 2023, ABP committed $108,000 to five projects with a total project value of more than $1.3 million, for a leverage ratio of $12.77:1, meaning that every dollar spent by ABP was matched by more than $12 from other funding sources.

Project Topics Include:

• Evaluating a new biodegradable net wrap product for safety if ingested by livestock
• Rejuvenating saline soils with saline-tolerant forages
• Understanding the relationship between feed intake, efficiency and environmental stress in first-calf heifers
• Carcass characteristics of calves whose dams were supplemented with off-grade canola fat
• Improving the establishment and seedling vigour of cicer milkvetch and Birdsfoot trefoil

As mentioned in a previous issue of this publication, ABP also supported the hiring of Dr. Erick Santos at the University of Alberta with a $250,000 investment over 5 years. Erick’s focus is forage agronomy, management and integrated crop-livestock systems.

Finally, we would like to thank everyone who attended the 2024 Beef Research Showcase! We look forward to seeing how this event evolves in the future.

Stay tuned to ABP Daily, The Bovine Podcast or visit albertabeef.org for continuing updates on these projects and other research-related information.

This article was first published in Volume 4 Issue 2 of ABP Magazine (June 2024). Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily.