EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University researchers have been awarded more than $600,000 in funding from the Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture (M-AAA).
The 17 MSU-affiliated projects will receive a total of $630,780 to address issues related to workforce education, nutrient management, health and welfare, sustainability and profitability across beef, dairy, horse, poultry, sheep and swine industries.
"These projects continue to exemplify the strong history of successful partnerships between the Michigan animal agriculture commodity groups and MSU to help grow the animal agriculture economy, enhance employment opportunities and build economic vitality and sustainability for the entire state," said George Smith, MSU AgBioResearch acting associate director.
One of the projects will consider milk yield and milk component responses to commercially-available fat supplements for dairy cows. The study will address two practical questions: do commercially-available fat supplements when added to dairy cow diets improve milk component yields and feed efficiency; and does the fatty acid profile of commercially available fat supplements impact production responses?
Adam Lock in MSU’s Animal Science Department will serve as the principal investigator on the project, which was awarded $48,112 in funding. Results are expected to impact dairy cow performance, efficiency and farm income by gaining insight on fat supplement strategies that may increase nutrient use for milk synthesis.
Further, understanding the effects of different types of fat supplements on production parameters has direct impacts on dairy industry recommendations. Another project was awarded $24,200 to address animal welfare concerns. Led by Daniel Grooms, a veterinarian and professor in MSU’s Large Animal Clinical Sciences Department, the research is aimed at better understanding how current management practices impact animal welfare and improving current or developing alternative practices based on sound science.
The research will look at cattle housed in indoor confined slatted floor feedlots (ICFs) and will assess lameness and tail injuries in this setting. The overall goal is to improve the health and welfare of cattle fed in ICFs by developing tools to reduce these injuries.
MSU College of Engineering associate professor Steven Safferman will lead a project that focuses on the transport and fate of nutrients from winter manure application. The $49,978 will be used to seek and provide scientific data on the fate and transport of biodegradable phosphorus, with an emphasis on specific soil frost conditions and the impact of cover crops. The grant proposal explains the research aims to address the public perception that winter manure application significantly contributes to the impairment of surface water by cyanobacteria.
"A comprehensive literature review found three critical aspects, yet mostly unresearched, in predicting runoff potential from winter manure applications: the time of year when manure is applied, the effect of a cover crop and the proportion of soluble and non-soluble nutrients released," the proposal states. "Most studies do not correlate nutrient runoff potential to the soil frost depth at the time of manure management … and often fail to describe which form of phosphorus – soluble or non-soluble – is being most affected."
Results are expected to improve scientific understanding of the fate and transport of nutrients applied in winter, critical to enable policymakers to implement prudent decisions and for the development of best management practices. A total of $49,993 has been awarded for a study to evaluate hen performance and well-being, egg safety, quality and functionality of four different strains of laying hens in an aviary housing system.
Led by Darrin Karcher, an MSU extension poultry specialist, data collected are expected to assist Michigan egg producers in making management decisions as they move toward alternative housing systems.
The M-AAA is a partnership among Michigan animal agriculture industries, the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, AgBioResearch and extension. It focuses on advancing the state’s animal agriculture economy by supporting applied research and outreach efforts that address key issues identified by the industry.
"Michigan’s relatively stable climate, the availability of water and locally produced feedstuffs and the progressive nature of its animal agriculture producers are foundational to the strength of this partnership and our collective goals," Smith said.
