Robert Pore's Ag Blog

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – A recent Texas Agricultural Experiment Station study indicates cattle fed longer on certain diets will produce beef with more of the "good" kind of fat.


Dr. Stephen Smith, Experiment Station professor of animal science in College Station, said the study showed the longer cattle were fed corn, the more monounsaturated – and less saturated – fat they produced. Monounsaturated fats are currently viewed as being healthier than other dietary fats, Smith said.
In the U.S., 8-month-old cattle are given a predominately corn diet until they are slaughtered at about 1,200 pounds. With adequate rainfall and good pasture, producers sometimes "background" their cattle on pasture until they are 1 year old, Smith said. After that, they are fed a corn-based diet until they weigh about 1,200 pounds.

"We've always had more corn in this country than we can consume, so we feed it to our livestock," he said.


U.S. consumers "like cattle young and marbled well," because of flavor, he said. Studies have found, however, the marbling and trimmable fat from cattle that are too young is high in saturated fats and trans fats, he said.


Japan, on the other hand, feeds cattle more grass and forage in the beginning. Calves are weaned at 8 or 9 months of age; producers then gradually increase the amount of grain in the diet until they are 28 to 30 months of age.


"They do it in steps," he said. "At the end, they feed corn concentrate."
For the study, 16 American Wagyu and 16 Angus steers were purchased as weaned calves. Eight from each breed were fed a high-energy corn-based diet. Eight were fed a diet of coastal Bermudagrass hay supplemented with a corn-based diet. The cattle were fed to 16 to 20 months of age (U.S. endpoint) or 24 to 28 months of age (Japanese endpoint).


The study tested three factors: breed type, diet and slaughter-age endpoint. Of the three, endpoint had the greatest effect on the adipose tissue lipid composition, Smith said. Lipids are organic compounds and include fats.


In an earlier study, researchers found the breed type did not affect marbling scores or the U.S. Department of Agriculture quality grades for Angus and Wagyu steers. The corn-fed steers had higher marbling scores than hay-fed steers of both breeds, Smith said. Steers raised to the Japanese endpoint had higher marbling scores and USDA quality grades than those raised to the American endpoint.


In the latest study, the corn-fed Angus steers raised to the Japanese endpoint "accumulated adipose tissues lipids that were remarkably unsaturated," according to the report.


Also, the adipose tissue from the Wagyu steers "contained higher concentrations of oleic acid and other monounsaturated fatty acids, regardless of diet or endpoint," it said.


"We're not sure that the trans fat in beef, trans-vaccenic acid, is completely bad for you," Smith said. "We need a human study (to determine that). It may be completely benign."


Smith and the other researchers theorized when Angus and American Wagyu steers were fed to the normal U.S. standards, the amount of monounsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol of the adipose tissue – the connective tissue that stores cellular fat – would be similar. The amounts would differ when fed to Japanese standards, they also theorized.


But they were proved wrong. Both breeds of steers produced more marbling and less trans and saturated fat the longer they were fed.


Wagyu cattle contribute only a small percentage to U.S. beef production. However, these results indicate that typical domestic cattle such as Angus can be raised to produce fat with a healthier composition, Smith said.


But what about completely grass-fed cattle? They have leaner carcasses, he said.
"The problem with (grass-fed cattle) is the U.S. consumer isn't accustomed to the flavor," Smith said. "It's very strong, and it's something we're just not accustomed to. And the other is that the fat that's produced from grass-fed cattle is higher in saturated fats and trans fatty acids."


Cattle fed longer on corn will have a better flavor, more marbling and monounsaturated fats. But there is a trade-off.


"There are more calories there," he said. "There's no question about that, and if you're watching your calories, grass-fed beef is lower in fat. And I can't argue with that."


The study was published in the international journal Meat Science this summer.

Lincoln — Nebraska producers increased area devoted to soybeans, hay, sorghum, proso millet, and sugarbeets from a year ago, while decreasing area planted to corn, winter wheat, oats, dry edible beans, and sunflowers, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office.


Nebraska corn growers planted 8.3 million acres in 2006, down 2 percent from last year but 1 percent above 2004. Biotechnology varieties accounted for 76 percent of the planted acreage, up from 69 percent last year.


Soybean producers planted 4.85 million acres, up 3 percent from the previous year. The 2006 plantings are the second highest of record, 2 percent below the high of 4.95 million set in 2001. Of these acres, 90 percent are planted to biotechnology varieties resistant to herbicides, down 1 percent from last year.


Last fall, winter wheat was sown on 1.8 million acres, down 3 percent from 2005. Acres for harvest at 1.65 million are down 6 percent from 2005.


Sorghum growers planted 430,000 acres, 26 percent more than 2005 but 22 percent less than 2004.

Alfalfa Hay acreage for harvest, at 1.3 million, is up 4 percent from last year. Other types of hay cut are up 3 percent from a year earlier.


Proso Millet plantings, at 145,000 acres, are up 7 percent from 2005. Oat seedings, at 140,000 acres, are down 7 percent from 2005.


Dry edible bean producers planted 135,000 acres, down 23 percent from a year earlier. Sugarbeet plantings of 58,000 acres are up 20 percent from 2005. Sunflower acreage of 47,000 is down 52,000 acres, or 53 percent from a year ago.

By Christina Hoyt
Nebraska Statewide Arboretum

LINCOLN — Nebraska is the home of Arbor Day and, as that implies, Nebraskans are tree planters, dotting our prairie state with trees that give us shade and shelter through the year. As we walk through our communities, it's easy to take trees for granted and forget our role in planting and caring for them for generations to come. We should take many lessons from our tree-planting forefathers: plant correctly, plant for the future and plant diversely.


J. Sterling Morton, founder of Arbor Day, planted a great diversity of trees, most of which can still be seen at Arbor Farm Historical Park in Nebraska City. It's amazing to see these majestic old trees, and many of them are species that rarely find their way into our landscapes today.


Nowadays, our community forests are far less diverse than they should be, increasing the risk of losing them to diseases or pests. Not only do we need diversity, we also need tough trees. For a tree to be successful in the greater part of Nebraska it needs to survive drought, wind and temperature fluctuations. Here are some underused, tough trees that should find their way into our landscapes more.

Ironwood, Ostrya virginiana, is a native to southeastern Nebraska woodlands found predominantly in bur-hickory forests in the upland areas. It is very drought-tolerant and can withstand "tree pit" conditions also, but it prefers the protection of an overstory tree. Beautiful "hops" set on in June, making it look like a well-decorated Christmas tree, and foliage turns yellow in fall

Miyabe maple, Acer miyabe, is native to Japan. It is incredibly durable, and should be a first choice among maples for our state. Like most maples it prefers moist conditions, but holds up under the rigors of drought. It has an oval-rounded canopy, growing 30-40 feet tall and has pumpkin yellow fall color.

Gambel oak, Quercus gambelli, is native to Colorado. It can be used as a large shrub; single-stemmed, it forms a medium-sized tree. It can withstand the rigors of wind and drought and is an excellent tree for acreages and in windbreaks, especially in central and western Nebraska.

Ussurian pear, Pyrus ussuriensis, is native to Asia. It does well with temperature fluctuations, drought and some wind, making it a much better choice than Bradford pear. It works well throughout Nebraska and has white flowers in spring and red-purple leaves in fall. Grows 25-30 feet high.

Bristlecone pine, Pinus aristata, is native to the southwestern United States. Some of the oldest living trees on earth -- 4,000 to 5,000 years old — are bristlecone pines. Though slow-growing, it can handle drought and severe winds and performs well in both eastern and western Nebraska.

Amur corktree, Phellodendron amurense, is an underused medium-sized shade tree. Its deeply furrowed bark gives it a corky appearance. The tree is diocius, having both male and female trees; male trees tend to be more picturesque with large branches that sweep the ground, begging to be climbed.
Visit http://arboretum.unl.edu for other underused trees.

COLBY, Kan. – With drought conditions stretching from Texas to the Dakotas, cow/calf producers are making decisions on how to protect pastures and maintain as much profitability as possible, said Kansas State University animal scientist Sandy Johnson.


“The delayed turnout and reduced stocking rates tactics that many used to make initial adjustments may have still overestimated pasture production based on the continued lack of rainfall and warm weather,” said Johnson, who is a livestock specialist with K-State Research and Extension. “In that case, one option that producers should consider is weaning earlier than normal.”


Given proper nutrition and management, weaning calves at 60 to 150 days of age has been beneficial for both calves and their dams, Johnson said. Research indicates a similar incidence of disease and death loss when comparing early and conventional age weaned calves.


Advantages to early weaning include a 25 to 40 percent sparing of pasture depending on the stage of production at weaning; a 60 percent reduction in water requirement of the cow; maintenance or improvement in cow condition assuming adequate forage availability; increased odds of retaining the cow herd; lower costs to feed dry versus lactating cows if dry lot limit feeding is needed; and similar to better carcass quality than conventionally-weaned calves.


“Young cows would benefit most from early weaning, especially if it occurs prior to rebreeding and if poor cow condition might delay conception,” Johnson said. “There is generally a cost associated with allowing cows to become too thin, either in delayed or failed conception, feed cost to regain condition, or in lower sales receipts.”


If calves are sold immediately, the total pounds sold will be reduced compared to a traditional weaning time, but the price slide on lightweight calves has been attractive, she said.


If calves are weaned and retained, a properly balanced diet designed for lightweight calves should be fed.


“Remember that the calf’s conversion efficiency is very good at this point, in the range of 3 to 5 pounds of dry matter for each pound of gain. The rumen of a 60-day-old calf is almost fully functional, so calves of this age and older can readily adapt to a dry feed diet,” the animal scientist said.


More information on nutrition for the early weaned calf is in the July issue of the BeefTips news letter (www.asi.ksu.edu/beeftips).


Because parts of the High Plains have experienced various degrees of drought the past four to six years, some producers initially used early weaning to relieve drought stress and have since continued because of unforeseen advantages, Johnson said. Early weaning is often used to reduce forage demand, however once pastures return to good condition, stocking rates could be adjusted.


For producers who retain ownership, early weaning can help ensure that calves are ready for the typical April peak in the fed cattle market. If calves are over 120 days of age at weaning, carcasses weights are similar to conventionally weaned calves.


Before starting an early weaning program, Johnson encourages producers to visit with their veterinarian to discuss any needed adaptations in health programs.
“If the cow vaccination program is strong and calves are young enough to still have passive immunity from colostrum, typical weaning vaccinations may be delayed until calves are older,” she said.


Producers have used various management techniques to minimize weaning stress. One producer weans calves on irrigated forage with the cows in an adjacent pen. Feed bunks with dry feed are between the cows and the irrigated pasture, Johnson said. Others start calves on creep feed prior to weaning. “Many methods will work and, with some planning, producers should not be afraid to try early weaning,” she said.
More information is available at county and district K-State Research and Extension offices or by contacting Johnson at 785-462-6281 or sandyj@ksu.edu.