Center Continued from Page 10
Formed in the 1960s as one of nine such units administered by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Sierra research center provides a setting that, at any given time, supports some 20 research projects. Current studies include an investigation into the most effective ways to administer daily doses of the ionophore monensin, with the goal of increased cattle weight gain. Monensin encourages bacteria shift of rumen microbes that increase the pro- duction of propionic acid, which in turn enhances weight gain through more ef- ficient conversion of feed to volatile fatty acids. A dose of 50 milligrams a day has proven to improve weight gain, and some studies have shown more gains with rates up to 200 milligrams a day. The problem is underconsumption: Because monensin isn’t very palatable, it’s difficult to entice cattle to consume the higher doses. The study used 140 cattle to analyze multiple consumption rates of two alternative dosage methods: free-choice loose mineral and salt blocks. Results will be tabulated this summer. “We have to bring the cattle in every 45 days and change pastures seasonally, which is more than we could ask of local cooperators,” said co-principal investigator Josh Davy, in a nod to the center’s ability to navigate constraints faced by commercial growers or landowners.
John Angelos, chair of the University of
California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, checks on a cow at the Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center as part of an ongoing study on boosting immune systems to combat pinkeye, a common eye affliction in cattle.
“The center’s staff members always cre- ate a positive working environment for col- laboration and good solutions,” he added. Another current project deals with a type of seaweed, Asparagopsis taxiformis, known to reduce methane production in cattle by up to 90%. With some similarities to the monensin project, the primary ob- jective of this study is to validate a practical method through which a seaweed supple- ment can be fed to range livestock. Ongoing studies also include a proj- ect that explores augmenting cattle im- mune systems to combat pinkeye, the most common eye disease of cattle in the United States.
For the project, cattle consume iodine in the form of ethylenediamine dihydro- iodide, or EDDI, which supplements a naturally occurring immune mechanism, resulting in a potent antibacterial and an- tiviral compound. The goal is to determine whether feeding iodine via a mineral mix using EDDI can achieve iodine target con- centrations in tears to inactivate the bacte- rium that causes pinkeye. The Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center includes 160 acres of irrigated pasture, 270 acres of long-term ungrazed oak woodland and 200 acres of control-burned rangeland annually. Its rolling to steeper-sloping terrain ranges
from 220 to 2,020 feet above sea level, with access to the Yuba River and six small per- manent streams. Research requests for land, labor and facilities are screened by a research advisory committee. “SFREC is one of the jewels of the UC system,” said Anthony O’Geen, a UC Cooperative Extension soil resource specialist. “It’s a beautiful place with managed and pristine ecosystems, re- sourceful staff to support research and outreach and wonderful soils. It’s the per- fect natural laboratory.” (John Watson is a reporter in Nevada County. He may be contacted at john. watson@comcast.net.)
May 22, 2024 Ag Alert 11
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