Building a North American Feed Information System (1995) / Chapter Skim
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2 Potential of a North American Feed Information System
2 Potential of a North American Feed Information System
Pages 15-38
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From page 15... ...
Coincident with the increase in the numbers and efficiency of food animals, worldwide meat production in 1993 was 163 million metric tons, up from 42 million metric tons in 1950 (Brown and Kane, 1994~. Recognizing that more than one-half of the cost of animal production can be attributed to feed costs, producers rely on appropriately managed nutrient levels in animal diets to maximize animal productivity and economic efficiency.
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From page 16... ...
Increasing feed efficiency through nutrient management is one way to enhance livestock production. The following discussions illustrate some of the ways in which nutrient management can affect animal production.
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From page 17... ...
Therefore, the dairy nutritionist is faced with the challenge of adapting to changes in milk component pricing plans by using specialized nutrient management plans developed with information on the nutritive value of feeds that could be provided by the proposed feed information system. Poultry Poultry producers recognize the economic importance of bone and egg shell fragility.
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From page 18... ...
Producers who use this information and who recognize the harmful effects of certain types of feeds can examine alternative feeds with similar nutrient composition. An important property of feeds provided in a feed information system is dietary metabolizable energy.
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From page 19... ...
, and disproportionate brain growth occurs when malnutrition is experienced at different stages of gestation (Morgan and Winick, 19851. Behaviors associated with undernutrition in animals include increased excitability, decreased exploratory interest, and slow extinction of a conditioned response (Brasel, 1974~.
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From page 20... ...
in feeds depends on moisture content, processing, storage conditions, and microbial activity, this nutrient is relatively unstable and is therefore a major concern in animal feeding programs. The more stable vitamin form, vitamin E acetate (dl-oc-tocopherol acetate)
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From page 21... ...
exhibits increased leukocyte and plasma immunoglobulin levels, impaired growth, and abnormal intestinal morphology when it is fed soybean meal rather than fish meal (Rumsey et al., 19941. Comparison of the macronutrient concentrations of different feeds could easily be made with a North American feed information system, which would facilitate the formulation of diets appropriate for given species.
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From page 22... ...
With the availability of a North American feed information system that provides accurate information on the nutritive values of feeds, nutrient management of animal diets becomes a viable avenue for an appropriate response to global warming and alterations of the environment. Methane Methane emissions from wild and domestic animals are estimated to be between 15 and 20 percent of the total global methane released annually (Bolle, 1986; Khalil and Rasmussen, 1990; Seller, 1984; Sheppard et al., 1982)
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From page 23... ...
Moreover, better prediction equations can be generated with feed composition information to more accurately reflect methane loss as it relates to diet and assessing the impact of methane on the environment. Nutrient Loading Nutrient loading, the runoff of excess nutrients into the soil and, subsequently, groundwater and surface water, is one of the primary concerns regarding agriculture's impact on the environment.
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From page 24... ...
Groundwater accounts for 50 percent of the nation's drinking water, and in rural areas more than 95 percent of the population relies on groundwater for its water supply (Chesapeake Bay Program, 1992~. Concentration of livestock production in large confinement feeding operations, or regional concentrations of dairy, poultry, or other animal production systems, has resulted in net nutrient loading in many areas throughout North America.
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From page 25... ...
A feed composition data base would provide valuable information regarding nutrient loading, which is considered to be the most significant hinderance to Bay restoration (Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, 1993)
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From page 26... ...
a) hi: 50 40 30 20 10 o 1 971 Hogs 135 954 1982 1987 1998 YFI~ r hickPnc 4,709 2.728 1954 1982 1987 1993 Year Dairv Cows 1954 1982 1987 1993 Year Livestock populations in the watershed states of the Chesapeake Bay-Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia-1954 to 1993.
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From page 27... ...
Source: Maryland Department of the Environment, Baltimore, Maryland. In an effort to address the importance of feed nutrients and to foster the science of nutrient management, the Pennsylvania delegation of the Chesapeake Bay Commission sponsored the international symposium entitled Nutrient Management Symposium: Seed and Feed Formulation Research and Its Implications for Nutrient Management, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on December 7 and 8, 1994.
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From page 28... ...
Reducing the amount of ammonia emitted by animals is possible through dietary management. This can be done by changing the components of animals' diets on the basis of information on the nutrient composition of feeds.
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From page 29... ...
The amino acid content of many feeds could be provided through a North American feed information system. Producers and their consultants could use the information to better balance the amino acid content of animal diets and reduce the amount of nitrogen excreted.
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From page 30... ...
Because of the intense production capability and rapid growth of aquatic plants, seaweeds and algae appear to have value as animal feeds and may have an effect on meat, enhancing its color quality (National Research Council, 1983; Venkataraman et al., 1994J. Alternative aquatic plant feeds can prove to be economically beneficial, replacing more expensive feeds such as fish meal that have similar nutrient composition.
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From page 31... ...
The result is nutrients leaching from the soil or preferential accelerated eutrophication when water runoff or soil erosion occurs, contaminating water sources. Use of nutrient composition information to make informed decisions on precisely balanced animal diets will minimize contamination of the environment from excess nutrient excretion, and financial benefits can be realized.
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From page 32... ...
It is important that these variations be identified and reported accurately in a North American feed information system to reflect the changes in nutrient content for use in animal production, as well as to reflect the economic value of these products in agricultural trade. Complementing advances in genetic engineering and sustainable agriculture systems, and a key component in integrating these diverse agricultural sciences, is the use of information technologies that have a positive influence on agriculture's environmental impact.
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From page 33... ...
Environmental Regulations Assessment of the state of agriculture in other countries reveals that legislation is being developed and recommendations are being made to reduce agriculture's contribution to environmental pollution (Hacker and Du, 1993; Williams and Kelly, 19941. Proposed regulations and recommendations increase overall production costs, with the result being that the agricultural industry attempts to find ways to reduce the industry's effect on the environment through waste nutrient management (Magette et al., 19891.
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From page 34... ...
aids state endeavors to protect their groundwater and surface water resources by requiring control programs through regulatory and voluntary mechanisms, including effective farm nutrient management. Under the Clean Water Act, concentrated animal feeding operations are required to obtain a permit if they have more than a certain number of animals (Center for Rural Affairs, 1993~.
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From page 35... ...
With China's wheat imports doubling to ensure plentiful supplies, exports from the United States and Canada are expected to rise to 31 million metric tons in the next year. Additionally, corn exports from the United States are anticipated to increase 15 percent, which will result in the United States having 62.4 percent of the world market share.
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From page 36... ...
Technological advances in the genetic engineering of plants require close monitoring of the compositional changes in grains that affect feed and its consequent market value. With the dissemination of nutrient composition information, the significant innovative improvements in barley that have occurred could be reflected in its value.
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From page 37... ...
North America would have the opportunity to fill this growing need, placing emphasis on the ability to provide accurate data on the quality of these commodities on the basis of their nutrient composition. Long-term uses of information on the nutrient composition of feeds also include increased demand for animal products in developing countries and the future formation of larger trading blocs associated with development.
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From page 38... ...
The goal for many producers and farmers is carefully managed animal agriculture that may ultimately improve the environment. To address this objective, reliance on information on the nutrient composition of feed as a management tool for animal feeding has become essential.
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