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SPONSORSHIPS Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association Partnership & Sponsorship program SCA's mandate is to promote and develop the Saskatchewan beef cattle industry. One way the SCA does this is by funding a variety of partnerships, programs and events including education projects. SCA has funded conferences, workshops, field days, cook-offs, beef promotions, consumer and student education events and partnered with several organizations for the betterment of the industry. Click here for more info and the application form. Here are some of the organizations that SCA proudly supports:

< Back 2018-133: Improving lipid content in vegetative tissue to increase the nutritive value of herbaceous legume forages Researcher: Surya Acharya Funding: $24,990 Project Description: While alfalfa is an important feed source for many producers throughout the province, it is not a good source for fat or lipids, and bloat is commonly a risk. This research will use a technique to alter the genes of the alfalfa and sainfoin plant to increase the oil content, and to increase protein digestibility. It might also reduce the cost of adding oils to a ration, which also decreasing the amount of methane from cattle. Results: The researchers have found that they can increase the fat, or lipid content in alfalfa and sainfoin, and they will be continuing this research in the next three years to select for even higher rates of fat content. Using a chemical mutagenesis, Drs. Acharya, Singer, and Chen altered the fat content, and have now entered their third cycle of selection in alfalfa and sainfoin populations. They found that the level of fat/lipids has increased by 20% in alfalfa and 80% in alfalfa. Their ultimate goal is to increase the lipids in these plants to 5%. The next steps are already underway. More information on that project can be found here: https://www.beefresearch.ca/factsheet.cfm/enhancement-of-total-lipid-contentcomposition-in-non-gmo-alfalfa-and-sainfoin-for-improved-energy-density-and-reduced-methane-emissions-282

< Back 2021-095: Investigation of AMR transmission via horizontal gene transfer in Mycoplasma bovis Researcher: Murray Jelinski Funding: $18,000 Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is the most significant feedlot cattle disease, responsible for approximately 60-70% of cattle morbidities in Canada. Mycoplasma bovis, or M. bovis, is a major component of this disease complex, though there is no effective vaccine for it. An even greater concern is that the antimicrobials used to treat M. bovis have become more susceptible to resistance. Dr. Murray Jelinski and his team at the University of Saskatchewan's Western College of Veterinary Medicine will research how this antimicrobial resistance occurs by understanding how these traits jump from cell to cell, including how biofilms, which can be up to 5000 times more tolerant to antimicrobials than other bacteria, can assist in this transfer. Results Waiting for research results.

< Back Canadian beef producers getting full access to Japanese market Mar 27, 2023 Canadian beef producers getting full access to Japanese market Canadian beef producers got some good news Monday. For the first time in two decades, Canadian processed beef will be welcome in Japan. Canada will have full access to the Japanese market for the first time since 2003, when that country put restrictions on Canadian beef after the discovery of a case of mad cow disease in Alberta. Japan previously loosened some restrictions in 2019, when it OK’ed imports of Canadian beef from cattle older than 30 months. “Cattle producers are grateful for the removal of trade barriers for processed beef in Japan, our second-largest export market for beef,” Nathan Phinney, the president of the Canadian Cattle Association, said in a media release. “Our industry will continue to support global food security by providing some of the most sustainable and highest-quality beef in the world. We look forward to continuing to work with the Government of Canada to further remove remaining trade barriers and expanding our trade capacity in the Indo-Pacific region.” According to the federal government, the new Indo-Pacific Strategy will see Canada try to strengthen regional partnerships in hopes of expanding economic opportunities. Under that plan, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, with the support of Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, has been trying to create what the government called “the highest production standards and quality assurance of Canadian beef” to get back into markets like Japan. The government said the Japanese market for Canadian beef and beef products had an estimated value of $518 million in 2022. “The Canadian Meat Council is very pleased to see this expansion of our beef access to Japan,” Christopher White, the president and CEO of the Canadian Meat Council, said in the release. “Our members view this as a critical market for their products, including processed beef and beef patties.” Under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, Japan’s 38.5 per cent tariff on beef imports (including things like ground beef patties) will decrease to 23.35 per cent on Saturday, and will fall to nine per cent by 2033. Tariffs on other processed beef products will be reduced even more or, in some cases, eliminated completely. Previous Next

< Back 2018-137: Treatment guidance for Bovine respiratory disease: Optimizing prudent and economical antimicrobial decision making. Researcher: John Campbell Funding: $23,000 Medicating cattle with effective antibiotics helps reduce treatment times and costs. However, producers do not often know precisely what pathogens are affecting cattle. This research will investigate if calves can be swabbed on arrival at feedlots, and the chances that they will later be ill from the same pathogens detected. It will also determine if the most common bacteria detected would affect the whole herd, and if a small sample could predict the illnesses for the entire pen. Results Waiting for research results.

< Back 2018-135: Comparison of immune response & respiratory disease sparing effect of homologous & heterologous vaccine programs in neonatal calves Researcher: Nathan Erickson Funding: $17,250 Respiratory disease control research is a major priority for the SCA Board and Research Committee. This project will investigate the best vaccination protocol, based on the vaccines that are already commercially available. It will also note if different forms of vaccines (intranasal priming vaccines with injectable booster vaccines) would be more effective than either intranasal or injectable vaccine protocols alone. Results Waiting for research results.

RESEARCH PROJECTS Click on one of the priorities below to review ongoing projects. Economic Sustainability Genomics Animal Health Animal Nutrition & Management Environmental Stewardship Forage & Feed Technology

< Back 20211032 - Growing fodder as an alternative feed Account: Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association Total Funds Requested: $14,900 Funded: Yes Amount: $3,000 Objectives: Determine whether there is any benefit to growing fodder on livestock operations versus conventional feeding methods by analyzing its potential production, nutritional, and economic benefit Why is this Important? 1) Farm in Saskatchewan have said they "drought-proofed" their farm 2) hydroponically grown barley improved milk yield by 8.7% compared to corn silage 3) Could improve metabolized energy 4) Can reduce anti-nutritional factors on low-quality feeds such as phytic acid 5) Could allow producers to reallocate land 6) Economics of production need to be analyzed Methodology: 1) Compare treatment group, fed fodder daily on top of typical ration. 2) Compared to cattle in control group, planned on siliar diet with grain in place of fodder. 3) Assess average daily gain, feed efficiency, nutrient content of rations, cost of production, and feed quality. Questions to consider: Notes: We are administrating this project. Putting some funding in it would likely help as well. This was discussed at a Board meeting as well. Summary: Moisture conditions are quite variable throughout Saskatchewan, though the needs of feed for our cattle herds remain consistent. The project demonstrates the use of a fodder growing system that would "drought-proof" farms and ranches through the use of hydroponically grown barley, and compares it to conventional feeding methods. Previous Next

< Back 2017-092: Developing forage barley and triticale varieties with high whole plant biomass and enhanced nutritive value AND Increasing the yield threshold and enhancing the ideotype and quality of barley cultivars for feed in Western Canada Researchers: Yadeta Kabeta & Flavio Capettini Funding: $45,000 Project Description: Beef producers grow barley not only to feed their cattle, but in the hope that they can attain high quality malt barley as well. This project is meant to increase the prevalence of malt barley, and also to increase yield and lodging resistance, to benefit producers who aren’t able to attain malt quality status. It also plans to further develop barley and triticale for forage production, to increase biomass yield by 15%, to improve greenfeed & swath grazing production, and to expand the window for silage harvest. To increase consumption, they also plan to incorporate palatability. Results: Waiting for research results.

< Back 2021-089: Whole genome sequencing of sainfoin: an invaluable resource for a future of sustainable beef and dairy production systems Researcher: Stacy Singer Funding: $15,000 Project Description: As genomic sequencing has been used for a variety of other projects, its cost has been reduced. This has given way to sequencing genomes for various plant species, but this work has yet to be completed on sainfoin. Sainfoin is a legume with bloat-reducing condensed tannins, and has high nutritive value, palatability, and digestibility. However, it is underutilized likely to its low dry matter yield, persistence, and regrowth. This research, lead by Stacy Singer, would become a vital foundation for economically important traits while improving the precise repetition of these genes. DNA will be extracted from the young leaf tissue of an AAC Mountainview Sainfoin plant for the completion of short and long read DNA sequencing. After its analysis, it will help set the stage for future sainfoin breeding program. Results: Waiting for research results.

< Back 2019-126: Level of canola source fat in pregnant beef cow diets effects on cow and calf performance Researcher: Bart Lardner Funding: $50,000 Previous research has shown that canola fat was highly beneficial when in the beef cattle ration. This research will note the effects of canola fat on beef cows through the gestation period, and the effects on their calves throughout their lives, including slaughter. Results: Waiting for research results.

< Back 2021-100: Including native forages in mixture to enhance late season forage quality and carbon sequestration Researcher: Jonathan Bennett Funding: $50,500 Project Description: Both tame and native grasses can hold benefits for Saskatchewan grasslands, though there is not enough information for producers who would like to grow them together in a stand. Western and northern wheatgrass produce forage yields and forage quality similar to - or better than - many common tame grasses when grown in binary moisture with tame legume species. Establishing these native species can be difficult, especially given high seed costs. However, native species do have advantages. Little bluestem is a perennial warm season grass and that can perform well in mixtures with western wheatgrass. Other species, such as Canada milkvetch, has been shown to outperform alfalfa in forage production and digestibility in some studies. There are reasons tame and native mixtures have not been emphasized in the past, likely due to tame grasses growing earlier than native grasses, giving them a better advantage. Harvest intervals might also play a large role in the success of various stands. This project, based at the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence and then the Agriculture and Agri-Foods Research Station at Swift Current, will identify mixes with native and tame species that maximize the growing season, compare early season one cut systems to an early season two cut system, and note environmental benefits (i.e., carbon sequestration and nutrient retention.) As feed costs are the highest costs on farms and ranches, the economic value of these stands is critical. This research team will note changes in production and hay prices between wet and dry years and find the most economically viable tame and native species mixture. Results: Waiting for research results.