Alberta Beef Producers and the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency have put out a call for forage research proposals, with $1 million in funding available.
“Forage is the key driver of Alberta’s cattle industry competitiveness, accounting for two-thirds of costs,” Alberta Beef Producers said in a statement.
The priority research areas eligible for funding are:
- Improved grazing, management, and forage mixture strategies that optimize hay yields and beef production from native range and tame pastures.
- Quantification of varietal and species differences in the ability of grasses, legumes, and annual forages to maintain nutritional quality throughout the grazing season and in extended stockpiled or swath-grazing systems.
- Quantification of cereal forage variety differences in digestibility, nutrient profile for extended stockpiled, bale or swath-grazing and ensiling potential.
- Evaluation of yield, nutrient profile, and animal performance of new forage varieties in geographical regions beyond the development region.
- Utilization and management strategies of forage varieties and mixtures to improve feed efficiency, reduce incidence of nutritional disorders, and improve reproduction.
- Development of perennial and annual forage varieties with improved nutritive value and agronomic characteristics, such as yield, stand longevity, improved resource use efficiency, drought resistance, disease resistance, and carbon sequestration ability.
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