Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – An applied research centre using genomics to help beef producers sharpen their competitive edge has been honoured with a Best in Agriculture Sector Award at the ASTech Awards, which are given for technology and science innovation in Alberta. “We’re very proud that our team received that award,” said John Basarab, head of […] Read more
Beef research centre wins ag tech award
Alberta’s Livestock Gentec was formed in 2010 to use genomics to help producers improve profitability and sustainability
Would you like a supercomputer with your cattle herd?
Big Data: Armchair Rancher will harness the power of big data and AI, and give Alberta producers ‘a leg up’
Reading Time: 3 minutes The ‘ancestry.com’ of the cattle industry is in development — and the app could give Alberta ranchers a leg up on the rest of the industry. Livestock Gentec, in collaboration with Alberta Innovates and the University of Alberta’s David Wishart, is creating an app that will help ranchers make better and faster decisions on the […] Read more
Lots to see on cow forage tour
Field Day Aug. 22 at the Lacombe Research Centre
Reading Time: < 1 minute Several on-pasture demonstrations will be held during a field day co-hosted by Livestock Gentec and the Lacombe Research Centre. The Aug. 22 event at the research centre will focus on better understanding the interactions among cows, forage, and genomics and on optimizing cow/forage production. The demonstrations include a multi-site legume tour; high- and low-vigour cows […] Read more
Scientists looking for producers to participate in beef genomic trial
The project is part of the effort to use genomics to select cattle with improved feed efficiency and other desirable traits
Reading Time: 2 minutes Want to know more about the feed efficiency and traits of your cattle? Interested in contributing to research that can make a difference in Canadian beef cattle production? Researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are looking for producers to send in samples from their herds for use in a genomic prediction trial. “This will potentially […] Read more
Capturing value through livestock innovation
Livestock Gentec Conference being held Oct. 13-14 in Edmonton
Reading Time: < 1 minute Playing the Long Game: Capturing Value in Livestock Innovation is the theme of this year’s Livestock Gentec Conference. Presentations include a look at what’s possible in genetic improvement in commercial beef cattle and the U.K. experience in increasing value in the beef chain. There will also be a panel on sustainable beef production along with […] Read more
Study aims to show beef is sustainable
Analysis will create a baseline for things like water use and carbon sequestration
Reading Time: 2 minutes Consumers have been asking for it, and now the Canadian beef industry is one step closer to proving its sustainability. “We’re trying to find the impacts — both positive and negative — that come from beef production, from when an animal is born on the ground to when it becomes a kilogram of beef on […] Read more
Genomics proving its worth for purebred cattle
Genomically enhanced selection is catching on with purebred producers, but crossbreds pose more of a challenge
Reading Time: 2 minutes Purebred cattle have a leg up on their crossbred cousins — at least as far as genomics is concerned. “The purebred industries are the ones that are really using genomically enhanced selection indexes,” said Dawn Trautman, technology translator at Livestock Gentec. “In the purebred industry, you can get validated markers a lot faster because you’re […] Read more