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BY TYLER DIFLEY AND SYDNEY DUHAIME
Theproof is in thepoop
USINGNIRS TOMAXIMIZE FEEDGRAINS’ POTENTIAL
NEAR INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY
(NIRS) continues to be investigated for
its potential to improve feed e ciency in
livestock, saving feedlots money and mak-
ing the livestock industry more profitable.
University of Saskatchewan PhD student
Larisa Jancewicz has been working with
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
in Lethbridge to determine how e ectively
livestock are utilizing their feed. She does
so by using NIRS to analyze the chemical
composition of their feces.
“In cattle diets, 50 per cent is starch, so
starch is a good indicator of how they are
using their feed,” Jancewicz said. “The less
starch in the manure, the more e ciently
they are using starch.”
These humble animal droppings tell an
important story. When nutrients, such as
starch, are found in high concentrations
in the manure, it means the animal is not
utilizing them, Jancewicz said, and this
waste lowers the feed e ciency. If the
grain is processed di erently so that fewer
nutrients are wasted, feedlots can improve
feed e ciency and save money.
“They can get more gain for the same
amount of barley,” she said.
NIRS uses the refractory wavelengths
of light to estimate the composition of a
material, bouncing infrared light o of the
material and recording the wavelengths
of the light that rebounds. When used on
feed, NIRS can reveal the concentrations
of various key nutrients.
“We can measure the fibre content,
starch content, pectin content,” said Tim
McAllister, a research scientist special-
izing in ruminant nutrition at AAFC’s
Lethbridge Research Centre. “Anything
you can develop a calibration curve for,
you can measure.”
In order to use NIRS to determine nu-
trient content, a calibration curve is estab-
lished by comparing NIRS results with the
results of traditional wet chemistry tests
conducted on the feed, McAllister said.
Wet chemistry can provide reliable values
for nutrient content, but it is an expensive
and time-intensive method of analysis.
“We would collect samples from the
industry, run them through NIRS to
predict the nutrient content and then send
them again for wet chemistry analysis to
compare the prediction to what was col-
lected through wet chemistry,” McAllister
explained. “Then that would represent the
final validation.”
Although creating a calibration curve
can be costly, as it requires the testing of
countless feed samples before it can be
considered accurate, McAllister said the
work has value.
“It takes some initial investment to
set up a calibration curve, but once you
have them and they are validated, then
you can save an awful lot of money in the
long run,” he said. “If we can develop a
calibration curve that anyone can use, we
can easily assess the value of the feed and
how it is utilized. It represents a major
step forward.”
According to Karin Schmid, beef pro-
duction specialist with the Alberta Beef
Producers, Jancewicz’s research presents
some intriguing possibilities for the
cattle industry.
“Larisa’s work is interesting because
it shows that there are areas of improve-
ment for barley production for silage,” she
said. “If we can improve feed utilization
through feed processing, it will improve
feed e ciency.
“Anything that improves the bottom
line on the feedlot side is very important.”
KCL Feeders has used NIRS for roughly
three years, according to feedlot manager
Riaz Mohammed. He explained that they
are extremely supportive of Jancewicz’s
research, for which they provide fecal
samples from their feedlot.
“We are paying money for the grain we
buy and we do not want to lose the grain
in the manure,” he said. “So if there is
a lot of grain in the manure, we are not
utilizing the grain to its full potential.”
Riaz added that many feedlots are not tak-
ing advantage of NIRS, either because they
are not aware of its value or because they
do not have the time, labour and financial
resources to conduct proper data analysis.
According to McAllister, outsourcing
NIRS analysis could provide a practical
solution for feedlots that want to reap
the benefits of the technology without
the hassles.
“I believe there is an opportunity for a
third party to perform the testing,” he said.
“I think the feedlots would like a situation
where they hand this over. Where someone
can look at the findings and the implica-
tions in relation to their bottom line.”
NEW SCHOOL:
Larisa Jancewicz’s NIRS
research takes a closer look at new uses for
the established technology.
Fall
2014
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