Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
12/15/98
Contacts:
Daryl R. Strohbehn, Extension Beef, (515) 294-0847
Treva Blumenshine, Extension Communication Systems, (515)
294-5672
Tenderness Sire Testing Project Announced by Beef Center
AMES, Iowa -- At the December 1998 Iowa Cattlemen's Association convention John Lawrence, Director of the Iowa Beef Center, announced the Iowa Beef Tenderness and Carcass Evaluation Project. Lawrence said, the central theme of this project is to assist Iowa cattle producers in conducting a sire testing program that will evaluate and identify sires that have the genetic ability to produce progeny with highly desirable eating characteristics. "This project is the next step in helping position Iowa's beef producers as the leaders in producing high quality, lean beef that will meet and exceed the consumer's expectations in eating satisfaction," Lawrence said.
"We all know that many factors influence the final eating characteristics of beef when it is consumed," Lawrence continued. "Factors such as marbling, post-mortem aging and cooking procedures are important, but tenderness of the product influences the eating satisfaction as much or more than any of the other factors."
Iowa Beef Center staff member Daryl Strohbehn added, "Research has shown that beef tenderness is heritable and if we have breeding stock evaluated for this trait we could show improvement through genetic selection." A review of 12 previous research projects has shown that the heritability of tenderness as evaluated by shear force is 29 percent and when evaluated by taste panel in the range of 35 to 40 percent heritable.
Lawrence added, "One of the missions of the Iowa Beef Center is to position Iowa producers as a source of reference genetics for tenderness, thus putting them in the forefront of this very important arena."
"This is a two year project that invites Iowa producers to enroll groups of 10 to 15 head of steer and heifer calves from one sire to a central test site for feeding and total carcass evaluation," Strohbehn added. "Our plan once we evaluate tenderness on each of the progeny is to do a genetic evaluation and then publish that report so that the beef industry can put the best genetics to work in their breeding programs."
Rib slices from each carcass will be removed and transported to the Iowa State University Meats Laboratory for tenderness evaluation. Besides tenderness, gain testing and complete carcass information will be collected and reported, including ribeye area, backfat, percent kidney, pelvic and heart fat, yield grade, marbling score and final quality grade.
Cost to the producer evaluating his sire will be $40 per progeny animal evaluated plus normal custom feeding costs.
Producers wanting more information can contact the Iowa Beef Center at (515) 294-BEEF (2333) or write for information at the Iowa Beef Center, 468F Heady Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011.
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