Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
9-12-00
Contacts:
Daryl Strohbehn, Iowa Beef Center, (515) 294-0847, stroh@iastate.edu
Darrell Busby, Iowa Beef Center, (712) 769-2600, dbusby@iastate.edu
Tenderness Project Informational Meeting and Wrap Up Planned
LEWIS, Iowa -- The Iowa Beef Center's successful results from the first year of the Iowa Beef Tenderness and Carcass Evaluation project have been released. The main objective of the project is to assist Iowa beef producers in evaluating seedstock and determining which sires produce calves highly desirable in tenderness, according to to Daryl Strohbehn, ISU Extension beef specialist with the Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University.
The Center will hold a wrap up and informational meeting Sept. 27 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Southwest Area Extension and Wallace Foundation Learning Center near Lewis, Iowa.
"We have an excellent program lined up for those who attend," said Darrell Busby, ISU Extension field beef specialist. "John Pollak from Cornell University will give a presentation on the National Carcass Merit project and the findings in relationship to the genetics of tenderness."
Also on the program are presentations by Steve Lonergan, assistant professor and Doyle Wilson, professor in the ISU Department of Animal Science. Lonergan is conducting detailed chemical analyses on the cattle to evaluate procedures to better sort cattle into more and less tender carcasses. Wilson has genetically evaluated the cattle and will relate how the sires of this set of cattle have done from a genetic perspective.
Wrapping up the program will be a summary of all the carcass data collected and what producers can expect for the upcoming year. Also in attendance will be the feedlot operators responsible for testing several hundred cattle for the Tri-County Carcass Futurity program.
"This meeting will give people a chance to rub shoulders with some beef experts as well as the feeders that manage a large number of cattle in testing programs," Strohbehn concluded.
The Iowa Beef Center has plans to continue this tenderness evaluation project and invites producers in Iowa to consign progeny by known sires in the 2000-2001 project.
Results of this year's test and information on next year's test can be obtained by visiting the Iowa Beef Center web page at www.iowabeefcenter.org or contact the Iowa Beef Center at (515) 294-BEEF.
Directions to the Wallace Learning Center are as follows: From Atlantic, follow Hwy 6 12 miles southwest of Atlantic. Turn left onto 525th Street about 1/2 mile. Turn left again at first gravel road (Hitchcock Avenue). The center is 1/2 mile east on gravel on the north side of the road.
From Omaha, head south at Walnut (exit 46). Follow county road M47 south to Hwy 6. Take a left on Hwy 6 approximately 2 miles. Turn right onto 525th street for about 1/2 mile. Turn left at first gravel road (Hitchcock Avenue). The center is 1/2 mile east on gravel on the north side of the road.
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