Offered Papers Theme C: Delivering the Benefits from Grassland
Description
Forages are vital to the success of grazing livestock production systems. Forages provide a low cost source of nutrients for animal production (Barnes & Nelson 2003; Ball et al., 1996). Limited fundamental (i.e., genomic, proteomic, metabolomic) research on the effects of environment and management on plant quality and production and the effects of plant metabolites (i.e., nutrients, anti-quality factors, nutraceuticals) on animal performance has hindered our ability to improve the productivity of forage-based enterprises. There is insufficient information for reliable prediction of animal performance in response to plant metabolites. To address these issues, USDA-ARS established FAPRU (Forage-Animal Production Research Unit) in 2003 at U Kentucky, Lexington. Its mission is to improve the productivity, profitability, competitiveness and sustainability of forage-based enterprises through improved understanding of the fundamental biological processes that occur at the animal-plant interface.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Forage-Animal Production Research Unit (FAPRU): Establishment of a New USDA-ARS Research Location
Forages are vital to the success of grazing livestock production systems. Forages provide a low cost source of nutrients for animal production (Barnes & Nelson 2003; Ball et al., 1996). Limited fundamental (i.e., genomic, proteomic, metabolomic) research on the effects of environment and management on plant quality and production and the effects of plant metabolites (i.e., nutrients, anti-quality factors, nutraceuticals) on animal performance has hindered our ability to improve the productivity of forage-based enterprises. There is insufficient information for reliable prediction of animal performance in response to plant metabolites. To address these issues, USDA-ARS established FAPRU (Forage-Animal Production Research Unit) in 2003 at U Kentucky, Lexington. Its mission is to improve the productivity, profitability, competitiveness and sustainability of forage-based enterprises through improved understanding of the fundamental biological processes that occur at the animal-plant interface.
