July 25, 2023

US universities in partnership to drive recruitment in livestock production and management

Researchers from Prairie View A&M University and Texas A&M University in the United States are partnering on a project that will offer an "Experiential Approach to Beef Cattle Production Feedlots for Undergraduate Students."

The partnership aims to boost recruitment efforts and student interest in livestock production and management.

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded the multi-institutional team of researchers US$299,999 in support of the project, which will offer undergraduate students an opportunity to participate in running a feedlot on the PVAMU farm, thus gaining hands-on animal husbandry, livestock management, and decision-making skills.

The project's principal investigator (PI), Tamra N. Tolen, PhD, assistant professor in PVAMU's Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Human Ecology, will collaborate with co-PIs Lea Ann Kinman, PhD, research associate professor in PVAMU's Cooperative Agricultural Research Center; Milton B. Daley, PhD, assistant professor in PVAMU's College of Agriculture and Human Sciences; and Andy D. Herring, PhD, professor of animal science in TAMU's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

"The USDA and this talented team of researchers from within the Texas A&M University System recognise the importance of providing students with experiential learning opportunities that will allow them to thrive as future leaders dedicated to serving a global society," said PVAMU vice president of research and innovation Magesh Rajan.

The project plans include bringing steers into the feedlot to be fed to market weight and harvested, during which students and local producers will attend workshops focused on the proper health and care of the steers and the impacts of managerial decisions.

"My hope for this project is to not only provide a hands-on experience for our students but also to provide engagement opportunities for our local producers to come on campus to partake in this experience," said Dr. Tolen.

Project participants will acquire essential knowledge on managing and maintaining a herd and assessing meat yield and quality grade. As a result, students and local producers will learn practical livestock management skills and best practices to meet consumer expectations and excel in the beef industry.

- Prairie View A&M University