“We’re trying to come up with solutions for agricultural producers to adapt to climate change and keep the natural resource they depend on healthy,” Redd said, “so we can still produce food and protect the integrity of that natural resource.”
NIFA hosted the competition to establish the Hubs a decade ago and supports collaborations and outreach at the Hubs through several funding programs in the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, such as the Extension, Education and USDA Climate Hubs Partnership program.
This heritage breed has adapted to dry rangelands and may help regenerate the soil while needing less water and feed than other cattle. Ranchers in Southern California are helping them find a niche.
“The question is what to do with the manure from livestock operations with surplus manure nutrients, and how to get it to farmland where it is needed most?” said Sheri Spiegal, an ARS rangeland management specialist in Las Cruces, NM.
Through research on novel strategies in cattle production, the Southwest Climate Hub is supporting ranchers in adjusting to meet the challenges of today.
The conference center at Redlands Community College was all about science as students from county high schools showcased their research and discussed their findings as part of the BlueSTEM AgriLearning Center’s 2021 Agriscience Symposium.
This five-year project will analyze the Criollo crossing effects on profitability, efficiency, ecosystem, feed yard performance, and carcass and meat quality.
Sustainable beef production is a challenge in the semi-arid rangeland environments of the Southwest. Climate change may reduce the ability of these ecosystems to support herds of large-frame breeds that dominate the American cattle industry.
A major challenge with manure is distributing it over long distances between where it is produced and where it is needed. American scientists say that is where the concept of manuresheds can help.
Sustainable SW Beef scientist Al Rotz featured in New York Times: “For the U.S., we’re probably not adding methane to the atmosphere” from livestock, Dr. Rotz said. “But you add more methane as you add more animals, as we are doing globally.”
NMSU received an $8.9 million grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to study ways to improve the sustainability of beef production in the Southwest.
Globally, there is a widening gap between the supply and demand for livestock products as consumption increases (particularly in developing regions) while productivity levels are dwindling. In order to address this disparity, ranchers all over the world have chosen to integrate cattle tracking and management systems into their operations.
New Mexico State University is participating in gathering information to help understand how producers make decision regarding their cattle operations.
