351 Awardee Talk: Advances in Animal Nutrition Research

Abstract

Abstract The major focus of animal nutrition studies is the efficient production of meat, milk, and eggs. Much has changed in animal nutrition over the past forty years that have facilitated these improvements in efficiencies. While advances in technologies have been quantum and research methodologies have improved yet there remains a need for traditional methodologies. Feed intake, growth rate, and feed efficiency still define success. Nutrient balance and digestibility studies, which originated in the 1800s, provide much-needed information regarding the value of feedstuffs. Bioassays are still needed to ascertain the requirements of each nutrient as these are ever-changing because animals are ever-changing. Genetic improvement dictates that requirements be continually reassessed and refined. Technologies that impact animal production, e.g. growth promotants, ionophores, repartitioning agents, hormones, nutraceuticals, etc. may all impact these requirements and should be considered. The challenge for the next generation of researchers will be to interface the technologies, genomic tools, and traditional approaches to provide targeted nutritional strategies tailored for individual genetic potential. Researchers must have a broader grasp of all the available tools if we ever hope to fully implement technologies and interface these with new knowledge to provide optimal nutrition. Changes in consumer preferences will continue to provide new challenges that must be met by research from a continually decreasing pool of researchers. This too will necessitate broader skill sets and increased multi-disciplinary support. The next 40 years will bring even greater changes and challenges. Animal agriculture must continue to improve. A goal of increased efficiency will not be enough. We must improve on every aspect of health, well-being, and perception. Nutrition research will be a component of these improvements but improving technologies will permit the evaluation of much more. Consumers will demand an optimum existence be demonstrated for each animal.