You may or may not have heard of  The Simpson Centre for Food and Agricultural Policy before today. Either way, hopefully after you finish reading this article, you will understand how it fits with the great work being done at Livestock Gentec.

At The Simpson Centre, we often refer to ourselves as “knowledge brokers”. This isn’t because we want to create another buzzword, but because the Centre began with the ambition to connect a fragmented industry, agriculture, with a fragmented audience, policymakers.  We aim to connect agri-food research, producer knowledge, and industry expertise to translate it into robust, evidence-based insights that will inform smarter agri-food policy. We believe this work is needed because too often, agri-food issues reach policymakers one by one, and without context. 

As a portfolio, agriculture is vast. It intersects with critical issues like infrastructure, water, trade, and national security, and spans jurisdictions. The conversation and policy advice around it should reflect that. With the vision to be the trusted source to bridge that gap, our institute was established, housed in the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, with the foundational principle to strengthen representation of agriculture in federal, provincial, and territorial economic and strategic policy decisions. 

Our priority domains focus on areas where science and provincial and federal policy converge like biosecurity, infrastructure, labour, resource resilience, and innovation.

We do not run our own labs, take institutional positions, or advocate for particular policy outcomes. Instead, we collect research from across the entire agri-food system, at local, regional, and national levels, conduct analysis, and put it in front of the audiences who can act on it. That translational work is the core of what we do. 

A strong paper or dataset often needs to be reframed for a policy audience. This requires connecting it to the consultation or decision point and delivering it through a channel that officials pay attention to. For a livestock genetics researcher that can take a few forms. For example, The Simpson Centre can help translate findings into a policy brief or plain-language summary aimed at a government or industry readership that needs to act on the science. As we continue to build up our research translation portfolio, we also implement policy and translational co-creation work into how we operate day-to-day, bringing researchers into policy conversations earlier rather than reframing their findings after the fact. In addition to this translational work, we also organize and participate in policy-related events. For instance, we are co-convening a roundtable on October 27 with the Agricultural Genomics Action Centre (AG-ACt), called Closing the Loop: From Ag Research to Policy that Works. This event will bring together researchers, producers, policymakers, and industry to work through how agricultural genomics and related innovation can inform resilient production systems, from producer adoption to the evidence gaps still standing in the way of better policy. The discussion outputs feed directly into the federal consultation for the Next Policy Framework (2028–2033). It will be a direct route from research in the room to sharing priorities for the next five years of national agricultural policy. More on the roundtable, including how to register, here.

Beyond the roundtable, our Controversies in Agriculture work promotes agricultural literacy among consumers, the media, and public employees by mapping issues like the regulation of gene-edited pigs. We reach a wider network through The Connector, our monthly newsletter, as part of a strategic plan built to foster external research collaboration and to expand our national network of policy and industry stakeholders. 

We are a small team, so a lot of our depth comes from partnership, and we see our next phase building out that convening role, so agricultural research has a stronger and steadier seat at provincial and federal policy tables. If you are doing genetics or genomics research with a policy, adoption, or public perception angle and think there is a fit with what we do, reach out. 

Attending the World Congress July 12-17, 2026, was, without a doubt, one of the best conference experiences I have had. I went expecting to learn about advances in animal genetics and share my own research, but I left with something much more valuable: new ideas, new connections, and a broader vision for where I could take my career. My research focuses on improving sow lifetime productivity through phenotypic and genomic approaches, intending to improve breeding decisions and sow longevity. I had the opportunity to present a research pitch and an e-poster on my work, “Integrating Growth Curve Analysis and Genetic Architecture: Pathway to Improved Breeding Decisions for Sow Longevity (https://doi.org/10.31274/wcgalp.24211).”

My research asks whether we can move beyond traditional gilt breeding decisions based primarily on age, weight, and heat-no-service and incorporate growth dynamics and genetic information to better understand physiological readiness. Ultimately, I hope this work will contribute to more informed breeding decisions, improved first and subsequent parity performance, and reduced culling risk. Presenting my research was certainly a highlight, but the conversations that followed were even more valuable. I connected with researchers working on both similar and very different questions, and many of these conversations gave me new ideas about how I could approach my own research. I also had the opportunity to speak with genetic companies from around the world and learn about innovations in DNA sampling, phenomics data collection, genetic evaluation, and other emerging technologies.

I was particularly impressed by the collaboration between industry and academia. Seeing how research can move beyond the university and into practical applications reinforces something very important to me: I do not want my research to simply sit in an academic journal. I want it to have a meaningful impact on the swine industry, both locally and internationally. The conference gave me greater confidence that this is possible. I was also impressed by the genetic models being developed at the University of Georgia. Seeing the level of innovation in genetic evaluation and the ways researchers are integrating complex data into breeding decisions opened my eyes to areas of animal genetics that I would like to explore further.

Interestingly, one of the most meaningful sessions was not directly related to genetics at all. The organizers included a session specifically focused on navigating graduate school and life beyond the research. Students had the opportunity to ask researchers who had already walked this path about balancing family, marriage, children, friendships, health, finances, part-time jobs, and the demands of a PhD. That conversation was incredibly valuable. Graduate school can sometimes feel chaotic and overwhelming, and it was encouraging to hear that others had experienced similar challenges and had learned, often through trial and error, how to find balance. The discussion also highlighted the importance of having the right supervisor and how significantly that relationship can shape the graduate school experience.

I left the World Congress with more than new research ideas and professional contacts. I left with a renewed vision for my career and greater confidence in the direction of my research. I would encourage students in animal genetics and related fields to attend conferences like this, not simply to add another line to their CV, but to learn, ask questions, make connections, and expose themselves to ideas beyond their immediate area of study.

Sometimes the greatest value of a conference is not the presentation you give, but the new possibilities you discover when you step outside the boundaries of your own research.

As part of our busy summer, the Livestock Gentec Beef team travelled to Athabasca County to host a session on genomics and its application in beef production. The session, on August 7, 2026 provided an opportunity to discuss some of the practical ways producers can use genomic information to support decisions in their herds. We covered the basics of how genomic testing works and how information such as genomic breed composition, hybrid vigour and genomic estimated breeding values (gEPDs) can be used to improve profit. Our goal with these sessions is to provide enough background so producers can interpret and apply genomic value reports their herds.

We also discussed opportunities for producers to participate in ongoing research and take advantage of programs that can help offset the cost of adopting genomic technologies. The Livestock Gentec beef team is continuing to work with Alberta producers to demonstrate the practical value of genomics and better understand how to increase adoption across the industry.

We appreciate Athabasca County for hosting the session and most importantly, the producers who took the time to attend and share their questions and experiences. These conversations are an important part of making sure our research addresses the needs of the industry. We are excited to see two attendees have already enrolled their animals in the adoption of genomic tools project (read more here)

Coming up Livestock Gentec will be participating in the Clearwater County 23rd Annual Cattlemen’s Day in Caroline, Alberta, on November 19, 2026. We look forward to meeting more producers, discussing genomic tools and hearing about the challenges and opportunities facing Alberta’s beef industry.

If you would like Livestock Gentec to speak at an event or run a genomics workshop for your producer group, please reach out to us at lsgentec@ualberta.ca.

Beef-on-dairy (BOD) is becoming a major driver of beef production in Canada, already contributing about 1 in every 4 beef animals. 

With more dairy producers breeding to beef sires, the big question is:

Are we selecting the right genetics for BOD cattle?

What We Did

We analyzed over 210,000 animals from beef-on-dairy systems to understand how key traits are inherited and how they work together.

We looked at traits that matter in your pocketbook:

• Growth (birth weight, daily gain) 
• Carcass weight 
• Ribeye area 
• Marbling 
• Backfat 
• Lean meat yield 

We also analysed expected hybrid vigor (retained heterozygosity) of the animals. Retained heterozygosity is a measure of how much crossbreeding advantage an animal carries. Higher values mean the animal has more genetic diversity from different breeds, which can support better performance. 

Key Takeaways for Producers

1. Breed diversity drives hybrid vigor

The average retained heterozygosity ranged from 0.00 to approximately 0.63, indicating substantial variation in heterozygosity among breed combinations within the beef-on-dairy production system.

Calves from more genetically diverse dairy cows showed higher retained heterozygosity, while cows already containing Limousine genetics showed lower values. This is expected because the cows are genetically closer to the Limousine bulls thus reducing the level of additional hybrid vigor gained from the mating.

2. Genetics moves the needle

Most traits showed moderate heritability (0.21–0.50)

Translation:
You can make real progress through sire selection 

3. Traits of importance are linked in favourable ways

Strong positive correlations were observed among growth and carcass weight traits.

Translation:

Selecting the right genetics can simultaneously improve growth rate, carcass weight, and meat yield

4. There are trade-offs 

Some traits work against each other:

More backfat ⟷ less lean yield 

More marbling ⟷ slightly less lean yield 

Translation: 

Pushing too hard for leanness can hurt quality 

Chasing marbling alone can reduce yield 

Balance is key.

5. We saw big differences in EBV accuracy:

Sires with lots of progeny = highly reliable EBVs (Accuracy = 0.90+)

Sires with few calves = more risk 

More progeny = more reliable sires 

6. What’s Coming Next

We’re building a Beef-on-Dairy Selection Index, which is a smart selection tool built specifically for this system not traditional beef.

It will:

• Balance growth, yield, and quality 
• Control excessive fat 
• Improve profitability

We are also adding: 

• Feed intake, and feed efficiency to target, fewer days on feed and lower feed cost

Take-home message

✔ Beef-on-dairy cattle can compete with the right genetics
✔ Success depends on balancing traits for market goals, not single-trait focus

By Seyed-Hassan Miraei Ashtiani, PhD, Dalhousie University (supervisor Dr. Ghader Manafiazar)

In August, I had the opportunity to attend the Canadian Beef Industry Conference (CBIC) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where I presented our initial work on using fecal near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and machine learning to predict enteric methane emissions from cattle. It was a valuable opportunity to share our early findings with people from across the beef industry and to discuss a practical question at the center of our research: how can methane phenotyping be expanded to many more animals?

Presenting our initial research findings at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Direct measurements are essential for understanding differences in methane production among individual cattle and for building the reference populations needed for genetic evaluation. GreenFeed systems allow researchers to collect these measurements from individual animals, but the specialized equipment and repeated measurements required make large-scale data collection difficult. Fecal NIR spectroscopy is being investigated as a potential proxy that could help extend methane phenotyping beyond the number of animals that can be measured directly. 

The process is simple: scan a fecal sample and use its spectral information to predict methane production. Behind that simple workflow, however, is a more sophisticated modeling task. Each spectrum contains information across hundreds of wavelengths, and machine learning is used to identify spectral patterns that are most informative for methane prediction. The models learn these relationships using cattle for which both fecal NIR spectra and direct GreenFeed methane measurements are available. Their performance can then be evaluated using animals that were not used to train the models.

The workflow below shows how direct methane measurements from GreenFeed are connected with fecal sample preparation, NIR spectroscopy, and machine learning prediction.

Study workflow from direct methane measurement and fecal sample preparation to NIR spectroscopy and machine learning prediction.

At CBIC, I presented results from the first available dataset with samples from 146 animals. We compared eight regression approaches, and support vector regression performed best, explaining 71% of the variation in methane emissions in the test data, with a prediction error of 28.21 g/day. These are encouraging early results, but they represent a starting point rather than a finished prediction system.

Our research is part of a larger five-year project: “Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Canadian Beef Industry through the Development and Adoption of Genomic Tools” (PI, Dr. John Basarab, NSERC-SSHRC Alliance grant funded).  The project plans to collect individual methane and carbon dioxide measurements from more than 2,300 cattle across five research sites in Canada, along with feed intake records, fecal samples, genomic information, and other animal measurements. As these data become available, they will provide a much larger and more diverse dataset for developing and evaluating methane prediction methods.

This growing dataset is important not only for testing the current prediction models, but also for developing better ones. As the number and diversity of animals in the dataset increase, the prediction methods can continue to evolve. We will be able to refine the models, examine how well they perform across different cattle populations, diets, research sites, and production conditions, and investigate additional methane-related traits. The project also provides opportunities to explore how NIR spectra can be combined with performance and genomic information to improve prediction. 

The aim is therefore broader than finding one algorithm that performs well on the current dataset. The project is evaluating whether fecal NIR can become a practical proxy for methane production in commercial cattle while continuing to expand the population with directly measured methane phenotypes. Those direct measurements remain central to building the reference population and developing and testing molecular breeding values for methane traits.

Presenting our initial findings at CBIC was an important milestone, but much of the work is still ahead. As the reference population grows—we have completed trials with 850 animals, so will the information available to develop, refine, and validate the prediction methods. The next stages will help determine how well the approach performs and whether it can provide a practical way to expand methane phenotyping at scale. In the longer term, this could strengthen the phenotypic resources available for genetic evaluation and support selection for reduced methane emissions in beef cattle.

Read other articles about this project here and here

By Lisa Raatz, RRI Program Coordinator, University of Alberta

The University of Alberta Rangeland Research Institute (RRI) hosted two field tours at the Mattheis and Kinsella Research Ranches and collaborated with the Government of Alberta in co-hosting two additional tours at Onefour and Stavely this summer. These events were an opportunity for local ranchers and producers, researchers, land managers, government and non-government organizations to come together to hear about novel ongoing research, contemporary management tools, and learn from one another, as well as celebrate the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists! While tour agendas were jam-packed, a couple highlights for each tour underscore some of the innovative topics addressed.

Onefour Research Ranch tour – June 16, 2026 

The 17,200 ha (42,600 ac) Onefour Ranch in southeast Alberta is in the Dry Mixedgrass prairie and is the birthplace of rangeland research in Canada, dating back to the early 1920s. Tracy Kupchenko (Gov’t of AB) stressed the critical uniqueness of this arid land base, with much of our knowledge on ‘best grazing practices’ originating from historical research that took place at Onefour. 

MSc student, Jordan Perron, is re-locating and sampling 100-year-old research plots known historically as the “pantograph plots” that were first established in the 1920s at sites across western North America. The research is led by Dr. Edward Bork (U of A) and funded by the Rangeland Sustainability Program. Historical data indicate that 400 plots are scattered across Onefour and over 50 have been found! Jordan demonstrated the methods he is using to document the current plant species and biological soil crusts present so that 100 year changes to the plant community can be evaluated and interpreted using interim data on grazing history and climatic patterns.

 – MSc. student, Jordan Perron, talks about the pantograph plots and his research project.

Grazing and land management at Onefour was also highlighted. While 2026 has had above average rainfall and the grasslands were lush for the tour, this region of Alberta experiences frequent drought and high fire risk. Jodi Lippa, one of the grazing stewards, talked about the challenges the association faces when grazing their cattle. The isolation and lack of cell service was her top challenge, along with the limited and unpredictable water supply for livestock. Water development is a high priority and improvements are being made. Other management priorities at Onefour include the removal of page-wire fencing to enhance the movement of wildlife, a project led by Paul Jones of Alberta Conservation Association, as well as routine monitoring for species-at-risk, an initiative led by Sandi Robertson (Gov’t of AB). 

Stavely Research Ranch tour – July 8, 2026 

Like Onefour, the Stavely Research Ranch was formerly managed by the Government of Canada (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, AAFC) and both stations were transferred to the Government of Alberta in 2013. Stavely has a lengthy research legacy in Canada dating back to the mid-1940s, including long-term stocking rate treatments started in 1949, and continuing through present day. The ranch is 388 ha (960 ac) and within Foothills Fescue grasslands, an important area supporting grazing since the early 1900’s. Craig DeMaere (Gov’t of AB) led the tour and gave background about the ecology of the area dominated by rough fescue and oatgrass, and the research history of the ranch. This ranch is particularly special because fescue grasslands are among the most threatened grassland ecosystems due to abundant grassland conversion into industrial, cropped agricultural, and sub-urban uses.

 Barry Adams talks about historical research at one of the original soil pits.

The 4 km walking tour gave participants an amazing view of the Alberta Foothills while learning about fescue prairie research and management. Barry Adams, retired Gov’t of AB range manager, talked about how past research on these fescue-oatgrass plant communities contributed to our current rangeland plant community guides, and the Alberta Range Health Assessment protocol – now widely used on both public and private lands in the province. Barry also reviewed the research legacies of Drs. John Dormaar and Walter Willms, and the “furnace study”, where the conversion of native grassland into cropland and domestic forages resulted in the rapid loss of ecosystem health, including soil carbon and health.  

The Stavely Ranch continues to maintain the four stocking rate treatments of light, moderate, heavy, and very heavy grazing, which continue to show differences in plant diversity, productivity, forage quality, and drought tolerance, among other properties. Tour attendees observed first-hand marked differences in water infiltration between lightly and heavily grazed fields in a demonstration by Ross Adams (Gov’t of AB). Water in the lightly grazed pasture infiltrated rapidly compared to the heavily grazed pasture, a first-hand look at the dangers of reduced litter and increased soil compaction under excess grazing. 

Mattheis Research Ranch tour – July 15, 2026

The 5000 ha (12,300 ac) Mattheis Research Ranch (MRR) was generously donated to the U of A by alumni Edwin and Ruth Mattheis in 2010. The MRR is near Brooks in the Dry Mixedgrass prairie and bordered by the Red Deer River. The Mattheis’ vision was to use the land for conducting rangeland research, teaching and extension, like this field tour!

The multi-disciplinary research project, Climate Action Through Grazing (CAT-G) led by Drs. Carolyn Fitzsimmons and James Cahill, and funded by Genome Canada and Results Driven Agricultural Research (RDAR), was highlighted on the tour. These large-scale, replicated grazing trials are taking place on the Mattheis and Kinsella Ranches, and consist of 3 pairs of experimental treatments that are continuously or rotationally grazed during summer and fall, and enable testing of a wide range of soil, plant and animal responses. U of A graduate student, Samantha Pedersen, shared some initial results indicating rotational grazing may have less impact on nesting birds because of the prolonged rest period across much of the landscape, which allows the young to fledge before grazing occurs. 

The tour also highlighted the Alberta Agri-Systems Living Lab in partnership with the Alberta Beef Producers, and funded by AAFC – Agricultural Climate Solutions. Producers Brad and Terri Mappin are collaborating with the U of A to determine how the implementation of rotational grazing can improve their operation. They also talked about their challenges and successes of overseeding legumes to improve forage quality. Dr. Erick Santos and graduate student, Damon Bectell, reviewed the benefits of Cicer milkvetch for improved forage availability and quality. Their research has found that Cicer milkvetch is relatively tolerant to defoliation and can increase above and belowground biomass following grazing, as well as fix nitrogen. 

Marcel Busz, Mattheis Ranch manager, showed cattle outfitted with Gallagher virtual fencing collars and being rotationally grazed. Dr. Edward Bork’s research has shown that cattle adapt and learn quickly to respect virtual fence boundaries. They also readily learn to move as the virtual boundary changes so that they rotational grazing can be applied in a low stress manner.

Drs. Edward Bork, James Cahill, and Carolyn Fitzsimmons introduce the Climate Action Through Grazing research project.

Kinsella Research Ranch tour – Aug 13, 2026

Similar in size to the Mattheis Ranch, the Roy Berg Kinsella Research Ranch is in the Central Parkland of Alberta with rolling hills, aspen stands and prairie potholes. The ranch is mostly native grassland with some annual cropping and tame pasture, and is the hub of cattle genomics research at the U of A.

The Kinsella tour was highlighted by the Precision Ranching project, led by Dr. Edward Bork. While aspen encroachment is a problem in grazed grasslands in the Central Parkland region, Dr. Bork’s research shows that these wooded habitats can be beneficial since they are selected by cattle for shelter during extreme heat and cold. Additionally, research about cattle movement and energy they expend to find forage shows that more steps are taken at the hottest parts of the day when they go for water during heat waves, a finding discussed by Drs. Francisco de Novais and Edward Bork. 

Producers Sean McGrath and Jill Burkhard both shared the challenges and successes of ranch improvements that they have implemented on their respective operations, in part using information obtained by working in partnership with researchers. Both described their optimism at seeing improvements to forage use and weed management by moving to rotational grazing systems. They also have had success by overseeding legumes that with ample rain in 2026, are seeing improved establishment.

Tour participants enjoy learning to identify some native plants!

Collaborations between researchers and producers are critical to ensuring that research remains relevant to the beef industry, but also answers questions that are important to Albertans. The four tours this summer gave attendees a snapshot of the research and management taking place at each of these ranches – stay tuned for more!

On Saturday, September 19th, Gentec’s Jenny Patterson and Mike Dyck were honored to run the George Foxcroft Reproduction Workshop at the Leman Swine Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. This year marked another successful and well-attended workshop continuing the 20+ year collaboration between the University of Alberta and the University of Minnesota. The workshop was recently renamed in honor of Dr. George Foxcroft, whose original vision for the workshop was to create a session that focused on “Putting Science into Practice” to support improved breeding herd performance. 

This year’s theme, “Closing the Gap – Why the Top 20% of Farms Outperform the Average” addressed a current industry challenge: while modern genetics have the potential for outstanding performance, only the top 10-20% of herds consistently achieve it. We had a fantastic lineup of industry experts who explored strategies to help producers better realize the full genetic potential in their herds. This workshop was a success because of the hard work and excellent presentations from our speakers.

Industry Experts (*Sponsored by NPPC):

• Nicole Boettger (MetaFarms)* – What the Data Says Top 10% Farms Do Differently 
• Ximena Paz Portal (HANOR) – Dashboarding, Data Visualization & Data-Driven Decisions
• Robert Knox (University of Illinois) – Fertility Drivers in the Breeding Herd
• Chantal Farmer (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) – Maximizing Lactation Performance via Mammary Development
• Ashley DeDecker (Smithfield)* – Success Strategies for Managing Today’s Prolific Sow 
• Amanda Minton (AcuFast)* – The boar stud’s role: Ensuring consistent results in the breeding barn
• Luc Dufresne (Demeter Services Vétérinaires) – Why Top Farms Do Better
• Jose Santiago (Tosh Farms)* – Building Teams That Drive Top Farm Performance 

Special Thanks

A sincere thank you to the University of Minnesota and especially the Leman Organizing Committee for their support in the development of the program and organizing all the details – we couldn’t have done this without their help, Merck Animal Health for their ongoing sponsorship of the workshop, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) for sponsoring four of our speakers, and all of our attendees for spending their Saturday with us!

Stay tuned for further updates in the next newsletter, we will break down the session in more detail and provide the link to the recorded sessions.

Background

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA), is currently coordinating the preparation of the Third Report on the State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (SoW-AnGR). This global assessment provides a comprehensive review of the status, trends, challenges, and opportunities related to animal genetic resources and their management worldwide and serves as an important global reference for policymakers, researchers, and development organizations. The report guides future investments, strengthen conservation and sustainable use efforts, support climate adaptation, and inform implementation of the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources and underscores the critical role of animal genetic resources in building resilient, productive, and sustainable livestock systems for the future.

The first report was published in 2007 and established the first global baseline on the diversity and management of animal genetic resources. The second report followed in 2015, documenting progress and emerging challenges. In 2023, the Commission requested FAO and member countries to initiate the preparation of the third report, which is scheduled for presentation to the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources in 2026 and subsequently to the Commission in 2027.

The Reporting Process

The report is being developed through contributions from countries, international organizations, research institutions, and technical experts. 

ILRI played a leading role in the FAO thematic study on Climate-Smart Management of Animal Genetic Resources, which was selected through a competitive process. The study examined how animal genetic resources can contribute to climate adaptation, resilience, and sustainable livestock development while maintaining genetic diversity.

As part of this process, FAO organized a series of widely advertised webinars to disseminate findings and engage stakeholders in discussions. The webinar covering ILRI’s thematic study on Climate-Smart Management of Animal Genetic Resources and was held on 10 June 2026 and I presented on the “Impact of Climate Change on Animal Genetic Resources: Vulnerability, Resilience, and Adaptability.” The presentation examined how changing production environments are increasing the vulnerability of livestock genetic resources in low and middle income countries (LMICs), while highlighting the resilience of adaptive indigenous breeds and outlining opportunities to strengthen resilience through the sustainable use, conservation, and climate-smart breeding strategies to safeguard these resources for future livestock systems. 

Fig 1. Presentation on the impact of climate change on animal genetic resources: Vulnerability, Resilience, and Adaptability.”  delivered by Dr. Chinyere Ekine-Dzivenu.

Link to the University of Alberta Joint Appointment

My participation in this process reflects the value of my joint appointment between ILRI and the University of Alberta. The appointment strengthens collaboration in livestock genetics, genomics, breeding, and climate resilience, while creating opportunities to contribute scientific evidence to global policy processes. The themes discussed during the webinar closely align with ongoing research activities at both institutions.

It is a busy time for the beef project team at Livestock Gentec with all our projects in full swing. However, it is always important to participate in knowledge transfer activities and connect with producers, funders, and other researchers. Adoption of genomic tools by beef producers is critical to our in mission to improve the profit and sustainability of the industry. Adoption of a new technology starts with learning about it and its potential benefits. It is also valuable to learn about funding opportunities to incentivize their adoption. Here, we will highlight three events the Livestock Gentec Beef team participated in recently to help share our knowledge on genomic tools.

On April 29 2026, Jordan Roberts (Livestock Gentec Project Manager) presented in the Alberta 4-H DNA webinar. Students who participated in the provincial steer competition for 4H clubs collected hair samples and submitted them to Livestock Gentec for genomic analysis. The students received customized reports for their animals showing genomic breed composition, hybrid vigour scores, Feeder Profit IndexTM values and the gEPDs contributing to this economically weighted multi-trait selection index. There is a lot of information in these reports, so our goal with this webinar was to help to provide some interpretation and background for their genomic values reports. It was also a fun exercise to look at genomic values and compare to actual carcass traits. This was also a good way to highlight how important management and environment are critical to the expression of phenotypes. As a highly technical topic it is important to break the information down into more understandable key points. We know these students are smart and we were happy to get some very insightful questions that reflected their understanding. It was also great to hear from some parents who listened in reach out to us about testing their animals.

Dr. Everestus Akanno (Research Associate), Dr. Chinyere Ekine-Dzivenu (Research Associate) and Jordan Roberts went to Lac La Biche June 4, 2026, to give a workshop hosted by the Lac La Biche County on genomic tools for beef production. We appreciate producers taking the time out of their busy schedule to participate. In this two-hour workshop, we were able to get into the science of genomics, our ongoing research projects and opportunities for producers to get involved through the project: “Using genomics to improve the profitability and sustainability of Alberta’s beef industry” funded by SCAP and administered by RDAR. In our presentation, we tested everyone’s knowledge by showing a picture of a beef cow and asking them to guess her breed composition. Then we showed the genomic breed composition. While there were some good guesses, this was a good reminder looks can be deceiving! Producers know their herds very well, but guessing at breed composition is not an easy task. Extensive crossbreeding and the nature of recombination make the task challenging even with a good intuition and knowledge of your herd. Genomic breed composition provides an accurate breed composition for individual animals. Applying genomic breed composition can support better breeding and retention decisions. We enjoyed the follow-up conversations getting invaluable perspectives from producers.

Most recently, on June 17 2026, Dr. Everestus Akanno, Dr. Chinyere Ekine-Dzivenu, Jordan Roberts and Morgan Rioche (MSc student) went to Cremona to participate in the RDAR research roundup event. This annual event hosted very informative presentations and booths. In the morning, The Honourable MLA Tara Sawyer Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, spoke about advocating for agriculture and agriculture research in her role. She also spoke to how RDAR’s adoption first approach should serve as a model for research Canada-wide.  RDAR CEO Dr. Mark Redmond gave an address on RDAR’s producer first approach to funding projects and highlighted some impactful projects. In the afternoon, we were at the University of Alberta booth with our ALES colleagues (Dr. Rene Dery, Dr. Gliese Medeiros da Silva and Dr. Erick da Silva Santos), sharing information on our research projects. This event was also a great networking opportunity. We connected with many groups in the research world including team members from Olds College, Genome Alberta, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Alberta Milk among others.

We want to thank our hosts and the attendees for engaging in these activities. It is always fulfilling to talk with producers and hear their comments. We believe in the value of applying genomic technologies and we hope these events help spread that message and convince producers. If you would like Livestock Gentec to speak at an event or run a workshop for your producer group please reach out. The best way to reach us is by email: lsgentec@ualberta.ca