Clones

AAFC’s Lacombe centre is internationally
recognized for its red meat research.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
From Early Pioneers
to Current Issues
The evolution of federal livestock and meat research in Alberta.
By Debbie Lockrey-Wessel
From pioneer times to modern day, livestock has
been an important part of agriculture and a key
component of federal research in Alberta. Recent
centennial celebrations at two of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada’s (AAFC) research centres provide an opportunity
to recall the history of livestock and meat research in this
prairie province.
One hundred years ago, research centres were established
in Lethbridge and Lacombe, Alta. to develop farming
practices and help farmers produce crops and animals in a
relatively harsh environment with a somewhat short growing
season. Early research was closely aligned with the farming
community and dealt with pioneer problems such as wind
erosion, livestock, irrigation, and selecting crop varieties
suitable to the region.
Over the years these centres made significant contributions
in crop research and the research on animals evolved into
animal breeding and genetics, meat quality and safety.
Today, animal-related research at these two AAFC centres
has moved past the local farm gate and now provides valuable
information to the national livestock and meat industry.
Researchers in Lethbridge have developed range
management and cross-breeding systems to increase beef
production. Today the centre has facilities for sheep and
beef cattle, including a research feedlot that is supported by
a commercial-sized feed mill for preparing and optimizing
animal rations.
Specialized facilities and equipment allow scientists to
study animal nutrition and disease prevention, and look
inside the rumen stomach and closely examine metabolic
systems, digestion and nutrition.
Scientists in Lethbridge are tackling issues such as
E.coli, the behaviour and welfare of cattle, working with
the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to find a way to
safely dispose of/compost dead livestock, and finding new
strategies and techniques to preserve and enhance beef
quality. Research is also developing new technologies to
advance the efficiency, profitability and environmental
sustainability of beef production. Several environmental
projects focus on the impact of manure on soil and ground
water quality and the impact of feedlot industry greenhouse
gas production.
Today, animal-related research at these two
AAFC centres has moved past the local farm
gate and now provides valuable information
to the national livestock and meat industry.
While research at Lethbridge concentrates on the live
animal, Lacombe is internationally recognized for research
on ante- and post-mortem factors that influence red meat:
yield, quality, safety and preservation.
Notable achievements from Lacombe include the
development in the 1950s of non-destructive, electronic and
physiological techniques to estimate carcass lean and fat in
live animals, and collaboration with the industry to develop
and revise national grading standards for beef (1972) and
pork (1968) including the design and testing of novel
instrumental grading technologies.
Scientists at Lacombe also developed methods to detect
and treat antemortem stress, ante- and post-mortem methods
to evaluate and improve meat yield, colour, tenderness and
eating quality, and hygienic processing procedures and
preservation strategies to help the industry improve the safety
10 Canadian Meat Business January/February 2008 meatbusiness.ca