News Update
June 23, 2005


ARS Receives Semen

Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are busy cataloguing a valuable collection of genetic material that could help breeders preserve the genetic diversity of beef and dairy cattle.

Thousands of samples of bull semen were donated last year to ARS by ABS Global, a livestock artificial insemination (AI) company based in De Forest, Wis. The company donated its historic bull semen collection to the ARS National Animal Germplasm Program (NAGP) at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation in Fort Collins, Colo.

The company’s collection, which dates from the 1960s, contains more than 200,000 units of semen from 6,000 bulls representing 43 beef and dairy breeds.

ARS, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) chief in-house scientific research agency, is responsible for preserving genetic material — such as seeds, plant cuttings and semen — in germplasm repositories around the country.

ABS Global announced its donation last fall at the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) conference on genetic resources in Cheyenne, Wyo. The NAGP received the collection in March. Since then, ARS animal geneticist Harvey Blackburn has been incorporating the donation into the germplasm system.

The new material will make it possible to research genetic changes in a breed during a 30-year period. Not only does it broaden the existing NAGP collection, it strengthens strategic germplasm reserves and provides DNA for bovine genome researchers and for industry partners to develop animals with key traits such as disease resistance and improved meat and milk production.

— Article provided by ARS


Internet Auction Service Available

The Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) is offering customers an Internet auction service, its newest member service, in order to add value to and promote customers’ livestock to more buyers, LMA President Randy Patterson told participants gathered at LMA’s annual meeting last week.

Currently, nine LMA member businesses are using the new service, which can be found at www.lmaauctions.com.

LMA’s 42nd annual World Livestock Auctioneer Championship, which took place June 18 at the Tulsa Stockyards, was the first contest to be broadcast live on the LMA service. More than 1,000 persons logged on to the sale and evening awards ceremony at some point during the daylong event.

— Information provided by LMA

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