Management characteristics of beef cattle production in the Northern Plains and Midwest regions of the United States

Asem-Hiablie, Senorpe; Rotz, C. Alan; Stout, Robert; Stackhouse-Lawson, K. R.

doi:10.15232/pas.2016-01539

Cited by 28 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…For example, both Nebraska and Colorado had substantial corn residue utilization (∼52 and 56% of their total corn hectares being grazed) through regionalized integration (Schmer et al, 2017). Another survey indicated that grazing of crop residue within farm systems was reported by about 70% of farmers in the U.S. NGP (Asem‐Hiablie et al, 2016). A survey of South Dakota commodity crop producers indicated that 55% of farmers use ICLSs, of which 22% adopted these practices within the last 10 yr (J.D.…”

Section: Background and Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

Facilitating Crop–Livestock Reintegration in the Northern Great Plains

et al. 2019

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Integrated crop–livestock systems (ICLSs) can help increase food production while benefiting soils and the environment. This review summarizes recent impacts of ICLSs on crop and livestock production and rural economics and discusses lessons learned in the northern Great Plains (NGP). Research on ICLS conducted in the NGP indicates that the crop residue grazing, swath grazing, and annual forage grazing can positively influence crop production; whereas, livestock performance varies with season, forage nutritive value, and grazing management. Furthermore, ICLSs can reduce the costs and risks of agricultural production. The success of ICLSs in NGP region depends on trade‐offs, planning, economic benefits, policies, regulations, community acceptance, and management skills. The ICLSs could play a strategic role in future agricultural production. The lessons learned from adopting ICLSs in the NGP include the lack of available land for fertilizer (manure) management, that to implement ICLS practices skills and knowledge must be maintained, and ICLS provides an entry point for young farmers and ranchers however capital is needed. These experiences and lessons could be valuable references for producers to adopt ICLSs in the NGP or other regions. Core Ideas Integrated crop–livestock systems positively affect crop production by improving soil health. Common integrated crop–livestock system management techniques can enhance the northern Great Plains crop production. Integrated crop–livestock system livestock performance is impacted by season, forage selection, and management. Integrated crop–livestock systems can increase economic benefits and reduce economic risks. Experiences and lessons in the northern Great Plains could be valuable for other regions to adopt integrated crop–livestock systems.

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Section: Background and Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

Facilitating Crop–Livestock Reintegration in the Northern Great Plains

et al. 2019

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“…When extrapolating these data to other production systems and regions, importance will vary among the metrics considered. For example, some regions (Midwest and Eastern USA) are wetter than others (Western USA) and thus require less water use; however, leaching and runoff of nutrients are higher for the former (Asem-Hiablie et al 2015, 2016, 2017. In regions with large dairy herds where cull dairy calves are incorporated into the beef herds, allocation of impacts of the breeding herd to dairy reduces the environmental footprints of the beef produced (Capper 2011;Stackhouse-Lawson et al 2012;.…”

Section: Impact Reduction Opportunitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A life cycle assessment of the environmental impacts of a beef system in the USA

Asem-Hiablie

Battagliese

Stackhouse-Lawson

et al. 2018

Int J Life Cycle Assess

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Purpose The need to assess the sustainability attributes of the United States beef industry is underscored by its importance to food security locally and globally. A life cycle assessment (LCA) of the US beef value chain was conducted to develop baseline information on the environmental impacts of the industry includ`ing metrics of the cradle-to-farm gate (feed production, cowcalf, and feedlot operations) and post-farm gate (packing, case-ready, retail, restaurant, and consumer) segments. Methods Cattle production (cradle-to-farm gate) data were obtained using the integrated farm system model (IFSM) supported with production data from the Roman L. Hruska US Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC). Primary data for the packing and case-ready phases were obtained from packers that jointly processed nearly 60% of US beef while retail and restaurant primary data represented 8 and 6%, respectively, of each sector. Consumer data were obtained from public databases and literature. The functional unit or consumer benefit (CB) was 1 kg of consumed, boneless, edible beef. The relative environmental impacts of processes along the full beef value chain were assessed using a third party validated BASF Corporation Eco-Efficiency Analysis methodology. Results and discussion Value chain LCA results indicated that the feed and cattle production phases were the largest contributors to most environmental impact categories. Impact metrics included water emissions (7005 L diluted water eq/CB), cumulative energy demand (1110 MJ/CB), and land use (47.4 m 2 a eq/CB). Air emissions were acidification potential (726 g SO 2 eq/CB), photochemical ozone creation potential (146.5 g C 2 H 4 eq/CB), global warming potential (48.4 kg CO 2 eq/CB), and ozone depletion potential (1686 μg CFC 11 eq/CB). The remaining metrics calculated were abiotic depletion potential (10.3 mg Ag eq/CB), consumptive water use (2558 L eq/CB), and solid waste (369 g municipal waste eq/CB). Of the relative points adding up to 1 for each impact category, the feed phase contributed 0.93 to the human toxicity potential. Conclusions This LCA is the first of its kind for beef and has been third party verified in accordance with ISO 14040:2006a and 14044:2006b and 14045:2012 standards. An expanded nationwide study of beef cattle production is now being performed with region-specific cattle production data aimed at identifying region-level benchmarks and opportunities for further improvement in US beef sustainability.

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“…For consistency, operation types follow previous definitions given by Asem-Hiablie et al (2016). A ranch is defined as an operation that predominately includes cattle on pasture or rangeland.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Management characteristics of beef cattle production in Hawaii

Asem-Hiablie

Rotz

Sandlin³

et al. 2018

The Professional Animal Scientist

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A comprehensive life cycle assessment of the US beef value chain requires the collection of region-specific data for accurate characterization of the country's diverse production practices. Cattle production in Hawaii is very different from the rest of the country due to its unique ecosystem and geographic location. A survey of cattle producers provided information on herd size and characteristics, grazing management, forage and feed sources, and marketing. Ranch survey responses represented 44% of the state's beef cows with operation sizes varying from 5 to 10,000 cows. Most cows (79%) were maintained on operations that finished at least some of their cattle, and the majority of those operations finished cattle on forage without concentrate feeds. Cattle were kept on natural pastures ranging in size from 16 to 52,610 ha per ranch with a stocking rate of 2.4 ha/cow on cow-calf operations and 2.0 ha/animal on operations that included older growing animals. Common forage species were Panicum maximum (guinea or green panic grass), Pennisetum clandestinum (kikuyugrass), Digitaria eriantha (pangola or digitgrass), and Trifolium repens (white clover). Reported cow and finished cattle BW were 498 ± 52 kg and 493 ± 75 kg, respectively. More ranchers marketed their beef cattle through wholesalers or distributors (34%) rather than directly to consumers (24%), retailers (20%), or other channels (17%). Marketing under grass-fed certification was reported by 39% of ranches. Information obtained is being used to define management characteristics for modeling production systems and performing a comprehensive assessment of the sustainability of beef cattle production.

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Management characteristics of beef cattle production in the Northern Plains and Midwest regions of the United States

Abstract: ABSTRACT

Cited by 28 publications

References 4 publications

Facilitating Crop–Livestock Reintegration in the Northern Great Plains

Facilitating Crop–Livestock Reintegration in the Northern Great Plains

A life cycle assessment of the environmental impacts of a beef system in the USA

Management characteristics of beef cattle production in Hawaii

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