A new website dedicated to beef cattle genetics has been
launched at the 2015 Beef Improvement Federation Conference.
eBEEF.org is part
of the national
eXtension program with the goal of being a one-stop site for beef
cattle genetics and genomics information. Beef cattle specialists from six land
grant institutions have joined forces to provide educational materials that are
pertinent to today’s beef cattle producers, without searching multiple sites or
filtering through countless hits on a search. The site contains
factsheets,
short
frequently asked question (FAQ) video clips, relevant
conference recordings and webinars, a blog and links to other useful beef sites.
One of
the developers of the new site, Dr. Darrh Bullock at the University of Kentucky
said “Often beef producers get frustrated when they search for information
online and get information overload. We wanted to develop a user friendly site
that provides information in a concise, understandable way without having to
sort through enormous amounts of information.”
The team
plans to achieve this goal by including only selected, peer-reviewed
publications on the website. Additionally, a list of FAQs will be available and
easily accessed in short videos. Archived recordings of webinars and conference
presentations can be accessed through the video library. The “Ask the Expert”
section of the site can be utilized to find custom answers to specific problems
and covers all aspects of beef cattle production.
Another
goal of the eBEEF.org website is to archive the information generated from
current and future beef genetics integrated grants funded by USDA-NIFA. All
eBEEF.org team members are a part of one or more of the three current grants
(
Integrated Program for Reducing Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex in Beef andDairy Cattle;
National Program for Genetic Improvement of Feed Efficiency inBeef Cattle; and Identification and Management of Alleles Impairing Heifer
Fertility While Optimizing Genetic Gain in Beef Cattle). Another team member,
Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam from the University of California – Davis, stated “A
large investment has been made to develop tools to genetically improve health,
feed efficiency and reproduction in cattle and we need to ensure that the
information gained is available to beef producers for years to come.”
For more
information or to make suggestions please contact any of the eBEEF.org team
members. The other team members are Dr. Jared Decker, University of Missouri;
Dr. Megan Rolf, Oklahoma State University; Dr. Matt Spangler, University of
Nebraska; and Dr. Bob Weaber, Kansas State University.
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