Production Systems Archives

Precision Bred Adaptation of Elite Taurine Breeds of Beef & Dairy Cattle

Year Awarded 2020

FFAR award amount $748,545

Total award amount $1,497,641

Location Gainesville, FL

Program Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders Acceligen, The Semex Alliance

Grantee Institution Acceligen

Cattle, if not adapted to heat, can exhibit an extreme physical reaction to heat stress, including reductions in feed intake and milk production, slowed growth and increased disease susceptibility. Acceligen researchers are examining how genetic alterations can improve heat resistance in cattle. By introducing naturally occurring gene variations into breeds of cattle that are not adapted to heat, researchers can better understand how to control heat stress and ultimately improve animal health, well-being, fertility and economic return for producers.

Genome Editing Wheat for Durable & Sustainable Disease Resistance

Year Awarded 2020

FFAR award amount $900,000

Total award amount $3,272,723

Location Berkeley, CA

Program Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders 2Blades Foundation, Innovative Genomics Institute

Grantee Institution University of California Berkely

To control plant epidemics by breeding plants for disease resistance, scientists use traditional crop breeding to introduce, or stack, multiple resistance genes – though this is a time-consuming approach and pathogens evolve to overcome resistance. University of California, Berkeley researchers are using gene editing technology to stack resistance genes in the wheat crops that specifically recognize the pathogen’s proteins. By recognizing the pathogen’s proteins, the plant can fight the pathogen, even if the pathogen mutates.

Accelerated Development of Crops of the Future

Year Awarded 2020

FFAR award amount $748,549

Total award amount $1,497,098

Location Ames, IA

Program Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders Iowa State University, KWS SAAT SE & Co, Beck’s Superior Hybrids, BASF, SAATEN-UNION BIOTEC and RAGT

Grantee Institution Iowa State University

On average, it takes farmers ten years to produce a new crop. With an increasing global population, there is high demand for more crops sooner. Iowa State University researchers are developing breeding methods that accelerate plant breeding for multiple crop species. These breeding techniques deliver improved crop varieties – with greater yields – into the hands of farmers sooner.

Biological Control of Cattle Fever Ticks in South Texas

Year Awarded 2020

FFAR award amount $25,000

Total award amount $50,000

Location San Antonio, TX

Program Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research

Matching Funders Lee and Ramona Bass Foundation

Grantee Institution USDA-ARS

In addition to market volatility threats from COVID-19, Texas cattle ranchers are also battling the southern cattle fever tick (Rhipicephalus microplus), a tick carried pathogen that causes deadly cattle fever for which there is no vaccine or treatment. USDA researchers are developing biological control technologies to prevent and contain this parasite.

Noninvasive Wellness Monitoring of Broiler Growout Using Continuous Audio Analytics

Year Awarded 2020

FFAR award amount $180,000

Total award amount $445,000

Location Atlanta, Georgia

Program SMART Broiler

Matching Funders McDonald’s Corporation, Tyson Foods, Fielddale Farms and Amazon

Grantee Institution AudioT

Existing methods for assessing animal welfare rely on human observation and subjective scoring which can be inaccurate and time consuming. AudioT researchers are developing audio-based monitoring tools that analyze bird vocalizations and alert farmers to broiler welfare and behavior concerns.

Development of an Automated Broiler Gait Score and Flock Activity Assessment System

Year Awarded 2020

FFAR award amount $350,000

Total award amount $513,214

Location Knoxville, TN

Program SMART Broiler

Matching Funders McDonald’s Corporation, Peco Foods, Inc. and University of Tennessee AgResearch

Grantee Institution University of Tennessee

Existing methods for assessing animal welfare rely on human observation and subjective scoring which can be inaccurate and time consuming. University of Tennessee researchers are using multi-angle and multi-range cameras to monitor commercial broilers at both individual and flock levels and measure their walking ability and level of activity. This grant was awarded through our SMART Broiler research initiative.

Smart Monitoring of Broiler Welfare using Camera Technology and Machine Learning

Year Awarded 2020

FFAR award amount $499,639

Total award amount $1,000,039

Location Vejen, Denmark

Program SMART Broiler

Matching Funders McDonald’s Corporation, Scio+ and SKOV A/S

Grantee Institution Wageningen University & Research

Existing methods for assessing animal welfare rely on human observation and subjective scoring which can be inaccurate and time consuming. Big Dutchman researchers are using camera technology and advanced image analysis to continuously monitor commercial broiler flocks, map welfare assessments and estimate walking ability. This grant was awarded through our SMART Broiler research initiative.

Innovative On-Farm Broiler Welfare Assessment Using Imaging Techniques

Year Awarded 2020

FFAR award amount $500,000

Total award amount $610,000

Location Wageningen, Netherlands

Program SMART Broiler

Matching Funders McDonald’s Corporation, Plukon Food Group, CLK GmbH and Utrecht University

Grantee Institution Wageningen University & Research

Existing methods for assessing animal welfare rely on human observation and subjective scoring which can be inaccurate and time consuming. Researchers are using an affordable camera-based system and artificial intelligence that automatically and continuously monitors broiler chickens' gait and welfare, ultimately increasing farmer productivity and profitability. This grant was awarded through our SMART Broiler research initiative.

Flockfocus – Developing Automated Surveillance Tools to Safeguard Chicken Welfare

Year Awarded 2020

FFAR award amount $310,738

Total award amount $310,738

Location Belfast, Northern Ireland

Program SMART Broiler

Matching Funders McDonald’s Corporation and Moy Park

Grantee Institution Queens University Belfast

Existing methods for assessing animal welfare rely on human observation and subjective scoring which can be inaccurate and time consuming. Queen’s University Belfast researchers are developing a vision-based system to monitor large numbers of birds and track individual activity patterns.

OpticFlock: Automated Monitoring of Broiler Chicken Behavior That Prioritizes Animal Welfare

Year Awarded 2020

FFAR award amount $232,063

Total award amount $232,063

Location Oxford, United Kingdom

Program SMART Broiler

Matching Funders McDonald’s Corporation, Munters and Tyson Foods

Grantee Institution University of Oxford

Existing methods for assessing animal welfare rely on human observation and subjective scoring, which can be inaccurate and time consuming. University of Oxford researchers are testing a novel camera/computer system, called OPTICFLOCK, inside chicken houses to monitor bird behavior and alert producers to early signs of welfare issues, like foot pad lesions and lameness.