The Division of Livestock and Forage Research consists of four groups: Forage Production Group, Forage Utilization Group, Beef Cattle Production Group, and Livestock Management Group. Taking advantage of its location in the Tohoku region, the division seeks to invigorate beef cattle production through efforts that focus on integration systems between crop and animal production.
Specific efforts include evaluating the use of feed rice and corn grain as new feed resources grown in rice paddies, as well as efforts to evaluate the supplemental cultivation, preparation, and feed properties of forage soybeans as a self-supplied protein source. We develop preparation and storage techniques appropriate for the properties of rice straw generated during harvesting, and efficient techniques for feeding beef breeding cows, growing cattle, and fattening cattle suited to the distinguishing features of self-supplied high-nutrient feed from rice paddies and prepared rice straw.
- In cow breeding research, we are developing a new diagnostic restoration of reproductive function by improving the correlation between uterine/ovarian morphological status and blood flows during uterine involution to resolve the declining conception rates. So we seek to promote the selection and utilization of high fertility and to shorten the reproductive cycles.
- In areas related to techniques for raising beef calves, in addition to developing techniques for rearing beef calves to promote healthy growth, we are also working to develop new methods for the assessment of livestock management to assess stress during weaning and other factors, drawing on sleep behavior as an indicator.
- On the subject of fattening cattle, we are developing technologies to lower costs by shortening the fattening period while reducing use of imported grain feed through fattening based on high-nutrient self-supplied feed. We also clearly define the quality of meat from cattle slaughtered early and fed high-nutrient self-supplied feed, focusing on the distinctive properties of fats considered highly susceptible to the effects of feed.
- Additionally, for ryegrasses that can be cultivated in wet fields like rice paddies and are capable of producing high-quality coarse feed, we grow varieties of such grasses and promote their use through testing and the experimental cultivation of Festulolium grasses such as "Tohoku 1" and "Icarus", grown at the Tohoku Agricultural Research Center, and "Quattro-TK5", a new early ripening variety of Italian ryegrass with high snow endurance.
