Location: Range Sheep Production Efficiency Research
Project Number: 2056-21500-001-009-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 15, 2024
End Date: Aug 14, 2028
Objective:
1) Leverage heritable herbivory traits in sheep to direct vegetation composition of rangelands.
2) Describe the impact of selecting for herbivory traits in sheep on the rumen biome or related digestions characteristics.
3) Develop/test remote-deployed technology in directing/restricting landscape use of grazing sheep.
4) Quantify temporal relationship between vegetation biodiversity and nutritive composition of rangeland.
Approach:
The USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Nancy M. Cummings Research, Extension and Education Center (NMCREEC), University of Idaho (UI) are collaborating to develop grazing solutions to benefit vegetation biodiversity through livestock production at the landscape scale. Much information has been generated from this collaboration, which has great applicability towards precision management of sheep grazing native rangelands, which is the focus of this new agreement.
Sheep sires of known herbivory-preference phenotypes and, when applicable, genotypes will be used to create divergent lines based genetic extremes of herbivory preference. Divergent lines will be applied to gazing systems of varying vegetation diversity, where direct and indirect measurements of vegetation selection by sheep will be collected. Grazing will be repeated annually to determine impact of divergent lines on vegetation biodiversity of the rangeland. Differences in grazing system vegetation species and sheep rumen microflora characteristics of divergent lines will be quantified (Objectives 1 and 2).
Through collaborative work with other groups, new concept designs for virtual fence (VF) application in sheep systems are being developed. Prototype VF units will be tested in controlled pasture systems to determine efficacy of VF technology to direct the grazing movements of sheep towards and away from targeted rangeland areas (Objective 3).
In accomplishing Objectives 1 and 2, vegetation composition (aka, biodiversity) will be altered in accordance with repeated annual application of grazing systems. Vegetation will be collected throughout the grazing season in defined areas of differing vegetation diversity. Samples will be analyzed for nutrient composition and methane potential using in vitro techniques (Objective 4).
Graduate students from the University of Idaho will be recruited to assist with and learn from accomplishing the objectives. Opportunities will be provided for students to interact with sheep industry stakeholders, present findings at scientist meetings, and collaborate in generating new projects towards enhancing the work accomplished under this agreement.
