Center for North American Studies
Purpose
To address major research and educational needs of the rapidly expanding dairy industry on the Southern Great Plains of New Mexico and Texas, extending into Oklahoma and Kansas. The primary focus of this initiative is to provide a multidisciplinary federal, industry, and state-supported program dedicated to improved dairy production efficiency through animal nutrition, health and management; product safety and biosecurity; rapid assay technologies; water, air quality and natural resource utilization; and enhanced forage production and manure/efficient utilization.
Relevance
A large migration of dairies to the Southern Great Plains has occurred from other parts of the United States and from within Texas. Texas Tech University scientists possess internationally recognized expertise in areas critical to producing a safe, wholesome, and competitively priced supply of milk and related products. This research effort will provide a multidisciplinary, integrated and organized environment to positively influence production efficiency, herd health, milk quality, forage production, water use efficiency, environmental quality, biomass utilization for energy, and nutrient recovery. The consortium will enhance the dairy industry’s competitiveness and its economic impact on the Southern Great Plains economy.
Potential Impacts
- Increased Profitability. Could improve nutrition and care of cows, heifers, and calves and enhance herd profitability
- Environmental Benefits. Better understanding of relationships between animal nutrition and waste production/excreta composition and related environmental impacts could result in cost-effective abatement methods
- Safety. Could reduce pathogens risk during production, and value-added processing and handling
- Bio-security. Improved rapid-assay methods could minimize potential risks and improve bio-security of dairies
- Improved Efficiency. Development of economical wastewater management and water-usage and efficiency systems could result in improved water quality and water savings
Lead Agency: New Mexico State University
Partners: Texas Tech University, Texas A&M University System, West Texas A&M University, Tarleton State University, USDA-ARS
Federal Funding Request for FY 2010: $2 million (TTU receives 12.5 percent of total)