PS7-16. Advancing Livestock Feed Management Through the National Animal Nutrition Program.

Abstract

Feed management integrates the strategic planning, delivery, and utilization of diets to optimize animal productivity while minimizing nutrient losses and environmental impacts in livestock production systems. These principles guide the work of the National Animal Nutrition Program’s (NANP) Feed Management Committee (FMC; https://www.animalnutrition.org), a collaborative effort between the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Texas A&M AgriLife Research aimed at advancing science-based feeding practices across livestock systems. With increasing scrutiny on nutrient management, sustainability, and conservation outcomes in beef production, there is a need for practical, producer-focused decision-support tools that align animal performance goals with environmental stewardship. The objectives of the NANP FMC are to foster science-driven dialogue among researchers, extension professionals, conservation planners, and industry stakeholders, as well as to deliver targeted education and training for NRCS personnel, extension educators, and livestock producers. To date, the FMC has produced extension publications to highlight the necessity of proper feed management and an interactive decision-support tool designed to assist producers in evaluating the feasibility of adding fat in cattle diets. Currently in development are beef- and dairy-specific feed management intelligent decision trees, a podcast series highlighting applied nutrition and conservation topics, specialized training for NRCS and extension personnel, additional extension publications to further promote efficient and sustainable nutrient management, and a large language model containg extension publications relative to feed management and animal nutrition in general. Collectively, these collaborative efforts aim to equip livestock producers and conservation professionals with science-based decision-support tools that enhance feed management, improve nutrient stewardship, and promote the long-term sustainability of livestock production systems.