USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation have approved approximately $293,000 for seven new research grants at five institutions and two companies through the Comprehensive Research Program.
The research funding was approved by the boards of directors of both organizations, based on recommendations from the Foundation Research Advisory Committee. The Committee evaluates research proposals to determine their value to the industry and then makes recommendations to the boards for funding. Committee members are professional specialists from different segments of the poultry and egg industry who represent a variety of disciplines.
The Association’s Comprehensive Research Program dates to the early 1960s when funds were first approved for poultry disease research. It gradually grew into an all-inclusive program incorporating all phases of poultry and egg production and processing. Since the inception of the research program, USPOULTRY has reinvested more than $34 million dollars into the industry in the form of research grants. More than 50 universities and federal and state facilities have received grants over the years.
“Research continues to be fundamental to USPOULTRY’s and the Foundation’s service to the poultry industry. The Foundation Research Advisory Committee is the core of the research program with committee members volunteering numerous hours reviewing and evaluating research proposals before making recommendations for funding. We sincerely appreciate and value their time and commitment,” said Mike Levengood, Perdue Farms, and USPOULTRY chairman.
The research grants for each institution include:
- Competitive inhibition of pathogenic enterococcus cecorum by avirulent strains – North Carolina State University (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Wayne Farms, LLC)
- Evaluation of zero, four and six hour dark periods during the first seven days on broiler performance and welfare – University of Georgia (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Koch Foods)
- Development of live turkey reovirus vaccine for protection from antigenic variant viruses – AviServe LLC (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Virginia Poultry Growers Co-Op, LLC)
- Evaluation of egg wash sanitizers to reduce salmonella contamination on and in turkey eggs – Cargill (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Cargill)
- Understanding the influence of branch chain amino acid interaction on performance, feather quality, egg quality and mRNA gene expression of peak and post peak laying hens – Mississippi State University (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Cal-Maine Foods)
- Blood chemistry led environment manipulations to reduce poult mortality – North Carolina State University (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Prestage Farms)
- Infectious Laryngotracheitis Virus (ILTV) molecular diagnostics tools in need of an upgrade – University of Georgia (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Pilgrim’s).
Source: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association
