The use of real-time-ultrasound to predict genetic attributes of body composition traits in live beef cattle

Body composition traits (BCT) records from 1003 beef cattle were collected from 1991-1995. Data collected in the longissimus dorsi (ld) muscle included, 12th-13th rib carcass fat thickness (FAT), USDA marbling score (MS) and chemical percentage of intramuscular fat (PIFAT). Before slaughter, a cross-sectional ultrasound ld image between the 12th-13th ribs was collected to calculate ultrasound fat thickness (UFAT). A longitudinal ld image across 11th-12th-13th ribs was used to calculate image analysis parameter including: histogram, Fourier and texture. Multiple regression and cluster analysis were used to develop prediction models for ultrasound percentage intramuscular fat (UPIFAT) from the image parameters. An independent data set was used to validate the prediction models. BCT genetic variance and covariance parameters were computed at age- and weight-constant end points for bulls, steers, and both sexes combined using computer algorithms of MTDFREML for variance component estimation. Sire breeding values (BV) were ranked for ultrasound traits and corresponding carcass traits. Prediction accuracy for PIFAT values ranging from.5% to 13% resulted in a robust and unbiased model with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.43% and a coefficient of determination (R-square) of.59. This model included exclusively image analysis parameters. For actual PIFAT values between.5% and 6% PIFAT can be predicted with an average error of ±.9%. This PIFAT interval includes the majority of the scanned animals. The use of cluster analysis slightly reduced RMSE in the lower PIFAT classes to 1.13%. Genetic parameters were significantly different for bulls and steers. Genetic parameters adjusted to a weight-constant end point were smaller than those adjusted to an age-constant end point. The genetic correlations between FAT and UFAT and between PIFAT and UPIFAT indicate that these paired traits are controlled by the same genes. The correlation between PIFAT sire BV and UPIFAT sire BV increases when the prediction error variance is reduced by increasing the number of progeny per sire. It is concluded that UPIFAT can be used to accurately rank sires BV for PIFAT by using progeny testing. When there are more than 8 progeny per sire, RTU determined BV are correlated with carcass determined BV at a level of.80

Visible and near-infrared light transmission : a hybrid imaging method for non-destructive meat quality evaluation

Visual inspection of the amount of external marbling (intramuscular fat) on the meat surface is the official method used to assign the quality grading level of meat. However, this method is based exclusively on the analysis of the meat surface without any information about the internal content of the meat sample. In this paper, a new method using visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) light transmission is used to evaluate the quality of beef meat based on the marbling detection. It is demonstrated that using NIR light in transmission mode, it is possible to detect the fat not only on the surface, as in traditional methods, but also under the surface. Moreover, in combining the analysis of the two sides of the meat simple, it is possible to estimate the volumetric marbling which is not accessible by visual methods commonly proposed in computer vision. To the best of our knowledge, no similar work or method has been published or developed. The experimental results confirm the expected properties of the proposed method and illustrate the quality of the results obtained

Non-invasive methods for the determination of body and carcass composition in livestock: dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound: invited review

The ability to accurately measure body or carcass composition is important for performance testing, grading and finally selection or payment of meat-producing animals. Advances especially in non-invasive techniques are mainly based on the development of electronic and computer-driven methods in order to provide objective phenotypic data. The preference for a specific technique depends on the target animal species or carcass, combined with technical and practical aspects such as accuracy, reliability, cost, portability, speed, ease of use, safety and for in vivo measurements the need for fixation or sedation. The techniques rely on specific device-driven signals, which interact with tissues in the body or carcass at the atomic or molecular level, resulting in secondary or attenuated signals detected by the instruments and analyzed quantitatively. The electromagnetic signal produced by the instrument may originate from mechanical energy such as sound waves (ultrasound – US), ‘photon’ radiation (X-ray-computed tomography – CT, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry – DXA) or radio frequency waves (magnetic resonance imaging – MRI). The signals detected by the corresponding instruments are processed to measure, for example, tissue depths, areas, volumes or distributions of fat, muscle (water, protein) and partly bone or bone mineral. Among the above techniques, CT is the most accurate one followed by MRI and DXA, whereas US can be used for all sizes of farm animal species even under field conditions. CT, MRI and US can provide volume data, whereas only DXA delivers immediate whole-body composition results without (2D) image manipulation. A combination of simple US and more expensive CT, MRI or DXA might be applied for farm animal selection programs in a stepwise approach

Comparison of carcass composition, performance, and tissue deposition rates among breeds of swine

A study was conducted to evaluate differences in performance, carcass traits, and tissue deposition rates among breeds of swine entered in the 2003 National Barrow Show Progeny Test. The test consisted of 362 barrow and gilt progeny from sires within each of the 8 breeds evaluated. Breeds tested were Berkshire (n = 158), Duroc (n = 76), Chester White (n = 53), Yorkshire (n= 31), Spotted (n = 15), Landrace (n = 15), Poland (n = 8), and Hampshire (n = 6). Due to small sample size, the Spotted, Landrace, Poland, and Hampshire breeds were combined in an All Other Breeds (AOB) category. Progeny were weighed and scanned beginning at a group mean body weight of approximately 64 kg., while off-test measurements were taken at approximately 109 kg. Deposition rates were estimated for 10th rib loin muscle area, 10th rib off-midline backfat, and intramuscular fat percentage of the longissimus dorsi

Effect of curing conditions and harvesting stage of maturity on Ethiopian onion bulb drying properties

The study was conducted to investigate the impact of curing conditions and harvesting stageson the drying quality of onion bulbs. The onion bulbs (Bombay Red cultivar) were harvested at three harvesting stages (early, optimum, and late maturity) and cured at three different temperatures (30, 40 and 50 oC) and relative humidity (30, 50 and 70%). The results revealed that curing temperature, RH, and maturity stage had significant effects on all measuredattributesexcept total soluble solids