55th Annual BIF Research Symposium and Convention
July 3-6 • Calgary, Alberta, Canada • Hyatt Regency Calgary
Monday, July 3
8 am BIF Board of Directors Meeting, Doll-Herald Room
Young Producer Symposium, Imperial 4-9
1 pm Welcome
Dave Sibbald, CBBC
1:10 pm The Canadian Beef Improvement Network
Sandy Russell
1:20 pm Innovation Investment Opportunities in Canadian Ag-Tech
Dawn Trautman, SVG Ventures | THRIVE
1:40 pm On-farm Innovations in Action Panel Discussion
Chatsworth Farms (Charlotte), Grazed Right (Ben Campbell), BFO (Jordan Miller) Moderator: Sandy Russell
2:30 pm Break
2:55 pm A Case Study: Innovation Through Diversity
Jennifer Kyle and Jordan Miller, Beef Farmers of Ontario
3:30 pm Mentorship for Innovation
Virgil Lowe
3:55 pm Wrap-up
Bob Weaber
5 pm Welcome and Scholarship Reception, Imperial Grand Foyer
Presentation of the Roy Wallace Scholarship and Frank Baker & Larry Cundiff scholarships
7 pm NAAB Seminar: Breeding with Purpose – Using the Reproductive Tools Available to Capture Value, Imperial 4-9
Increasing Value of Steers Relative to Heifers: An opportunity for “Male” Sexed Semen?
Dr. Ken Odde, K-State professor emeritus
A Breed Perspective – Creating Tools for Desired Outcomes
Mark McCully, American Angus Association CEO, and Dr. Clint Rusk, American International Charolais Association CEO
7 am Breakfast, Grand Foyer
Morning Session, Imperial 4-9
8 am Welcome
Dr. Bob Weaber, BIF Executive Director
8:15 am Precision Breeding Opportunities in an Evolving Breeding Objective Landscape
Dr. Peter Amer, AbacusBio Limited Managing Director
9 am Changing the Narrative Around Animal Agriculture Using Innovative Genetic Selection
Dr. Mike Lohuis, The Semex Alliance
10 am Break
10:30 am Genetic Selection Tools That Support Dairy Farmers of Canada Achieve Net-Zero GHG Emissions By 2050
Dr. Filippo Miglior, Lactanet Canada Scientist and Innovation Executive
11:15 am Precision Matching of Objectives and Technologies in The Implementation of Breeding Programs
Dr. Brian Kinghorn, University of New England, Australia
Noon Awards Luncheon
Presentation of BIF Commercial Producer, Continuing Service and Ambassador Awards
2 pm Beef Improvement Federation Board of Directors elections (voting and caucus)
2:30 pm Technical Breakouts
— Advancements in Selection Decisions, chaired by Dr. Matt Spangler, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Imperial 4-9
2:30 pm Quantifiable Differences to Inform Breed Selection and Use
Dr. Larry Kuehn
3:15 pm Quantifying Inbreeding Levels and Contemplating Inbreeding in Selection
Dr. Filippo Miglior
4 pm Sequencing Strategies to Enhance the Next Generation of Genetic Evaluations
Dr. Troy Rowan
— Advancements in Producer Applications, chaired by Dr. Darrh Bullock, University of Kentucky, Imperial 1-3
2:30 pm Why Should Commercial Cattlemen be Interested in Genomics?
Dr. Troy Rowan
3:15 pm VBP+: How Sustainability and Genetics Fit Together
Shannon Argent
4 pm Panel discussion: A Business Case for Using EPDs
Sean McGrath, Harold Bayes, Paul Bennett and Donnell Brown
— Advancements in Efficiency and Adaptability, chaired by Dr. Mark Enns, Colorado State University, Stephen AB
2:30 pm Methane, Feed Intake and Maintenance Energy
Dr. Megan Rolf
3 pm Pulmonary Hypertension: Feedlot Heart Failure and High-Altitude Disease
Dr. Tim Holt
3:45 pm Genetics of Heart Score and Relationships with Performance
Dr. Scott Speidel
4:15 pm Feedlot Heart Disease: Perspectives from a Vertically Integrated Production Chain
Dr. Justin Buchannan
5 pm BIF Board of Directors Meeting, Doll-Herald
Dinner on your own.
7 am Breakfast, Grand Foyer
Morning Session, Imperial 4-9
8 am A recap of Tuesday’s theme towards precision breeding, now that we’ve established WHY we’re going to discuss HOW to do it
Dr. John Crowley, AbacusBio Limited
8:15 am Use of Hardware and Sensors Towards Phenomics to Deliver Complex Data and Advance Animal Breeding
Dr. Juan Pedro Steibel, Lush Chair for Animal Breeding & Genetics, Iowa State University
9 am Coupling Artificial Intelligence That Uses Computer Vision Through On Farm Cameras Delivers A Sophisticated Phenotyping System, And The Challenges Herein
Mokah Shmigelsky, OneCup AI
9:30 am Break
10 am – 12:30 pm Technical Breakouts
— Advancements in Emerging Technology, chaired by Dr. Megan Rolf, Kansas State University, Imperial 1-3
10 am New Technology Going Into The Generation of Genomically Enhanced EPDs
Dr. Daniella Lourenco
10:45 am Extreme Weather Impact on Female Fertility
Dr. Juan Hernandez-Medrano
11:30 am RightMate: Precision Breeding by Genomic Mating
Dr. Mahdi Saatchi
— Advancements in End Product Improvement, chaired by Dr. Tommy Perkins, West Texas A & M University, Stephen AB
10 am National Beef Quality Survey Results
Michaela Clowser and Dr. Jeff Savell
10:30 am The Use of Machine Learning and REIMS Technology to Improve Beef Quality
Dr. Andy King
11 am The Use of Phenomics to Improve Carcass and Meat Quality
Dr. Manuel Juarez
11:30 pm Ultrasound Guidelines Council Systems Review and Approval of New Software to Estimate Carcass Quality
Dr. Tommy Perkins
— Advancements in Genomics and Genetic Prediction, chaired by Dr. Warren Snelling, US Meat Animal Research Center, Imperial 4-9
10 am Current Advances in Selection
Dr. Steve Miller
10:45 am Non-additive Genetics
Dr. John Basarab
11:15 am Rewarding High-Quality Data with Higher Accuracies (herd specific residual variance)
Dr. Mark Thallman
Noon Newly Developed Genetic Evaluation for High Immune Response and Cow Longevity
Dr. Kajal Devani
12:30 Awards Luncheon, Imperial 4-9
Presentation of BIF Pioneer and Seedstock Producer awards, retiring president’s comments, introduction of newly elected BIF Board of Directors and invitation to BIF 2024
2 pm Load bus for Olds College Campus, Front Entrance Hyatt Regency
3 – 6:30 pm Olds College Tour
3 – 5 pm National Meat Training Centre
3 – 5 pm Olds College Smart Farm
3 – 5 pm Technology Access Centre
4:30 – 6:30 pm Olds College Microbrewery Tasting
4:30 – 6:30 pm Beef in a Global Way Tasting
Thursday, July 6
8 am – 5:30 pm Optional (But Highly Recommended) Tour, Load buses and depart from Front Entrance Hyatt Regency
This tour includes a personal tour through Rimrock Feeders, one of Canada’s most cutting-edge feedlots that applies technologies such as biodigesters and roller compacted concrete to improve production efficiency and animal health and welfare. Travelling through the heart of Alberta’s ranch lands on the world renown picturesque cowboy trait, we will also visit Hamilton Farms, a seedstock operation that is eager to show case its application of genomic technology, High Immune Response testing, and genetic improvement through an integrated value chain and data sharing system. Further west, the University of Calgary, WA Ranch, is a working commercial operation that allows for in field research on calving interventions, human – animal interactions, the effects of wildlife (wild boars for example) on cattle, bull behaviour, and calf preconditioning. The tour will include lunch against a backdrop of our majestic Rocky Mountain range.
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