Nuffield Scholar Studies Beef Genetics

As agriculture’s marketplace becomes even more global, the importance of learning firsthand how farmers and ranchers in other countries are overcoming challenges and being innovative has increased as well.
Since 1947 the Nuffield Farm Scholarship program -- which began in the UK and has now expanded into seven other countries -- provides an opportunity for its participants to explore and research several countries’ agriculture.
Nuffield Scholar Kara Knudsen is from Queensland Australia. She and her husband run a Santa Gerturdis-based beef cattle breeding and trading operation. Each scholar has a focus of study and Knudsen’s is studying methods of excelling beef genetics.
Knudsen had the opportunity to visit ranches in both Canada and South Dakota where she learned about their AI and synchronizing techniques with large herds.
Knudsen: “More on ways of multiplying good genetics and mulitplying them for commercial uses. I met with Ed Blair in South Dakota and he’s producing a lot of commercial Angus bulls and he is using all artificial insemination and just how fast the genetic progress in his herd is incredible. Over the last five years we’ve increased the amount of artificial insemination we’ve used. Next year we will be doing all of our cows AI.”
Knudsen says when they began AIing, they initial started with breeding their heifers and next year they plan on using AI on about 1,200 cows in their operation.