Reducing levels of indigestible element maintains nutrition, reduces pollution

By JOHN O'CONNELL

Capital Press

ABERDEEN, Idaho -- All of the barley is hand-harvested in Victor Raboy's 1-acre experimental plot at the University of Idaho Aberdeen Research and Extension Center, and the seeds from each plant are individually bagged and labeled.

Raboy explained his barley crop has been selected through the years for a specific trait that could one day help the dairy industry meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations.

He's seeking seeds low in phytic acid, a form of phosphorus in many plant tissues that is indigestible by livestock. The result would be reduced total phosphorus levels in seeds, but not at the expense of usable phosphorus for nutrition in cattle feed.

"Dairies can have a waste management problem in manure management, and one of the issues is phosphate. Too much phosphate in the soil can lead to pollution problems," said Raboy, an agricultural research geneticist who has focused on phosphate levels in seeds since joining the USDA in 1987. "The dairy industry in Idaho is currently bucking up against the limits for waste disposal. Our thinking is one approach (to addressing the issue) might be plant breeding."

One variety of Raboy's reduced-phosphorus barley seed, called Herald, is commercially available, though it's generated little commercial interest since its 2007 release. Herald has 15 percent lower phosphorus levels, and Raboy is working to develop a variety with 30 percent less.

It doesn't surprise the scientist that Herald -- named for his hope it will herald things to come in the industry -- isn't a top feed at dairy operations yet. Barley is no longer the feed of choice for cattle; it just happened that the trait he sought surfaced in barley plants.

Herald has made a splash in China, where scientists jumped on Raboy's research. While Raboy and his colleagues developed the strain and mapped the phytic acid-reducing gene, Chinese scientists have found the gene itself.

Raboy has applied for a grant in an effort to develop a Herald version of corn ahead of China.

"Knowing what that gene is will help us identify the corn line of that gene," Raboy said.

Officials with Idaho's dairy and beef industries see value in reduced-phosphate corn feed.

"It's great research. If you reduce phosphorus, you can utilize acres around the dairy more and then you don't have to spend as much money getting manure farther away from your dairy operation," said Rick Naerebout, an industry consultant who works closely with the Idaho Dairymen's Association.

Dan Hammond, with Snake River Cattle in American Falls, said all of the manure from his 10,000 beef cattle is composted, which reduces the volume of material to transport.

"Certainly less phosphorus would be welcome," Hammond said. "I can tell you that phosphorus in manure is probably the most difficult thing to deal with."

Victor Raboy

Age: 60

Occupation: USDA Agricultural Research Service research geneticist

Education: Bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts; master's and doctorate from the University of Illinois

Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.