DiLorenzo Lab
Current Research Projects
Assessment of the potential of a Bacillus spp. probiotic feed additive to modify ruminal fermentation and enhance nutrient digestibility in vitro
2020 - Current
Objective: To evaluate the effects of increasing doses of a Bacillus spp. probiotic on ruminal fermentation profile, gas production kinetics, and nutrient digestibility, in in vitro batch culture incubations with different fermentation substrates.
Evaluation of feeding sorghum or corn silage with either cottonseed meal or brassica carinata meal in newly weaned beef cattle
2020 - Current
Objective: To compare Sorghum Silage processed with Shredledge® technology against Corn Silage without cracker, supplemented with two different sources of protein as a strategy for backgrounding steers.
Effect of liquid feed supplementation on microbial crude protein synthesis and ruminal fermentation in beef cattle fed hay diets
2019 - Current
Objective 1: To evaluate the effect of a liquid supplement containing 32% CP on hay intake and ruminal fermentation in steers consuming bahiagrass hay or bermudagrass hay.
Objective 2: To evaluate ruminal fermentation parameters, microbial crude protein synthesis and in vitro digestibility in batch culture incubations of bermudagrass or bahiagrass hay mixed with a liquid supplement containing 32% CP. A secondary objective of this study is to correlate in vitro with in vivo findings from Exp. 1 to be able to develop correction factors that may allow predictions of in vivo nutrient digestibility and MCP synthesis from in vitro batch culture incubations.
Effects of inclusion of Amaferm on animal performance, reproductive tract development, nutrient digestibility, and enteric methane emissions in backgrounding beef heifers
2019 - Current
Objective: To evaluate the effects of Amaferm inclusion on growth performance, reproductive tract development, and enteric methane emissions in beef heifers fed different backgrounding diets.
Uncovering relationships underlying the thermotolerance – production complex for a sustainable intensification of beef production
2019 - Current
Objective 1. Use genomic prediction to identify 100 heifers with extreme thermotolerance predicted values.
Objective 2. Determine the nature and magnitude of the relationship between thermotolerance and feed efficiency and reproductive performance.
Objective 3. Identify key-regulator variants for thermotolerance with no pleiotropic effect on production traits using functional genomics in a systems biology approach.
Potential effects of prebiotic and probiotic additives to dairy lagoons on in vitro methane emissions and microbial ecosystem
2021 - Current
To evaluate the effects of different microbial additives on fermentation characteristics and methane emissions of aerobic dairy lagoons.
Evaluation of Brassica carinata meal in beef cattle systems
2018 - Current
Objective 1: To determine the effects of Brassica carinata meal on ruminal fermentation parameters, specifically methane production, and organic matter digestibility in in vitro and ex situ incubations
Objective 2: To assess the supplementation of B. carinata meal compared with cottonseed meal on performance, gestation, blood profile, milk yield and composition, and effects on calves produced.
Objective 3: To evaluate the effects of supplementation of B. carinata meal at various rates of inclusion on heifer performance and blood profile
Objective 4: To assess the apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients and production of methane when supplementing B. carinata meal in growing beef cattle.
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