A team of researchers from four universities across the U.S. was awarded an Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative (AG2PI) grant to establish the “Cattle Genome to Herd Phenotyping for Precision Ag” initiative. UVM Animal and Veterinary Sciences Department Associate Professor Stephanie McKay is the lead principal investigator for the project, and she will work with researchers from Oklahoma State University, the University of Missouri, and the University of Idaho to improve cattle productivity through phenotyping technologies. This grant is one of seven seed grants, ranging between $15,000$20,000.
AG2PI is a three-year program included in the 2018 Farm Bill, which directed the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to establish funding to support research on the genomes and phenomes of crops and animals of agricultural importance. The program is unique because it is intended to help crop and livestock scientists, data scientists, analysts, engineers, and social scientists connect and establish a cohesive working group that will identify shared problems and collaborates on solutions.
McKay’s cattle genome project will reimagine another agriculture genomics project, Genomes to Fields (G2P) which focuses on a collaborative approach to genomics research of corn. They will create a “CG2HP” working group of scientists in the fields of nutrition, physiology, engineering, and economics, to identify best practices, tools, and techniques for data sharing and storage, encourage the sharing of existing tools, data or ideas, and deliver actionable goals and the publication of a concept paper addressing the needed phenotyping data and technologies necessary to implement CG2HP in cattle.