10/06/1993

Search for Lean Beef Drives AU's Don Mulvaney

AUBURN, Ala. - Lean, tender beef. That's what today's health-conscious consumer wants. And that's what Auburn University's Don Mulvaney plans on helping Alabama cattle producers supply.

Mulvaney specializes in growth and muscle biology aspects of meat science. Much of the research he is conducting through the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station at Auburn focuses on identifying molecular and cellular controls of meat animal growth and body composition.

If that sounds a bit complex, it is. But the work has a simple conclusion--production of lean beef with Alabama-bred animals, on Alabama forages and land.

For example, Mulvaney says that Alabama is a cow/calf state, with close to a million cows.

"At some time, those cows will be culled--even at a 10 percent cull rate, that's a lot of animals going into the market," he says. He sees great potential in the culls as a value-added market. "There might be opportunities in short-term feeding of these cows, to possibly increase and rejuvenate carcass yields."

An experimental compound Mulvaney is testing develops a leaner animal with increased muscle mass, and improves the conversion of feed to gain in the animal. The natural compound influences the aging process, which, in turn, may improve the tenderness and other processing characteristics of meat from older cattle.

"The research shows that we may be able to improve the composition of the animal for lean beef production," he says. "It may also offer opportunities for new beef products for the consumer."

Another example of how Mulvaney is taking complicated technical questions and turning them into accessible profits is his research on genetic and physiological factors affecting growth, and identifying molecular genetic markers for use in determining growth and carcass traits.

Along with other researchers, Mulvaney is a collaborator on beef cattle breeding projects which include the use of different sire breeds and high accuracy EPD's. The project begins with a uniform set of cows. For the first two years of the study, researchers have had calves sired by Hereford, Beefmaster and Brahman bulls. Other breeds are being rotated in on a yearly basis.

Both live performance and carcasses of the progeny are being evaluated. Use of the EPD's comes in as he specifically selects sire breeds to produce lean beef.

For the second part of the research question, researchers are looking at certain breeds more closely. For example, Mulvaney is looking at factors such as enzyme systems that may affect the variability of tenderness of cattle, especially the Brahma-influenced breeds.

"Also, we're particularly interested in muscle and embryonic development, and which genes control muscle development," he says. "We may be able to control or regulate these genes using either hormones or genetics." Double-muscled breeds of cattle are being used as models for this part of the research.

Mulvaney has many varied research projects in progress, and has become involved in several extension projects with other faculty. Among them are the Lean Beef Research Project and the In Search of Excellence Program (ISEP), a new dimension of the Alabama Pasture to Rail program. The program is designed to identify superior genetics and give performance and carcass information back to the producers for use in their own breeding programs.

"Most of the projects are now focused on lean beef production and use," he says. "We need to help the cattle industry capitalize on the state's resources, while overcoming barriers to success. We hope our research can make a difference for cattle producers."

Mulvaney, who is an associate professor in Auburn's Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, was reared on a south central Illinois farm and received his B.S. in animal science from the University of Illinois. He then went on to Michigan State University to pursue his master's and doctoral degrees. He also coached several meat judging and livestock evaluation teams along the way. He currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in growth and body composition.

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Office of Ag Communications & Marketing

Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-4877 (PHONE) 334-844-5892 (FAX)

Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
by Reginia Broadway

10/06/93