C-Lock Inc. has announced the award recipients of their inaugural 2020 Research Equipment Grant program. This competitive grant program was designed to provide an opportunity for institutions to research and test cutting-edge ideas that use C-Lock Inc. technology which will improve efficiency, productivity, and sustainability in animal agricultural production. C-Lock received 44 research proposals from 17 countries and the U.S.
“We were thrilled with the quality and quantity of proposals and feel this is a clear indication of the broad application and interest in our technology globally,” said Scott Zimmerman, President of C-Lock Inc. “We fully anticipate that partnering and investing with these institutions and research teams will not only enhance scientific discovery in animal sciences, but also bring to the forefront how our technology can be used by farmers, ranchers, and agri-business to improve animal management, profits, and sustainability in their livestock systems.”
Recipients of Equipment Grant Awards include:
Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE) – Dr. Martin Lidauer, Dr. Nina Schulman, Dr. Esa Mäntysaari, Dr. Päivi Mäntysaari, Dr. Alireza Bayat, Dr. Enyew Negussie, Dr. Juha Nousiainen, Dr. Pekka Huhtanen; Use of GreenFeed for on-farm sampling design for gas respiration measurements to establishing genomic predictions for feed efficiency in dairy cattle.
University of Missouri – Dr. Jared Decker, Dr. Eric Bailey, Dr. Derek Brake; Use of GreenFeed for prediction of cow efficiency genetic merit (cow efficiency EPD) by combining gas flux data, metabolic theory, genomic, and pedigree data.
University of Tennessee – Dr. Kyle McLean, Dr. Justin Rhinehart, Dr. Robert Burns, Dr. Leisel Schneider, Dr. Phillip Myer, Dr. Christopher Boyer; Use of SmartScale for partial body weight and behavior measurements to predict cattle estrus activity, morbidity in high risk stocker cattle, performance monitoring for precision supplementation of developing heifers and bulls, and learning opportunities for key beef industry stakeholders.
Agriculture Victoria (Australia) – Dr. Joe Jacobs and Dr. Stephanie Muir; Use of Super SmartFeed and SmartScales for improving welfare and adding value to dairy-beef calves.
University of Arkansas – Dr. Brittni Littlejohn, Dr. Elizabeth Kegley, Dr. Shane Gadberry, Dr. Jeremy Powell, Dr. James Mitchell; Use of SmartFeed Pro for controlling intake of various feed additives, pharmaceuticals and anthelmintics to evaluate effects on fetal programming, performance, immunocompetence and quantification of residual feed intake on limit fed diets vs. ad libitum.
University of Nebraska – Dr. Travis Mulliniks and Dr. Kacie McCarthy; Utilization of Super SmartFeed Producer system for evaluation of mineral supplementation programs of range beef cattle systems.
University of Pennsylvania – Dr. Mutian Niu and Dr. Dipti Pitta; Use of SmartFeed Pro in an integrated dairy system to develop precision individual feeding management tools to improve efficiency and sustainability of dairy herds.
South Dakota State University – Dr. Jameson Brennan, Dr. Kenneth Olson, Robin Salverson, Adele Harty, Dr. Amanda Blair, and Dr. Krista Ehlert; Use of SmartFeed and SmartScale technology to develop a data analytics tool to help producers make informed and effective decisions regarding heifer development programs.
Founded in 2009 by Dr. Patrick Zimmerman, C-Lock Inc. developed and patented GreenFeed for measurement of ruminant gas fluxes in production environments and has also developed their SmartFeed and SmartScale systems for measuring, monitoring, and controlling individual animal feed intake and performance. C-Lock looks forward to working with the winners of the 2020 Research Equipment Grant program and is eager to see the results of the studies.
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