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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Range Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #171354
Title: SPECTROSCOPIC STUDIES OF GOAT DIETS IN ARID ENVIRONMENTS

Author
item RAYSON, GARY - NEW MEXICO STATE UNIV
item Anderson, Dean
item Havstad, Kris
item LANDAU, Y - ISRAEL MINISTRY OF AG
item GLASSER, TZACH - ISRAEL MINISTRY OF AG
item WALKER, JOHN - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies Final Program
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2004
Publication Date: 10/3/2004
Citation: Rayson, G., Anderson, D.M., Havstad, K.M., Landau, Y.S., Glasser, T., Walker, J. 2004. Spectroscopic studies of goat diets in arid environments [abstract]. Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies Final Program. October 3-7, 2004, Portland, Oregon. Abstract No. 235.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: There is a critical need for an accurate, rapid, noninvasive technique to study domestic and indigenous free-ranging herbivore diets. Knowledge of forage selected by herbivory is required for assessing and managing habitat, as well as for developing proactive management strategies useful in real time. Both the research and production communities require relevant information for the implementation of proactive management in real time. This is especially true as it relates to the nutrition and health of plants and animals and their respective roles in human society. A tool to provide this will help to insure animal health while providing information necessary to ensure adequate animal nutrition, thus optimizing returns to producers. Generally, diet composition is determined by directly observing the plant species an animal consumes or sampling along the digestive tract, including feces. All current sampling methods have limitations involving scientific accuracy of results, cost required to obtain data, and inability to provide timely results necessary for making real-time management decisions. The majority of these procedures rely on the visual acuity of the observer to identify what animals consume. The present work involves comparing complimentary spectroscopic techniques (i.e., near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy [NIRS] and molecular fluorescence) to identify what free-ranging ruminants (goats) consume when stocked on arid rangeland. Feed and fecal samples have been collected involving diets including native forage plants from each of three arid regions have been collected and analyzed using NIRS and fluorescence spectroscopy. The results of the analysis of these data will be presented and their implications regarding the elucidation of animal diets will be discussed.