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ARS Home » Plains Area » Miles City, Montana » Livestock and Range Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #90660
Title: COMPARISON OF ULTRASOUND SYSTEMS TO PREDICT MARBLING IN BEEF CATTLE

Author
item Macneil, Michael
item HERRING, W - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item KRIESE, L - AUBURN UNIVERSITY
item BERTRAND, K - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item CROUCH, J - AMERICAN ANGUS ASSOC.

Submitted to: Governors Conference on the State of the Livestock Industry
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Marbling score is an important factor in determining carcass value. Line 1 Hereford (n=48) and CGC (n=32) steers were scanned using four commercially available real-time ultrasound systems. Each system was employed by two independent expert sonographers. Marbling score and intramuscular ether extract from the longissimus muscle were objective measures of system/sonographer performance. Systems ranked similarly for both objective measures and differences between sonographers within system were not important. Two systems generated useful predictions of the objective measures (r >- .50) and two did not (r < .2).This research validates the utility of real-time ultrasound for prediction of marbling. It also indicates the needed discrimination among systems in employing the technology.

Technical Abstract: Marbling score is an important factor in determining carcass value. Line 1 Hereford (n=48) and CGC (n=32) steers were scanned using four commercially available real-time ultrasound systems. Each system was employed by two independent expert sonographers. Marbling score and intramuscular ether extract from the longissimus muscle were objective measures of system/sonographer performance. Systems ranked similarly for both objective measures and differences between sonographers within system were not important. Two systems generated useful predictions of the objective measures (r >- .50) and two did not (r < .2).This research validates the utility of real-time ultrasound for prediction of marbling. It also indicates the needed discrimination among systems in employing the technology.