The discovery has the potential to reduce reliance on antibiotics and ultimately help combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance in both humans and animals, said Adrian Barragan, associate research professor and extension veterinarian at Penn State and co-lead author on the paper.

The findings are particularly significant for the organic dairy industry where antibiotic use is restricted, he added, and may also pave the way for future studies in humans on the use of sugar-based formulations for uterine infections such as endometritis.

“The disease is an infection of the uterus that occurs after calving and it’s one of the top diseases that affect dairy cattle in the United States,” said Erika Ganda, assistant professor of food animal microbiomes at Penn State and co-lead author on the study. “We treat cows with antibiotics only when necessary to ensure their welfare, following strict withdrawal periods to prevent residues in milk. Minimizing antibiotic use helps reduce the risk of resistant bacteria that can impact farm workers, families and communities. Antimicrobial resistance in human and veterinary medicine is a growing public health concern, so the main goal of this research was to test an antibiotic-free alternative option against the current gold standard for treating this prevalent disease.”

The study compared two treatments for a common uterine infection, called clinical metritis, that can lead to serious health problems for dairy cows. The condition is typically treated using systemic antibiotics, like ceftiofur, which are effective in treating the condition, but may contribute to the growing antimicrobial resistance in food-producing animals.

“We have been searching for alternative therapies that can effectively treat metritis without relying on antibiotics,” Barragan said. “We asked two main questions when studying an alternative: Do the animals get cured with this treatment? And do treated animals have similar performance? Although the alternative treatment had the same clinical cure rate as the antibiotics, the answer wasn’t as clear cut as expected since performance between treatment groups differed based on disease severity.”

The study focused on using intrauterine dextrose, a sugar solution, as a possible alternative treatment. Dextrose has been extensively studied in animal and human clinical research for its ability to plasmolyze harmful bacteria, essentially the strong sugar solution pulls water out of the bacteria, causing them to dry out and die, Barragan explained. The approach had shown some promise in human wound healing, but previous studies in cattle yielded mixed results.

“We were hopeful that we would find positive results, but we were definitely not expecting to find that both treatments worked similarly for mild cases of metritis,” Barragan said. “That was a very exciting discovery.”

To investigate the effectiveness of dextrose, the researchers conducted a study on a dairy farm in central Pennsylvania. They enrolled 77 cows diagnosed with clinical metritis and randomly assigned them to one of two treatment groups: intrauterine dextrose or systemic ceftiofur. The researchers then monitored the cows’ recovery and analyzed their uterine microbial communities using advanced DNA sequencing to better understand the overall health of their microbiomes.

Although the sample size was not ideal for assessing clinical cure rate, Barragan said, the results suggested that both treatments had similar clinical cure rates, meaning dextrose could be just as effective as antibiotics in treating mild metritis cases.

Additionally, the analysis of the cows’ microbiomes revealed that dextrose does not significantly disrupt the bacterial balance of bacteria in the reproductive tract, unlike antibiotics, which can alter microbial communities and potentially impact the long-term health of the cow, Ganda explained.

Further research is needed to understand the full potential of dextrose as an alternative to antibiotic treatment, Barragan said, but one day that potential could even extend to treating humans.

“Our findings may be applicable for reproductive disease in human medicine,” he said. “In fact, we were inspired by medical literature and sugar-based wound treatments for people.”

The other Penn State authors on the paper are Jennine Lection, who earned a doctoral degree from Penn State and is currently an assistant professor at North Carolina State University; Emily Van Syoc, postdoctoral scholar; Asha Miles, former postdoctoral research associate who is currently a research geneticist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); Julia Hamilton, undergraduate student; Marcela Martinez, research technologist; and Justin Silverman, assistant professor of statistics and of medicine and faculty fellow of the Institute for Computational and Data Science. Santiago Bas of the Germany-based feed company Phytobiotics Futterzusatzstoffe GmbH also contributed to the paper.

The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Hatch Appropriations, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and the National Institutes of Health funded this research.

–Adrienne Berard
Penn State

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Other key findings in the report were:

• Of the 75.8 million hogs and pigs, 69.8 million were market hogs, while 6.00 million were kept for breeding.
• Between September and November 2024, 35.2 million pigs were weaned on U.S. farms, up 2% from the same time period one year earlier.
• From September through November 2024, U.S. hog and pig producers weaned an average of 11.92 pigs per litter.
• U.S. hog producers intend to have 2.93 million sows farrow between December 2024 and February 2025, and 2.95 million sows farrow between March 2025 and May 2025.
• Iowa hog producers accounted for the largest inventory among the states, at 24.6 million head. Minnesota had the second largest inventory at 9.50 million head. North Carolina was third with 8.20 million head.

To obtain an accurate measurement of the U.S. swine industry, NASS surveyed 6,046 operators across the nation during the first half of December. The data collected were received online through NASS’s Respondent Portal, by mail, telephone and through face-to-face interviews.

The Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report and all other NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov.

–USDA NASS

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I hope all of you will be able to look back on the year’s greatness. Put your pencil to paper as you consider all you learned from 2024; some very important lessons were sprinkled in there.

To give time for reflection and enjoyment this holiday season, we will not be sending out our daily emails the week between Christmas and New Year’s. The Morning Ag Clips’ daily email will resume on Thursday, January 2, 2025.

There will still be news articles published on our site, so make sure to stay up-to-date by going to morningagclips.com. Every day there will be something new, and there will be an editor watching for breaking ag news every day. But like you, we all need a break, and the only way to get it is to be extremely intentional about it, so we are!

Here’s to you, your family, and a prosperous and healthy New Year! We will see you in 2025!

With love,
Kate

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Dr. Jones will explore how the efficient use of soil and fertilizer nitrogen by corn plants is influenced by both controllable and uncontrollable factors. By managing soil-test levels of phosphorus and potassium, farmers can enhance corn nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency, improve economic returns from N, P, and K fertilization, and support overall nitrogen cycling in corn-soybean rotations. This presentation will highlight recent research on the interaction between soil-test nutrient levels and nitrogen use and will delve into ongoing studies focused on soil fertility and nutrient losses in Northern Illinois.

Other topics to be covered at the event include What we Know Today About Biologicals in Illinois Row Crops, Corn and Soybean Management Considerations for 2025, Highland Community College Agriculture Research Update, and Resistance, Mitigations, and Metribuzin: Aspects of Weed Management in 2025.

Attendees can earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs): 1 in nutrient management, 2 in crop management, and 1 in Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

The Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit will take place at the Highland Community College Student Conference Center in Freeport, IL, on Wednesday, January 29, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. To register, or for more information visit: go.illinois.edu/JSW or call U of I Extension at (815) 235-4125.

ABOUT EXTENSION: Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities.

University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need reasonable accommodations to participate in this program, please call (815) 235-4125.

–Nikki Keltner, University of Illinois Extension

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Thursday will start out with keynote speakers Dr. Derrell Peel from Oklahoma State University and Dr. Troy Rowan from University of Tennessee. Also speaking Thursday will be Dr. Marta Kohmann from the University of Wisconsin.

Dr. Marta Kohmann will speak on “Managing Pastures for Long-Term Production”. Grazing management is no easy task. Several decisions are needed to ensure productive pastures that keep up with animal requirements long term. Dr. Kohmann will go over main principles of sustainable pasture management. Some of the most recent grazing studies that are underway will be shared as well.

Rounding out Thursday evening after dinner will be the popular “Bull Pen” discussion featuring a panel of locker plant managers from the Driftless Area sharing their insights and answering questions about marketing beef locally.

Friday morning will start out with a breakfast session on “Challenges and Joys of Family Farm Transitions” where Bruce and Peyton River of Maquoketa, IA will share their experiences on these challenges.

Following the breakfast session, breakout sessions will be offered on a variety of topics. One track will focus on the cow herd while the other focuses more on feedlot aspects.

The feedlot focused sessions this year will be led by Joseph Lensing from Iowa State University, Erika Woolfolk from Iowa State University, Denise Schwab from Iowa State University, and Josh McCann from University of Illinois.

Joseph Lensing will talk about “Risk Management in a High-Priced Market” focusing on analyzing the risk protection and strategies to protect the value of feeder and fed cattle in the current market.

Erika Woolfolk will talk about “Effects of Market Timing and Performance Technologies on Marketing Decisions for High Quality Midwest Cattle”. This talk will share results of a study conducted at Iowa State University to evaluate the tradeoff related to days on feed and market timing contingent on feeds costs, grid premiums, and discounts for high quality cattle sold on a carcass or grid market basis.

Denise Schwab will talk about the “BeefXDairy Lifetime Performance Project” which was an Iowa State University project that looked at the impacts of early life nutrition on lifetime growth, health, and performance on beef dairy cross calves. The final results of the study will be shared as well as implications for managing beef dairy cross calves for performance, health, and carcass merit.

Josh McCann will talk about “Causes and Costs of Erratic Intake in the Feedyard”. Consistent dry matter intake is the hallmark of good management. McCann will discuss why it is important to consider the causes and costs of erratic feed intake.

Finally, to wrap up the conference, everyone will come together again and hear Derrell Peel talk on “Cattle Market Outlook: 2025 and Beyond” which encompasses the current cattle market situation and factors affecting producer profitability.

About Extension: Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions and adapt to changes and opportunities.

–Nikki Keltner, Illinois Extension

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I expect the January Cattle Inventory report to show some additional liquidation has occurred leading to a smaller calf crop in 2025. It seems most likely that the summer of 2026 is the soonest substantial national heifer retention may begin. While there is recently elevated uncertainty around international trade that should not be overlooked, most anticipate domestic beef availability to decline perhaps by 2-3% per year (per person) in 2025 and 2026.

Given this setting and the opportunity for some extended armchair-pondering around the holidays, some context on economic concepts and an important historical reminder is prudent. Economists analyzing the beef industry use the term “demand” to refer to the willingness and ability to buy beef at a specific price. A change in beef demand is not triggered by changes in beef prices but rather by consumer income or wealth adjustments, changes in prices of other goods, or perceptions of beef quality evolving. To this later point, the clear improvement in overall beef quality (simple example is Prime or Upper Choice percentage versus past decades) has been core to beef demand growth (see K-State demand indices here: https://agmanager.info/livestock-meat/meat-demand/monthly-domestic-meat-demand-indices-usdabls-data/monthly-domestic-0 ).

As we turn to 2025 it is important to pause and connect the dots around things such as current feedlot supplies, future breeding herd size and corresponding beef availability, and what one may expect at the retail and food service level. Yes, lower beef supplies are expected and with that, most anticipate higher end-user beef prices. In fact, the industry should be hoping for that! Research with Melissa McKendree, Ted Schroeder, and Nathan Hendricks (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1093/ajae/aaz034 ) shows that feeder cattle sellers stand to gain the most when beef demand grows, and lose the most when demand falters.

If alternatively, lower beef availability is observed in conjunction with flat or lower beef prices, then beef demand clearly declined. In that unfortunate situation, economic viability for most in the industry also declines. While some younger market participants may dismiss this scenario, recall the 1980s & 90s was a period largely characterized by a shrinking herd, weakening beef demand, and overall decline in industry vitality. Indeed, lower beef volumes alone do not guarantee higher beef nor cattle prices. This experience is worth periodic reflection as the industry has made massive improvements that should not be overlooked or taken for granted. To the extent that beef prices increase reflecting stable or growing beef demand that indeed is a market outcome that should not only “be allowed” but encouraged. While the term “demand destruction” is likely to appear more in coming months, industry stakeholders are encouraged to take pause and in fact hope that higher prices develop reflecting stable or growing beef demand.

Finally, and most importantly I wish all readers a Merry Christmas, the ability to see the true reason for the season, and a joyous New Year.

— Glynn T. Tonsor, Ph.D., Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University

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“We’re thrilled to bring together such a distinguished group of experts,” says Phillip Cox, Purdue Extension Educator. “This conference offers novice and experienced gardeners’ valuable knowledge, addressing current challenges and practical solutions.”

The conference kicks off with Heather Miller, Program Coordinator and Instructor at the University of Illinois School of Earth, Society, and Environment. Her talk, “Catch My Drift: Understanding Spray Drift and Its Impact on Plants and the Environment,” dives into the growing concern of pesticide drift, its causes, and mitigation strategies.

Following, Kyle Daniels, Nursery & Landscape Outreach Specialist at Purdue University, shares his expertise in “Beyond Glyphosate: Exploring Effective Alternatives.” Kyle will discuss alternative solutions for managing weeds in landscaping.

The afternoon session features Will Drews, Nursery Inspector, and Compliance Officer at the Indiana DNR Division of Entomology and Plant Pathology. Will’s presentation, “Pests in the Green Industry and Beyond,” delves into the most prevalent nursery pests of 2024, potential threats for 2025, and other ongoing pest-related efforts by the DNR.

The full-day Bi-State Gardening Conference, starting at 10:30 a.m. and concluding at 1:30 p.m., costs $30, including a delicious lunch the Beef House serves. Cash or checks will be taken at the door. Registration closes on Thursday, Jan. 9.

For more information or to register, visit go.illinois.edu/BiStateGarden . If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please email Phillip Cox at cox119@purdue.edu. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.  University of Illinois and Purdue University Extension provide equal opportunities in programs and employment.

— Illinois Extension

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Two environment organizations are represented among the newly seated members. Katie Garvey joins the board representing The Environmental Law & Policy Center. Garvey is a staff attorney located in the organization’s Chicago office and focuses on nutrient reduction strategies. Christina Favilla joins the board representing the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club. Favilla is based out of Sierra Club’s Alton, IL office, where she serves as the Three Rivers Project Co-Coordinator – concentrating on the confluence of the Missouri, Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.

Also seated at the December meeting was Brent Pollard who represents Illinois Farm Bureau. Pollard is a dairy and grain farmer from Rockford, IL and serves as the District 2 Director for the Illinois Farm Bureau.

Cindy Skrukrud leaves the NREC board and is the last of the original board members. Skrukrud played an integral role in the formation of NREC and has represented the environmental group through her affiliation with the Sierra Club for 12 years. According to Cindy, “It was a real privilege to serve as an environmental representative to NREC since its inception. It is the collaborative effort of diverse stakeholders that is key to the research and outreach that lead to the adoption of farm practices that optimize fertilizer use and improve the quality of our state’s rivers and streams”.

In total, NREC has 27 active multi-year projects totaling $3,183,419.

–Illinois Nutrient Research & Education Council

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To help meet your health improvement goals, University of Illinois Extension will be offering the Healthy Living Webinar Series in January. Webinars will be held on Thursday evenings, January 9, 16 and 23, from 6 to 8 p.m.. Topics include:

The Weight Equation: An Introduction to Weight Management – January 9

Establishing and maintaining a healthy body weight is not just about following a diet plan or being active. It is a culmination of all of our daily choices, those that are made consistently over time. In essence, it is a reflection of our lifestyle. Our lifestyle involves healthy eating patterns, regular physical activity, stress management, and quality sleep. All of these health behaviors work together to impact health and prevent illness.

During this webinar, we will discuss reasons for weight gain, how weight is assessed, the benefits of losing and maintaining a healthy body weight, and offer tips to promote weight loss.

Understanding Emotional Eating: How Stress Impacts Hunger & Appetite – January 16

Believe it or not, we do not always eat to satisfy our physical hunger. Many of us turn to food for any number of reasons. Perhaps we are looking for comfort or feeling stressed and overwhelmed with life. Eating when we are not truly physically hungry can lead to unintentional weight gain, heartburn, and even impact our ability to get a good night’s rest. If you find yourself eating for reasons other than physical hunger, this online session could be for you.

During this webinar, we will increase your awareness of how emotions and stress affect eating habits, increase your ability to identify emotional triggers leading to emotional eating and provide helpful steps to reach your wellness goals.

Move More for Better Health – January 23

Physical activity is a cornerstone for wellness and significantly improves overall health. Yet, only one in four adults meet the physical activity recommendations for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, which increases their risk of developing chronic health conditions.

During this webinar, you will learn the difference between physical activity and exercise, the recommended amount and types of physical activity, and the importance of staying active as you age. You will also learn about how aging impacts your ability to engage in physical activity, the risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle, the importance of setting goals, and resources you can access at home to help you stay active.

Register for the Healthy Living Webinar Series by calling the Extension office at (815) 986-4357 or online at https://go.illinois.edu/Healthy-Living-Webinars. There is a $5 fee, for each webinar, pre-registration is required.

University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need reasonable accommodations to participate in this program, please call (815) 986-4357.

SOURCE: Diane Reinhold, Nutrition and Wellness Educator, University of Illinois Extension

ABOUT EXTENSION: Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities

–University of Illinois Extension

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Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) President and CEO Barbara O’Brien pointed to a collective effort of national and local teams that delivered results this year.

“The checkoff is working, and we have achieved a lot in building the next chapter of our history,” said O’Brien, who outlined “now, next and future” checkoff strategies at this year’s joint annual meeting. “This success was made possible by the dedication and hard work of everyone across the checkoff federation. This was a strong year of results as we continue to work with and through others to catalyze action against our trust- and sales-building priorities.”

Checkoff-led highlights from 2024 include:

Increasing Dairy Access in Schools

A partnership provided hot chocolate milk to students during a pilot with Chartwells K12, which serves more than 2 million meals daily at 700 school districts. National Dairy Council (NDC) and Chartwells launched the Hot Chocolate Milk program in 58 schools, which features hot chocolate milk – with toppings such as cinnamon and peppermint – served during breakfast and lunch.

Another school pilot offered lactose-free chocolate milk and increased consumption and reached students who weren’t drinking milk because of real or perceived lactose intolerance. NDC and American Dairy Association Mideast worked with Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) to offer the country’s first single-serve lactose-free chocolate milk program. When compared to the rest of the district, the pilot schools experienced a 16-percent increase in milk consumption. The pilot was so successful that CPS is offering lactose-free chocolate milk in all schools.

Partnerships Growing Sales

The checkoff’s longstanding strategy of working with and through powerful partners continues to deliver results. For example, the checkoff supported Domino’s with its launch of cheese-centric items, including the New York Style Pizza and five-cheese mac and cheese.

This strategy of working with pizza partners also continues to find success internationally, a key tactic to reach the 95% of the world’s population that lives outside of the United States. DMI’s partnership with Pizza Hut Japan led to the chain announcing a permanent 30% increase of cheese use on all pizzas.

Other partnership innovations included working with General Mills to create YoBark, a yogurt-based snack designed to give families a tasty option and expand yogurt’s presence in the snacking category.

Sharing The Science of Dairy

One emerging research area is dairy’s impact on the first 1,000 days of life – encompassing pregnancy through a child’s second birthday. This is a critical period for brain development, which is impacted by nutrition and dairy can significantly support cognitive development, thanks to nutrients including iodine and choline. Checkoff organizations nationally and locally teamed with MilkPEP to elevate awareness and understanding of dairy’s contributions with expecting mothers and parents seeking nutrition guidance.

NDC also showed its ability to convene thought leaders when it hosted more than 100 national and international health and wellness experts for a two-day scientific conference addressing the dairy matrix, the concept of exploring the unique nutrient, non-nutrient and molecular compositions of dairy foods. Among the meeting attendees were representatives and speakers from major health professional organizations leading universities and organizations.

Supporting Dairy’s Sustainability Legacy

 The checkoff is focused on deepening its knowledge and attracting the investment in research on practices and technologies that work from a mitigation standpoint, and tools and resources to support adoption. DMI is tracking more than $29 million in additional investment from partners for pilot projects and research that empower sustainability action. One example is the Greener Cattle Initiative, a collaboration which announced a second round $5 million funding for enteric methane mitigation research.

The checkoff launched the Dairy Conservation Navigator, a resource hub designed to provide farm advisors, stakeholders and conservation professionals with science-based information on sustainable practices and technologies. Checkoff scientists and others developed a list of 80-plus practices that have a positive environmental benefit.

Checkoff Sparking Innovation

 The checkoff showcased dairy innovation and its nutrition package to 70,000 people attending Natural Products Expo West, the leading trade show in the natural, organic and healthy products industry. DMI unveiled its www.InnovateWithDairy.com tool, which serves as a one-stop shop for anyone seeking information about dairy innovation.

DMI also kept its focus on future innovators with its New Product Competition. A University of Minnesota team took first with a creamy Norwegian-style, whey-based cheese spread.

More checkoff results, including financial reports, can be found at www.dairycheckoff.com.

About Dairy Management Inc.

Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) is funded by America’s more than 26,000 dairy farmers, as well as dairy importers. Created to help increase sales and demand for dairy products, DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association, and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council, and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

–Dairy Management Inc.

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