Episode Overview

Podcast: BCI Cattle Chat
Episode: Drought, Pour-on, Innovation
Date: May 9, 2025
Host and Panel: Dr. Brad White (A), Dr. Bob Larson (B), Dr. Philip Lancaster (C), Dr. Dustin Pendell (D)

This episode of BCI Cattle Chat features the Kansas State Beef Cattle Institute team discussing three primary topics relevant to beef producers:

• Drought preparedness and forage management (featuring insights about a new producer decision-support app)
• Safe and effective use of pour-on dewormers, addressing a listener's question
• The future of innovation in animal agriculture, including artificial intelligence, biosensors, and genetic breakthroughs

Personal anecdotes about braving the weather, listener questions, and engaging roundtable discussion provide practical, forward-looking insights for cattle producers and industry watchers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Drought Management and Decision Support Tools

Main Theme: Proactive approaches for producers to manage drought risk, featuring Philip’s research project on a new drought decision tool/app.

• Philip's Research Project Overview

  • Objective: Develop decision-support tools for cattle producers to proactively recognize drought onset and manage forage accordingly.
  • Tool in development: A mobile app to track rainfall against historical averages and prompt timely decisions based on observed deficits.
  • Example metric: “Animal unit days” (AUMs) helps gauge whether expected grazing duration matches reality.

• How the App Works

  • Tracks rainfall as a percentage of normal (e.g., “you’re 90% below normal, now 80%…”)
  • Notifies producers as thresholds are crossed, prompting them to consider implementing their contingency plans (e.g., moving cattle, supplementing feed)
  • Allows monitoring of grazing rotations—earlier-than-normal moves between pastures signal unexpected forage shortfalls.

• Why Timing Matters

  • Forage response to rainfall isn’t linear; the impact depends heavily on when precipitation occurs (e.g., spring showers vs. winter moisture).
  • “Still that rainfall in early spring…is the biggest impactor. ... If it gets dry in May…for my warm season grasses, I’m probably going to have a reduction in forage growth.” — Philip [07:42]

• Producer Action Steps

  • Regularly assess actual vs. planned animal unit days per pasture.
  • If short, implement predetermined contingency plans: purchase hay early, cull animals, or sell cow-calf pairs.

“I can start to recognize and can monitor that this is what should have happened based on normal year, but this year I had to move early… So I can start to notice these things and make decisions and implement my contingency plan early and not get caught in a bad situation.”
— Dr. Philip Lancaster [04:10]

• Other Risk Management Techniques

  • Discussion of pasture/rangeland/forage insurance as a financial buffer for reduced rainfall impacts [05:47].

• Tool Roll-Out Timeline

  • Beta version aimed for fall; broader rollout the following year.

2. Pour-on Dewormers: Myths, Safety, & Best Practices

Context: Listener asked if pouring dewormer over a cow’s kidneys could cause organ damage.

• Myth Busting:

  • Bob: “I'm really not concerned about where a poron is applied on the animal…it’s absorbed right there at the skin into the blood system and then it goes throughout the body.” [11:48]
  • Pour-on dewormers are designed for absorption through the skin; application location along the back does not affect kidneys or liver directly.

• Systemic Absorption & Human Safety

  • Dustin: “Can it go into my skin if I’m pouring it on?”
    Bob: “Yes, it can…these products are designed to be absorbed through thick cattle skin. Well, yeah, it can go through human skin as well...use latex or nitrile gloves to prevent that…some products…can cause health problems in humans if absorbed.” [12:47]

• Generalized Pour-On Guidelines

  • Always wear gloves when applying pour-ons.
  • All pour-ons are intended for systemic absorption—so treat all with the same care.

• Rainfall Considerations for Effectiveness

  • Application’s efficacy can be compromised if cattle are exposed to rain too soon after treatment.
    “Most of the time on the label, it will tell you how many hours you need to be sure that it doesn’t get washed off by, by rain…None of us are perfect weather predictors…So you do have to keep those things in mind as you kind of plan your processing days.” — Bob [15:42]

• Pour-ons vs. Injections

  • For both, placement is not about directing the product to a specific organ.
  • Injection route matters (subcutaneous vs intramuscular), but injection site on the body (e.g., neck vs. round) does not alter where the drug goes systemically.
  • Compliance with BQA guidelines (neck injections) is preferred for food safety and efficacy [14:28].

3. Innovation in Livestock Agriculture: What's Next?

Panelist Roundtable: Industry Trends and Future Technologies

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data-Driven Decisions

  • Bob:
    • AI will increasingly help optimize decisions on everything from slaughter weights to weaning and sale dates.
    • Data customization for individual operations: “It should be a very customized decision based on this year. And it’s this year’s rainfall, this year’s forage production…there’s so much complexity…” [17:34]
    • More advanced on the crop side now (e.g., irrigation, planting optimization), but animal ag is catching up.

• Microbiome & Nutritional Innovation

  • Philip:
    • Bacterial populations in the GI tract are “much more complex and diverse among individuals” than previously thought.
    • Growth in tools and products to manipulate the rumen microbiome for better digestion, metabolic health, and productivity.
    • Expect more innovation with “nutraceuticals”—feed compounds affecting animal health and microbial balance, not just basic nutrition [18:25].

• Machine Learning, Biosensors, and Gene Editing

  • Dustin:
    • The explosion in data collection and computing power allows for more predictive, automated management (disease detection via biosensors, etc.) [20:36].
    • Raises prospects for earlier disease detection, gene editing for disease resistance—while cautioning that “just because we can do it doesn’t mean…consumers are going to consume it.” [23:15]

• Integration of Genomics and AI

  • Philip:
    • Using AI to interpret complex genomic data could make gene editing more impactful for performance traits [22:40].

“Things that we haven’t even thought of will crop up and be highly effective…things that we thought were going to be utilized may have some hidden challenges or roadblocks.”
— Dr. Bob Larson [21:25]

• Other Innovations Noted:
  • Drones, autonomous vehicles, further engineering advances—while jokingly lamenting “not a one of you mentioned flying cars.” — Brad [23:35]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Recognizing Drought Early:
  “A little preparation can be very helpful.” — Brad [02:25]

• Practicality of Measuring Forage:
  “The most telling is…the animal unit days you’ve got so far.” — Philip [09:27]

• On Human Safety with Pour-ons:
  “It’s really wise to use a…barrier type of a glove when applying these pour-ons because that’s exactly what they’re designed to do, is be absorbed through the skin.” — Bob [12:47]

• The Role of AI:
  “I think there’s so much complexity to some of the decisions that we make, such as optimal marketing times, that artificial intelligence might allow us to make more optimized decisions.” — Bob [17:34]

• On Predicting the Future:
  “The interesting thing about trying to predict the future is things that we haven’t even thought of will crop up and be highly effective and utilized a lot.” — Bob [21:25]

• On Consumer Acceptance:
  “Just because we can do it doesn’t mean…consumers are going to consume it.” — Dustin [23:15]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:09] Introduction to Philip’s drought management app
• [06:11] Risk management products—pasture/rangeland/forage insurance
• [11:48] Pour-on application safety and myth-busting
• [14:00] Injection site and route: what matters and why
• [15:42] Impact of rain after pour-on application
• [16:51] Innovations and technology trends in livestock agriculture

Conclusion

This episode gives beef producers actionable guidance on adapting to drought risks, safety and efficacy in using pour-on dewormers, and a spirited discussion of how AI, biosensors, and genetics are shaping the future of animal agriculture. The BCI team balances technical expertise with practical, real-world advice, offering listeners both immediate takeaways and a look at where the industry is heading.

Have a listener question or topic suggestion? Email the crew at bciasu.edu or connect via social media.