Ruurd Zijlstra
Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences
University of Alaska
Canada
Biography
research interest is in ingredient evaluation and feed processing. The vision is to create a decision model that optimizes feed processing following ingredient evaluation. The end goal is to ensure a predictable performance of agricultural species. Within each feed ingredient, a range exists in quality characteristics that must be validated in animal models, but should be measured for a large number of samples using laboratory-based technologies. Subsequently, equipment, for example near infra-red reflectance spectroscopy, can feed quality following proper calibration
Research Interest
The range in quality is usually related to a change in factors such a fiber or other anti-nutritional factors that negatively influence nutrient digestibility or rate of digestion. Feed processing, including grinding, pelleting, expansion, extrusion, etc. can be used to reduce the negative impact of these factors and thereby improve digestibility characteristics.
Publications
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Apparent and true ileal and total tract digestibility of fat in canola press-cake or canola oil and effects of increasing dietary fat on amino acid and energy digestibility in growing pigs
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Diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance of weaned pigs fed Brassica napus canola meal varying in nutritive quality
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Identification and quantification of virulence factors of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli by high-resolution melting curve quantitative PCR
