NIRS Forage and Feed Testing Consortium
"Dedicated to increasing the accuracy and knowledge of NIRS testing"
The Board of Directors meeting held on
September 10, 1999 addressed the following items: (1) Mark Matteson’s decline
of NIRS Instrument Specialist position housed in Madison. (2) Business Manager
position. (3) NIRS Instrument Specialist position. (4) NIRS Consortium budget.
Mark Matteson prepared a letter of
regrets, declining an offer from the Consortium to become the NIRS Instrument
Specialist housed in Madison, Wisconsin. The Board thanked Mark for all of his
efforts to make the Consortium a success.
Mark expressed his regrets and thanked the Consortium for the unique
opportunities and experiences he has gained.
The Board then discussed the Business
Manager position. Dan Undersander
described the possibility of cooperating with the UW Soil and Forage Analysis
Lab in Marshfield, locating the Consortium business office there. The Board decided to provide 1/3 time
support to the UW Soil and Forage Lab for Patty Laskowski, already with a 2/3
time appointment with the lab, to be NIRS Consortium Business Manager.
The position of Instrument Specialist
would then be re-opened and posted on the UW Madison employment website.
The Executive Committee had prepared the
Annual Consortium Budget for October 1, 1999
November 18, 1999
through
September 30, 2000. Funds were to be
made available from the NIRS Consortium Account in the Dept. of Agronomy and
Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, to keep Mark employed at University of
Minnesota to complete equation upgrading for the alfalfa breeders and to
develop a Consortium instrument and calibration equation monitoring
program. The Finance Committee would
also make provisions of $6,000 to $8,000 for Pat Hoffman to monitor the
Consortium RUP calibration. The Finance
Committee would develop this final budget.
This final budget has since been completed and had been distributed to
Members with their packet for request of annual dues.
October 25, 1999 Board Meeting
The Board of Directors meeting held on
October 25, 1999 addressed the following items: (1) Status report of instrument
monitoring program. (2) Status of NIRS Instrument Specialist position. (3)
Forage Testing Conference Committee report. (4) Draft of Memorandum of
Understanding between the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, University of
Wisconsin Madison, and the Consortium.
Mark Matteson outlined a three-point
program of instrument monitoring that would involve: (1) Standardization of instruments.
(2) Diagnostics by Members and reporting. (3) Sealed check sample program and
reporting.
Before the Monitoring Program can get off
the ground, though, an inventory of instruments, equipment, software, and
equation versions that members use is needed so that all members are compatible
and have the same base. This inventory
is in the completion stage and will be sent to members shortly.
After this inventory, standardization of
instruments can take place. This would
involve checking and standardizing member instruments to the “New” Consortium
Master Instrument located at the US Dairy Forage Research Center. Members would use a 30-sample
characterization set, sent to them by the Consortium, to re-standardize their
instrument(s).
In carrying out diagnostics and
reporting, members would be requested to send in routine ISI diagnostics as
well as check sample analyses on a weekly basis. In the works for ease of reporting is a secure website in which
members could confidentially enter information.
The check sample program would include a
requirement of member labs or the Consortium to purchase 2 guaranteed check
cells consisting of a forage and a feed.
Again, check sample analysis reporting could be done at the same website
as for diagnostics. A detailed outline
of the Instrument Monitoring Program will be developed and released to
Consortium members in the near future.
Next, the Executive Committee explained
that the NIRS Instrument Specialist position is still being reviewed, as
applicants are considered and the possibility of appointing a post-doctorate or
a visiting scientist to the position for one or two years is considered. This second alternative is attractive
because a highly qualified person could be appointed. Then, when instrument organization is on line, a long term NIRS
Instrument Specialist could be hired and trained. A Memorandum of Understanding is under preparation between the
USDFRC, the University of Wisconsin, and the NIRS Consortium in order to
outline the needs of each party in a cooperative understanding of the duties
and roles that the NIRS Instrument Specialist will perform.
The Forage Testing Conference Committee
then described that a need has been identified to develop a working paper on
the science behind NIR in view of continuing popular press articles unfavorable
to NIR. A core group of research
nutritionists could be assembled to discuss these and other issues. Consortium members would be encouraged to
attend and participate. A potential
time frame for this Forage Testing Conference could be the last week of March
or the First week of April, 2000, possibly to be held at the US Dairy Forage
Research Center.
The next Board Meeting will be held by
conference call on December 13, 1999 at 10:00 a.m. Board Members and Consortium Members can participate in this open
board meeting by dialing 608-265-1000 and entering code number 0864 at the
prompt. Consortium Members are
encouraged to participate, and feedback and input are welcome. Voting, however, is limited to board
members. Members may suggest items for
the board meeting agenda as well, and may contact Patty Laskowski to do so.
Farewell to Mark Matteson
Mark has decided to accept a position
with Cargill in Minnesota beginning November 29, 1999. The Consortium thanks
Mark for his work in making the Consortium a success and wishes him all the
best in the future.
Announcements
Any Consortium Member or Collaborator who
wishes to make announcements or submit member news items is encouraged to do
so. Please contact Patty Laskowski at
the information below.
Patty Laskowski
NIRS Consortium Business Manager
8396 Yellowstone Drive
Marshfield, WI 54449
Ph: 715-387-2523 ext. 3010 Fax: 715-387-1723