The Veterinary Medicine program, part of the UNRN, was created in 2010 in Choele Choel, in the Middle Valley of the Negro River. It currently has 96 graduates and enrollment reaches almost 500 students.
Since then, this state academic unit has been carrying out coordinated work with the livestock sector, which, within the framework of the 44th Livestock and Agroindustrial Expo held this past weekend, highlights the link and knowledge generated and shared between both parties.
“This link allows for the knowledge of the needs linked to the sector and the commitment to the planning and development of joint activities aimed at improving productive efficiency and health status.allowing for a greater number of calves in each cycle,” Dr. Belen Bouillon -director of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Agroindustrial Production- and veterinarian Andres Sosadirector of the veterinary program at the Alto Valle-Valle Medio campus of the Río Negro National University.
Projects serving livestock producers in the area
In this regard, both officials referred to some of the projects developed:
“Study of the causes responsible for the low reproductive rates of cattle breeding in the province of Rio Negro” which aimed to know the degree of application of Good Livestock Practices (BPG) and determine the main productive indicators and the moment of loss of calves in order to develop proposals that contribute to improving productive efficiency.
“Regenerative livestock farming. Productive and reproductive survey of cattle for breeding and fattening in the Middle Valley region of the Province of Río Negro”, which was funded by MINCyT for the compositional and nutritional evaluation of pastures with the aim of establishing the preferences of the animals. In addition, monitoring was carried out to determine reproductive losses and management techniques were proposed that are linked to the improvement of productive indices with sustainable management practices focused on regenerative livestock farming.
Link with other universities after the same objective
They are currently part of the binational project “Livestock Systems-One Health”, in which Argentina and France are partners, linking 7 universities. The project is part of a transversal and international approach that brings together veterinary, agricultural and zootechnical sciences in the service of global health. Disciplinary contributions are also made by ecological sciences and political, economic and social sciences. It focuses on knowledge of the regulatory framework and local production contexts to ensure the health of the man-animal-environment triad.
Each of the projects was supported with funding from UNRN and CONICET (through CIT Rio Negro-CONICET) and its development was thanks to the creation of an academic-productive framework in which teachers and researchers from UNRN and other universities in the country (such as UNLPam, UNRC, UBA) participated; advanced students in the program and agricultural producers who opened the doors of their production facilities to share with teachers, researchers and students the collection of relevant information for the study of the problem.
“Each proposed work day always has as a classroom setting both the field and the laboratories and a coexistence of students with teachers, researchers and producers. The students have the possibility of learning in context, putting into practice different techniques learned in the different subjects and some of them begin their training in research. In this sense, more than 10 research grants were obtained, financed by the CIN (National Interuniversity Council)”, commented Buglione and Sosa.
The constant and total support of the Rural Society of Choele Choel
“The results of the research work are published in international journals and in Congresses and Conferences that are held on the topics. In this way, the knowledge that is built from the commitment to the productive sector returns to it in the form of proposals or new questions. This is how the three primary functions of the University: teaching, research and extension are related, compromising the needs of the productive livestock sector.“, they added.
This connection is also strengthened by the support of the Choele Choel Rural Society.
As?
– Project: “Development of 2 health plans for the control of Campylobacteriosis and Bovine Viral Diarrhea in herds with pregnancy losses” which was implemented in those herds where pregnancy losses were evident and whose plan was adapted to the particular geography of the Middle Valley of the Negro River and allowed to demonstrate the need for sanitary control over breeding bulls.
– Project: “Effect of nutrition and health on productive efficiency in breeding herds in extensive semi-arid fields of Northern Patagonia” which broadens the view on efficiency, is currently presented and in the evaluation stage.
– Training days for producers, related to the phenotypic evaluation of breeding bulls.
– Evaluation of the seed bank in livestock fieldss from semi-arid areas of the Middle Valley of Río Negro
– Resource management and livestock typologies in the Middle Valley of the Río Negro and its area of influence.
– Livestock Production and Resources in the Semi-arid Zones of Northern Patagonia (in association with INTA)
– Collective and Community Health Program in Veterinary Medicine: One Health, One Well-being.
– «Regenerative livestock farming program in the AER INTA Valle Medio area of influence»
Plant Functional Groups and Livestock in Northern Patagonia.
Articulating proposals: this is one of the keys to current work
Since the formation of a tripartite working group UNRN-INTA-Sociedad Rural Choele Choel “science is conceived as a means to address problems of the productive environment in its broad context. This is achieved through the production of scientific knowledge jointly with the development of productive activity, where producers have the possibility of addressing their problems in the joint development of a research agenda. This is possible thanks to the commitment of the UNRN to observe the local reality and articulate different proposals. This will result not only in improved productivity but also in the proper use and exploitation of natural resources with future perspectives, with the possibility of transmitting this knowledge as part of “being a professional” to future graduates/veterinarians,” concluded the interviewees.
2024-09-23 03:26:00