Nutrition expert gets Poultry Nutrition Award

The Poultry Nutrition Research Award was presented to Applegate during a PSA event in Raleigh, N.C., this week. The award is sponsored by the American Feed Industry Association, as part of its continuing awards programme that dates to 1948. Paul Tillman of Ajinomoto Heartland LLC of Buford, Ga., presented the award to Applegate on behalf of AFIA; Tillman is a member of the AFIA Nutrition Committee.

Applegate was raised on a small family farm in Iowa. He received degrees in animal science and poultry nutrition from Iowa State University. He earned his doctorate from Ohio State University in 1999. He then worked as a post-doctoral research associate at the University of Maryland.

In 2000, Applegate began his appointment at Purdue University, where his translational research programme and effective communication with all segments of the poultry industry have provided the industry with critical information and tools to minimise the environmental effects of nutrient excretions and air-pollutant emissions. He also has worked to sustain the competitiveness of the poultry industry in the US and abroad through economic nutrient utilisation.

Applegate’s research includes the evaluation and refinement of phosphorus and amino-acid requirements of poultry; the quantification of the synergy between different feed additives on phosphorus utilisation; the determination of phosphorus form and eutrophication potential of manure after different feeding strategies; the quantification of nitrogenous emissions and dietary approaches for their reduction; and the development and implementation of dietary formulation utilising the amino-acid digestibility of ingredients.

His recent research has examined the nutrient cost and physiological response of the intestine to subclinical stress. His Extension and research program has been complimented by his collaborative projects with scientists in other states and countries.

In addition, Applegate is a prolific writer, with 56 journal articles, three book chapters, 50 conference proceedings and 90 published abstracts to his credit. He has been invited to speak in the US and abroad on 85 occasions in his 9 years at Purdue University.

Source: American Feed Industry Association