‘It’s a global issue’: WSU researcher looks to Egypt to improve livestock efficiency

While Egypt has already seen historic success in the World Cup, one Washington State University researcher is exploring whether the country can also help solve food instability across the world.

“It’s a global issue,” WSU research scientist Zhihua Jiang said. “In the United States, we don’t see that. However, if you go there, you will see food security is an emerging issue in Egypt.”

Jiang recently traveled to Cairo as a recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship, a premier international educational and cultural exchange program established by the U.S. government. The program offers students, scholars, scientists and researchers the opportunity to travel across the globe and study some of the world’s most complex challenges.

The trip to Egypt was funded by Jiang’s second Fulbright Scholarship during his 23-year career at Washington State University. In 2022, Jiang traveled to Australia to help map the links between genes and traits in animals.

Jiang, who specializes in the development of the central dogma of phenomics and creating optimized livestock farming systems, said the goal of his research project is to promote healthy animals for healthy people under healthy environments.

“We try to convert our best science to practical applications to help farmers,” Jiang said. “So that’s my current plan.”

Egypt, he said, can provide insights on how those in arid regions can more efficiently grow crops and livestock.

“Egypt offers a valuable real-world setting to study how livestock can be raised more efficiently without waste, using fewer natural resources like feed and water and everything,” Jiang said. “The scientists there focused on improving animal genetics and efficiency, and adaptation to heat and a dry environment.”

Located in northern Africa, much of Egypt sees little to no rainfall throughout the year. The wettest region of the country, located along the Mediterranean Sea in the country’s north, only receives between 7 and 8 inches of rain each year.

“About 95% of the country is a desert,” Jiang said. “So not a lot of fertile land. So there’s lots of limitations there that are a challenge.”

By comparison, Pullman sees about 20 inches of rain each year, while areas in Eastern Washington with higher elevations can see up to 40 inches of rain in a year.

“We share similar environmental conditions,” Jiang said, adding that the research into the country “could be useful in our state.”

With limited fertile land and water and an increasing population, the country’s agricultural industry has had to become more efficient.

The country’s indigenous livestock breeds have adapted to the dry climate, which scientists believe could offer unique models for research into genes and traits.

For example, indigenous sheep in Egypt store large amounts of energy in their tails and hindquarters, a trait known as fat-tailed. The buildup of fat acts much like the hump of a camel, and gives the animal energy and hydration during droughts and other times when food is scarce.

While fat-tailed sheep are prevalent in Egypt and can be found in other parts of the world, only around a quarter of sheep have this variation. Jiang said producing animals with traits for greater heat tolerance may improve productivity, resilience and animal welfare in dry regions.

“These animals are widely raised in Egypt and desert regions,” Jiang said. “That would be good for food producers in arid regions.”

But farmers have also learned how to be more efficient. For example, waste from the production of dates is used as feed supplements for livestock, and Jiang believes similar approaches could help Washington farmers use agricultural by-products more efficiently while reducing waste.

“One of the most important things I learned during my research is how innovative and resilient the Egyptian people are in managing agriculture and livestock production under very challenging environmental conditions,” Jiang said. “They have developed ways to turn harsh desert environments into productive farming systems by making efficient use of limited resources.”

Although the program was intended to last six months, Jiang’s research was cut short due to the Iran war and increasing instability in the region. Still, he said it provides valuable research, including how diseases spread in animals.

“If we reduce diseases, then we can reduce production loss,” Jiang said. “From there, we can have fewer animals in production, and therefore reduce burdens on the environment. And that’s something that’s definitely important.”

Jiang said reducing production loss from a disease is a “high priority” for the United States Department of Agriculture.

“If we develop a system to improve livestock efficiency, it will definitely help a lot of countries in that area,” Jiang said.

This spring, Jiang and his team published their first research paper on their trip, which focused on how cattle diseases are influenced by animal biology, management practices and their environment.

Jiang believes that modest annual genetic gains of 2-3% could help reduce the country’s dependence on imported animal products, strengthen its food security, and provide more economic stability.

“I’m honored to be a Fulbright scholar in Egypt,” Jiang said.