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Summary of our research
A research group led by doctoral candidate Masaya Matamura and Associate Professor Makoto Kondo at the Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, has developed a new method to estimate daily urine output and nitrogen excretion in beef cattle using only small urine samples.
As livestock feed prices rise, improving feed utilization efficiency is crucial for a stable domestic beef supply. When cattle feed is not nutritionally balanced, protein is not effectively used and is excreted as nitrogen compounds, such as ammonia, in urine. Reducing environmental nitrogen emissions is thus essential. However, collecting all urine excreted by cattle over 24 hours is labor-intensive, limiting protein utilization studies.
The research focused on Japanese Black cattle (Wagyu), using creatinine excretion as a marker to estimate daily urine volume from small samples. By analyzing samples collected over 125 days from seven cattle, the team demonstrated that this new method provides results as accurate as conventional full collection techniques.
This method is expected to advance studies aimed at optimizing cattle feed nutrition and reducing livestock's environmental impact. The research was published in the international journal "animal" on July 3, 2025.
【Mie Prefectural Livestock Research Center】
Researcher information
MASAYA Matamura
Ph.D. student, Graduate School of Bioresources
Specialized area：
Animal nutrition, near-infrared spectroscopy, machine learning (deep learning)
Current research field：
Rapid estimation of starch content in cattle feces using near-infrared spectroscopy and machine learning
MAKOTO Kondo
Graduate School of Bioresources Associate Professor
Specialized area：
Animal Feed Science, Ruminant Nutrition
Current research field：
・Estimation of starch digestibility in dairy and beef cattle
・Nutritional evaluation of food by-products as ruminant feeds