CPEC
Cattle Performance Enhancement Company
The Kansas State
University Agricultural Research Center of Hays (ARCH) has been a
leader in the development of ultrasound technology for evaluating
meat characteristics of cattle. This has been Professor John
Brethour's primary research focus since 1988. Much of his work was
in the area of evaluating cattle upstream and projecting future
carcass merit.
The software
model predicts future carcass composition in the finished feeding
phase of cattle production. Automated measurement of ultrasound
images was invented so that cattle evaluation can proceed at rates
over 100 head per hour. The ability to measure marbling in the live
animal was discovered and computer vision techniques to
automatically execute that were patented.
The advent of
grade and yield marketing divulged the need to incorporate
clustering procedures for precision marketing of cattle. This led to
the development of an "ultrasonic cattle-sorting machine" that has
been distributed across
CPEC
Honoring John Brethour's legacy by advancing the use of his feedlot
sorting program
through Honesty, Integrity and Enthusiam.