ABSTRACT

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Agriculture produces the food and fiber needed for human existence. Since the beginning of recorded history agricultural products have been marketed and fed on the basis of their volume or weight (i.e., bushels, tons, etc.). In the past 100 years it became apparent that nutrient content as well as quantity measurements should be considered in deriving proper animal feeding programs. During this 100-year period, laboratory methods were developed and refined to provide nutrient information to the industry; however, nutritional evaluation of these products was and still is expensive and time consuming. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analysis offered the promise of rapid lowcost analysis of nutrient composition that could be applied to the ever-expanding requirement for increased efficiency in the feeding of livestock.