Wenzhu Yang, Ph. D.

Research Scientist

As a senior research scientist in ruminant nutrition and feeding management, leads projects and collaboration on scientific studies that:

• Develop feeding strategies for improving feed efficiency and production of ruminants.

• Evaluate the impact of physically effective fibre and rumen fermentability of feeds on rumen acidosis and animal health.

• Develop novel feed additives such as plant-derived compounds, feed enzymes, probiotics as rumen modifiers to reduce the use of antibiotics and growth promoters in ruminant.

• Enhance the use of feed grain in beef cattle by identifying the best variety and improving processing technology.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

5403 1st Avenue South. Lethbridge, Alberta

Current research and/or projects

Collaborator. G. Penner, W.Z. Yang, T. McAllister, K.A. Beauchemin, K. Schwartzkopf-Genswein, Y. Wang and others. Determining the minimum fibre requirement for feedlot cattle and improving the empirical prediction of ruminal pH. Beef Cluster and BCRC, 2018-2023.

Collaborator. T. McAllister, W.Z. Yang, H. Randhawa, K. Beauchemin, K. Schwartzkopf-Genswein, R. Gruninger and others. Further strategies to enhance the use of wheat grain in feedlot diets. Beef Cluster and BCRC, 2018-2023.

Collaborator. G. Ribeiro, G. Penner, B. Lardner, T. McAllister, K.A. Beauchemin, W.Z. Yang, R. Gruninger and E.C. Stephens. Effect of forage inclusion strategy on finishing beef cattle performance and liver abscess. BCRC/ABP, 2020-2022.

Principal Investigator. W. Z. Yang, L.Y. Chen, K. Ominski and E. McGeough. Evaluation of red osier dogwood extract as alternative to antibiotics to improve growth and health of newly weaned calves. Ag Action Manitoba Program-Research and Innovation, 2019-2021.

Co-PI. T. McAllister, W.Z. Yang, J. Nyachiro and others. Development of a rapid screening method to assess grain processing responses of barley as a trait for the selection of feed varieties for cattle. Alberta Agriculture and forestry, 2017-2021.

Principal Investigator. W. Z. Yang, T. McAllister. Use of phytogenic feed additive as alternatives to in-feed antibiotics for improving production efficiency, carcass traits and health of finishing beef cattle. Biomin (Austria), 2019-2021.

Collaborator. T. Alexander, W. Z. Yang, T. McAllister, K. Schwartzkopf-Genswein, R. Menassa, E. Topp and others. Technology development of alternatives to subtherapeutic and metaphylactic antimicrobials used in the beef industry. AAFC (GF2), 2016-2020.

Collaborator. T. Alexander, W. Z. Yang. Using a microbiome-based strategy to develop next generation bacterial therapeutics for mitigating bovine respiratory disease. AAFC (GF2), 2018-2021.

Co-PI. T. McAllister, W.Z. Yang, Effect of essential oils blends and polysorbate supplementation on rumen fermentation, feed digestion, anti-oxidative status and performance of lambs. 2018-2020.

Principal Investigator. W.Z. Yang, T. Alexander, K.A. Beauchemin and L.Y. Chen. Develop value-added applications of by-products derived from food processing. AAFC (GF2), 2016-2019.

Principal Investigator. W. Z. Yang, T. Alexander, K.A. Beauchemin, B.A. Ametaj and L.Y. Chen. Use of probiotics to improve production efficiency and health of cattle. Alberta Agriculture and forestry, 2015-19.

Research and/or project statements

Beef cattle nutrition and feeding management
Digestive physiology and digestion kinetics
Feed grain processing
Feed additives
Feed efficiency and animal health

Professional activities / interests

Associate Editor, Journal of Animal Feed Science and Technology (2020 – present).

Dr. Yang publishes in the areas of agronomy and crop science and has been the author or co-author of over 178 peer-reviewed research articles, 7 book chapters and 6 review articles.

Management and mentoring of several technical and support staff, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and visiting scientists.

Adjunct Professor - University of Alberta, 2013 – 2023.

Adjunct Professor, Shanxi Agriculture University, China, 2006-2011.

Director of expert committee, China-Canada Beef Industry Alliance (2017 – present).

Education and awards

Ph.D., Ruminant Nutrition, University of Blaise Pascal, France, 1991

M.Sc., Animal Nutrition, Université Clermont-Ferrand II, France, 1987

B.Sc., Animal Science, Shanxi Agriculture University, China 1982

International experience and/or work

1. Co-supervising Chinese Ph.D. exchange students in collaboration with (3) Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, (1) Yangzhou University, (1) Northwest Agriculture & Forestry University.

2. Collaborative research with an international research team for 1) FAO project entitled: “Regionally appropriate and effective livestock non-CO2 mitigation packages” (16 members from 4 countries; 2012-2013); 2) the Global Network Nitrogen Database Project to create a database of individual animal data that will be used to develop robust models to predict manure nitrogen excretion from ruminant animals. Dr. A.N. Hristov (lead), Pennsylvania State University. 2019-2021.

3. As Director of expert committee of China-Canada Beef Industry Alliance, closely work with Canadian and Chinese beef industry to develop the collaboration between the two industries and to promote Canadian beef products in Chinese market.

Key publications

Zhao, Y.L., Yan, S.M., He, Z.X., Anele, U.Y., Swift, M.L., McAllister, T.A., Yang, W.Z. (2015). Effects of volume weight, processing method and processing index of barley grain on in situ digestibility of dry matter and starch in beef heifers, 199 93-103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2014.11.005
2015 - View publication details
Refat, B., Anele, U., He, Z.X., Bassiony, S.M., Abdel-Rahman, G.A., Yang, W.Z. (2015). Effect of sainfoin hay and pomegranate peel extracts on in vitro fermentation and protein degradation using the rusitec technique, 95(3), 417-423. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/CJAS-2014-142
2015 - View publication details
Zhao, Y., Yan, S., He, Z., Anele, U.Y., Swift, M.-L., McAllister, T.A., and Yang, W.-Z. (2014). "Effects of test weight and processing method on in vitro intestinal digestibility of barley grain.", Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), 97(E-Suppl.1), pp. 768. (Abstract)
2014 - View publication details
He, Z.X., He, M.L., Zhao, Y., Walker, N.D., Beauchemin, K.A., McAllister, T.A., and Yang, W.-Z. (2014). "Supplementing beef cattle finishing diets containing wheat distillers grain with feed enzymes to decrease the ratio of n-6/n-3 fatty acids in meat.", Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), 97(E-Suppl.1), pp. 453. (Abstract)
2014 - View publication details
Nanon, A., Suksombat, W., and Yang, W.-Z. (2014). "Supplementation of lemongrass oil and a mixture of garlic and ginger oil improved in vitro feed digestion.", Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), 97(E-Suppl.1), pp. 842. (Abstract)
2014 - View publication details
Zhao, Y.L., Chen, L.Y., Swift, M.-L., McAllister, T.A., and Yang, W.-Z. (2014). "Effects of test weight, processing method and processing index on in situ rumen digestion kinetics of barley grain in beef heifers.", 35th Western Nutrition Conference, Edmonton, AB, Canada, September 24-25, 2014, pp. 285. (Abstract)
2014 - View publication details
Zhao, Y.L., Yan, S.M., He, Z., Anele, U.Y., Swift, M.-L., McAllister, T.A., and Yang, W.-Z. (2014). "Effects of test weight, precision processing and processing index on in situ ruminal digestibility of barley grain in beef heifers.", Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), 97(E-Suppl.1), pp. 870. (Abstract)
2014 - View publication details
Yang, W.-Z., Xu, L., Zhao, Y., and McAllister, T.A. (2014). "Effects of grain source and monensin level on site and extent of digestion in feedlot heifers.", Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), 97(E-Suppl.1), pp. 848. (Abstract)
2014 - View publication details
Ding, S., Oba, M., Swift, M.-L., Chen, L.Y., Yang, W.-Z., and McAllister, T.A. (2014). "Assessing relationship between malting quality characteristics and rumen digestion of barley grain in relation to molecular structure using ATR-FTIR and PCA. Better Nutrition, Better Health", 35th Western Nutrition Conference, Edmonton, AB, Canada, September 24-25, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Yang, W.-Z. (2014). "Invited Research Panel Discussion.", Feed Coalition Research Meeting, AAFC Lethbridge Research Centre, June 20, 2014. (Presentation)
2014 - View publication details
Anele, U.Y., Refat, B., Swift, M.-L., He, Z., McAllister, T.A., and Yang, W.-Z. (2014). "Effects of volume weight, precision processing and processing index on in vitro ruminal fermentation of dry-rolled barley grain.", Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), 97(E-Suppl.1), pp. 775. (Abstract)
2014 - View publication details
Zhao, Y., Yan, S.M., He, Z., Anele, U.Y., Swift, M.-L., McAllister, T.A., and Yang, W.-Z. (2014). "Effects of test weight and processing method on in vitro intestinal digestibility of barley grain.", ADSA-ASAS 2014 Joint Annual Meeting, Kansas City, MO, USA, July 20-24, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Yang, W.-Z. (2014). "In vitro batch culture and continuous fermentation.", Invited speaker at Alberta Cattle Feeders Board Meeting, Lethbridge, AB, Canada, July 8, 2014. (Presentation)
2014 - View publication details
Nanon, N., Suksombat, W., and Yang, W.-Z. (2014). "Use of lemongrass oil for manipulation of ruminal fermentation using Rusitec technique.", Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), 97(E-Suppl.1), pp. 842. (Abstract)
2014 - View publication details
Ding, S., Swift, M.-L., Oba, M., Chen, L.Y., McAllister, T.A., and Yang, W.-Z. (2014). "Assessing relationship between malting quality characteristics and rumen digestion of barley grain in relation to molecular structure using ATR-FTIR and PCA.", 35th Western Nutrition Conference, Edmonton, AB, Canada, September 24-25, 2014, pp. 287. (Abstract)
2014 - View publication details
McAllister, T.A., Yang, W.-Z., and Oba, M. (2014). "Introduction to Feed Processing.", Feed Coalition Research Tour and Meeting, AAFC Lethbridge Research Centre, June 20, 2014, Invited speaker.
2014 - View publication details
Yang, W.-Z. and McAllister, T.A. (2014). "Effects of grain source and monensin level on site and extent of digestion in feedlot heifers.", ADSA-ASAS 2014 Joint Annual Meeting, Kansas City, MO, USA, July 20-24, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
He, Z., Walker, N.D., McAllister, T.A., and Yang, W.-Z. (2014). "Effect of wheat dried distillers grains with soubles inclusion and fibrolytic enzyme supplementation on ruminal fermentation and digestibility in beef heifers fed backgrounding diet.", Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), 97(E-Suppl.1), pp. 818. (Abstract)
2014 - View publication details
Yang, W.-Z. (2014). "Nutritional variation and the use of NIRS in predicting the feed value of barley grain, Near infrared (NIR) technology and other approaches to lower feed cost in beef cattle production.", , Coast Lethbridge Hotel Conference Centre, Lethbridge, AB, Canada, March 14, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Yang, W.-Z. (2014). "Strategies to improve barley utilization in feedlot.", Invited speaker for Delegation of Australia Beef Producers, Lethbridge, AB, Canada, July 7, 2014. (Presentation)
2014 - View publication details