McCan is one of many producers nationwide who rely on Texas A&M AgriLife Research’s Grazingland Animal Nutrition Lab, GAN Lab, to transform manure analysis into actionable insights. By providing precise data on forage quality and livestock nutritional demands, the lab empowers producers to make informed decisions that improve efficiency, enhance land stewardship and reduce costs. At the heart of the GAN Lab’s mission is dietary diagnostic analysis of manure using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy, NIRS. This information is then processed through the lab’s Nutritional Balance Analyzer software, NUTBAL, which accounts for environmental factors and livestock profiles to determine if dietary needs are being met. Aside from livestock production, the techniques used by the lab can have a positive impact on wildlife management as well.