The National Swine Improvement Federation (NSIF) Annual Meeting and Conference will be Dec. 4-5 in Des Moines, IA.

This year's conference will be combined with a USDA/industry workshop on Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) and marker-assisted selection. The workshop will update methods for identification and use of genes for economic traits in the pig.

The workshop will feature results of a Iowa State University and University of Illinois study on detection and use of QTL for meat quality.

For registration, contact Ken Stalder, NSIF secretary-treasurer by phone, 515-294-4683; fax, 515-294-5698, or e-mail, stalder@iastate.edu.