Dairy Digressions

In episode two of Dairy Digressions, Matt sits down with Jan Dijkstra, PhD, associate professor of ruminant nutrition at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, to talk about the topic on every dairy professional’s mind: the sustainable future of dairying. While this topic has taken center stage in the Netherlands—with the government’s plan to cut 50% of its current nitrogen emissions by 2030 to meet European Union climate targets—reducing greenhouse gasses is a global goal and a pressing research topic within the dairy science community worldwide. The two discuss the state of farming and the environment, tracing the link between human population growth to the growth of ruminants via a staggering recent analysis of global mammal biomass. Jan dives into the latest research on whether 3-nitrooxypropanol—an emerging feed additive—can effectively reduce methane production in dairy cows. Jan also shares his findings on the most effective strategies to mitigate ruminant methane emissions toward 2030 and 2050 climate goals. Listen in as they unpack the differences between dairy science research in the US versus the Netherlands and find out why Jan advises all students (especially those in science) to have a controversial attitude in their work.

Learn more about Dr. Jan Dijkstra and connect with him on Twitter @CUJanD.

Check out the Progressive Dairy podcast episode mentioned in the discussion. 

Catch up on the papers discussed on the episode:

A meta-analysis of effects of 3-nitrooxypropanol on methane production, yield,

The global biomass of wild mammals, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Full adoption of the most effective strategies to mitigate methane emissions by

In the inaugural episode of Dairy Digressions, host Matt Lucy, PhD, sits down with Jennie Pryce, PhD, principal research scientist at Agriculture Victoria and professor at La Trobe University in Australia, to talk all things genetics—connecting the scientific dots behind dairy cow traits to human height to inbreeding within the population of threatened hihi birds on New Zealand’s Tiritiri Mātangi Island. They discuss how Jennie came to be interested in dairy science—from showing calves in the All Britain Calf Show as a child to her trailblazing career in dairy genetics. The two marvel at the past 50 years of advances and investments in genetic sequencing and how they have impacted not just the dairy industry, but all types of plant and animal breeding. They also dig into what a genetics lab looks like and how researchers are working with massive data sets and super computers, including Jennie’s best advice for a career in genomic science.

Season 1, Episode 1 Show Notes

Learn more about Dr. Jennie Pryce and connect with her on Twitter @jenniepryce.

Learn more about the American Dairy Science Association and its journals, JDS Communications and the Journal of Dairy Science.

Catch up on the papers discussed on the episode:

Synchronization of breeding and its impact on genetic parameters and evaluation of female fertility traits, Journal of Dairy Science (2022)

A saturated map of common genetic variance associated with human height, Nature (2022)

Genomic signatures of inbreeding depression for a threatened Aotearoa New Zealand passerine, Molecular Ecology (2023)

Welcome to Dairy Digressions, the podcast from the American Dairy Science Association and the minds behind JDS Communications and the Journal of Dairy Science. Every other month, host and JDS Communications Editor in Chief Matt Lucy, PhD, explores the latest developments, fascinating discoveries, and breaking trends in the world of dairy science.

In the inaugural episode, Matt sits down with Jennie Pryce, PhD, principal research scientist at Agriculture Victoria and professor at La Trobe University in Australia, to talk all things dairy genetics. Tune in for the full episode on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 and subscribe to never miss an episode.