Are dairy cows second only to humans in terms of the amount of genetic testing they’ve received? Join in on the debate—and get an infusion of vibrant ADSA Annual Meeting energy—in episode six with Filippo Miglior, senior advisor of genetic strategic initiatives with Lactanet, dairy geneticist at the University of Guelph, and member of the 2023 Journal of Dairy Science Club 100. Filippo and Matt chat about the explosion of genetics data in dairy and how researchers are working with artificial intelligence to understand these metrics, then standardize and share them in order to help dairies become more profitable, efficient, and sustainable. Filippo unpacks an example of his team’s work on a genetic evaluation for milk-predicted methane in dairy cows. Using milk spectral data and an artificial neural network, they were able to isolate a trait to reduce methane without impacting fat, protein, and milk yield. This staggering scientific breakthrough, combined with nutrition strategies, could lead to a 50% reduction in dairy methane emissions by 2050—and save dairy producers millions of dollars in energy losses along the way. A prolific and decorated writer, Filippo also takes the time to give his best advice for getting a tough review and explains how essential reviewers are to the scientific process.

Episode Six Show Notes

Learn more about Dr. Filippo Miglior and connect with him on LinkedIn. 

Check out the ADSA Annual Meeting session mentioned in the episode and save the date for the 2024 Annual Meeting:

Joint CSAS (Canadian Society of Animal Science) and ADSA Production, Management, and the Environment Symposium: Mitigation Strategies to Achieve Dairy Net Zero