UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Alexander Hristov, Penn State distinguished professor of dairy nutrition, edited a recently published book, “Advances in Sustainable Dairy Cattle Nutrition,” which focuses on how the dairy sector could reduce the carbon footprint of milk and its contribution to climate change.
As global demand for milk and other dairy products continues to grow — a result of increased consumer demand — the sector’s total greenhouse gas emissions have risen, noted Hristov, past chairman and current co-chair of the Network on Feed and Nutrition within the Livestock Research Group of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases.
Until recently, the climate-change contribution of methane from cows burping — often incorrectly characterized as cow flatulence — has been the subject of derision within the U.S., noted Hristov, who is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Dairy Science and the Journal of Agricultural Science.
“It is now taken very seriously in the U.S., as it is around the world, with billions of dollars poured into research and on-farm implementation of mitigation practices, because the average dairy cow belches approximately 350 pounds of methane gas each year,” he said. “It is therefore crucial that the livestock sector reacts to these developments and considers areas for improvement that could reduce the sector’s contribution to climate change.”
According to Hristov, “Advances in Sustainable Dairy Cattle Nutrition” provides a comprehensive review of the wealth of research on recent advances in understanding and improving nutrition of the lactating dairy cow to reduce the carbon footprint of the sector. This collection explores the role of nutritional requirements in optimizing gut function and overall animal health, as well as its influence on milk yield and quality.
Chapters also review the use of dietary supplements, such as plant extracts and direct-fed microbials, to optimize ruminal fermentation and enhance milk production. The book explores the concept that a greater understanding of dairy cattle nutrition could improve the sustainability of the dairy sector and reduce its contribution of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere.
The volume has elicited admiration from experts in the field.
"Professor Hristov has compiled an outstanding list of dairy scientists and educators to summarize the key knowledge in dairy nutrition and feeding required to develop effective new strategies to support a resilient and climate-friendly dairy food production system,” said John McNamara, emeritus professor of animal sciences at Washington State University and a Fellow of the American Dairy Science Association and the American Society of Animal Sciences.
Adele Turzillo, professor and department head of Animal Science at Penn State, said the book is just another example of the key role Hristov is playing in the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“We are fortunate to have Alex at Penn State and we strongly support his ongoing research testing feed additives for ruminants that will mitigate greenhouse gas emissions,” she said. “He is conducting a major study now, evaluating both synthetic and organic feed additives, and the findings of his current research are likely to have world-wide implications.”