Phil Garnsworthy

Tell us about yourself (Who are you? Where are you from? What is your educational background?)

I am Phil Garnsworthy, Professor of Dairy Science and Head of Animal Sciences at the University of Nottingham, UK. I studied at Aberdeen University for my BSc Agriculture (1977) and PhD (1980). My PhD was on ‘Body Condition Score at Calving and Feed Intake in Dairy Cows’. After my PhD, I became a lecturer at Nottingham where I have worked ever since.

What is your area of expertise?

Dairy cow nutrition in relation to metabolism, fertility, milk fatty acid profile, feed efficiency, rumen function, greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental impact.

Where does your focus lie within your current project(s)? (related to methane)

Methane emissions from cows during robotic milking. Variation in methane and feed efficiency. In RuminOmics, we are looking at the cow genome, rumen microbiome, methane and digestion; asking how the cow controls her rumen microbial population.

What would be the added value for you of joining an international researchers network?

Meeting new people, exchanging ideas, collaborating in larger studies, travel to new places, developing opportunities for future projects.

What and/or who inspired you to make a career in science?

I was always impressed that farmers use land to grow grass and crops which animals turn into milk and meat. Initially I asked how they did it; later I asked how it can be more efficient.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

Inspiring students, challenging widely-held views, testing hypotheses, making a difference.

What is your most stand-out or surprising moment in science so far?

My PhD proved that fat cows reduce feed intake to lose weight. Before that time, farmers were told to make cows fat at calving because they cannot eat enough to support milk yield so will mobilise body fat; now advisers recommend the opposite.