Cornell University, 2018 Abstract: Measuring forage quality reliably in the laboratory and field is of crucial importance because livestock nutrition is a defining component of system productivity and accounts for a substantial portion of system costs. This dissertation explores both aspects of forage quality estimation with...

TCi Scholar Maureen Valentine, a graduate student in animal science at Cornell University, is studying goat nutrition and feeding practices in the Udaipur District of Rajasthan. Here, she shares some of her experiences in the field.  Mahatma Gandhi referred to…

Maureen Valentine is a TCi Scholar and a second year Ph.D student in the department of Animal Science at Cornell University. She will begin one year of field-based research in January 2016. Agriculture in India is predominately organized into integrated…

Dr. Debbie Cherney, one of TCI’s Faculty Fellows and my committee chair, was graciously supported by TCI to visit India during Spring Break 2016. Dr. Cherney had never travelled to India previously, so this was an invaluable experience for her…

Over the last year, I was conducting fieldwork in the Kandhamal District of Odisha, India. We implemented a goat feeding experiment with Kondha tribal farmers in the forest fringe areas of Tikabali Block. Livestock management in the project area was…

In this blog post, TCI Scholar Anna David Thottappilly discusses her research on the effectiveness of programs that aim to improve nutrition outcomes through income enhancement. In India, an animal as small as a goat can be a key part…