Applied Nutrition

Applied Nutrition Platform Session: Leveraging High Oleic Soybeans for Dairy Cow Profitability

Join us for an educational session designed to enhance your knowledge and practical skills in using soybeans for optimal dairy performance. Gain a deep understanding of advanced soybean-processing techniques, the economics of incorporating soy products into dairy diets, and the biological impact of fatty acids, with a focus on the unique advantages of high oleic soybeans.

A presentation of the latest emerging science from selected abstract presentations will be included so attendees leave with current and future takeaways on this topic.

Applied Nutrition Symposium: Milk Pricing Dynamics and Strategies for Enhancing Milk Fat Production

Roll up your sleeves for a practical session and discussion on balancing diets for milk fat! A team of ruminant nutrition experts will distill the latest scientific advancements as they present advanced scenarios and modeling approaches for optimizing milk fat production along with the economics of milk fat pricing at the individual herd and market levels.

Take away actionable insights and feedback during the panel discussion addressing the complexities of formulating diets for milk fat optimization within the broader context of variable and dynamic milk markets.

Come prepared with your pressing questions on fatty acids and milk fat! 

Hot-Topic Panel: Breeding for the Future

This interactive panel discussion—which will be held in the theater stage of the #ADSA2025 exhibit hall—offers a chance to hear experts discuss breeding for the cow of the future, followed by an audience Q&A.

Panelists include

• Moderator Matthew Shaffer, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, DataGene Limited
• Katie Olson, PhD, ABS Global
• Luiz Brito, PhD, Purdue University
• Donagh Berry, PhD, Teagasc Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre at Moorepark

Ruminant Nutrition Symposium: Joint ADSA-NANP-ASAS-PSA Session—Anomalies in Analyzed Nutrient Composition of Feedstuffs
Joint symposium with the National Animal Nutrition Program (NANP), the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS), and the Poultry Science Association (PSA)

Improving nutrient utilization by livestock is important for the economic and environmental sustainability of producing animal-based products. Once the physiological requirements of the animal have been estimated, precise delivery of nutrients requires an understanding of nutrient utilization and an accurate analysis of feed nutrient composition. However, even after 130 years of continual evolution in methodology for the analysis of feed nutrients, nutritionists are still unable to fully account for the entire organic matter composition of feedstuffs when summing the nutrients. The purpose of this symposium is to present our current understanding of nutrient composition in a historical context and discuss current thoughts on the intricacies of nutrient analysis and the nutritive value of feeds. Additionally, we will highlight the work of the NANP Feed Composition Committee in unifying the nutrient composition of feedstuffs for use in nutrient-requirement models and diet formulation. This half-day symposium will be presented in a way that will be of interest to academics and industry professionals alike.

Ruminant Nutrition Platform Session: Alternative Feed Ingredients for Dairy Rations

Multiple pressures, including a growing demand for animal protein, a changing climate, and competition for land, water, and energy use, challenge the global sustainability of animal food production. Novel strategies that synergize human and animal nutrition to optimize our circular economies may prove pivotal in addressing this challenge. The incorporation of human food waste and insects into dairy diets is currently being evaluated as a potential approach toward meeting this goal. In this symposium, we will explore the perspectives for the use of these alternative feeds and address potential hurdles and opportunities for their successful incorporation into dairy production systems.

Feed Additives to Mitigate Methane Symposium: Recommendations Published in a Journal of Dairy Science Special Issue (half day)

This year, the Journal of Dairy Science released a special issue synthesizing decades of nutrition innovation on feed additives for methane reduction to help scientists, dairy professionals, product developers, producers, and consumers fill knowledge gaps and build trust around feed additives. This symposium will focus on each of the six articles’ detailed technical recommendations—covering the full spectrum of additive development and implementation—and actionable best practices.

Joint Ruminant Nutrition and Animal Health Platform Session: NC2040—The Gut as a Gateway; What We Know, What We Don’t, and Where We’re Going
Joint session with the NC2040 multistate research project

Gut health has become a key topic of discussion at the farm-gate and in research circles. This growing interest in gut health has driven deeper investigations into the physiology and immunology of the ruminant digestive tract. In this platform session, co-hosted by ADSA and the NC2040 multistate group, we will highlight recent research on dairy cow gut health and outline future directions for optimizing digestive health in dairy cattle.