Blog: Wide array of research in spotlight at animal science conference

Harper Adams animal science staff, post-docs and PhD students presented their most recent research findings at the British and Irish Society of Animal Science conference.

The conference– which draws together an international audience – was held in York earlier this month.

In this guest blog, Past President of the Society and Professor of Animal Science at Harper Adams, Liam Sinclair, looks back at a packed few days.

Harper Adams University was one of the most highly represented organisations during the event, with an array of papers and sessions.

Among the papers presented were those on topics such as methane mitigation in cattle and sheep, goat welfare, piglet management, rumen microbiome, mineral metabolism in ruminants, silage management and precision farming.

Several staff also chaired sessions, and there were invited papers on Animal Welfare and Sustainability by Professor Michael Lee, Harnessing plant-rumen-animal interactions for sustainable, low emission ruminant livestock production by Dr Sarah Morgan, Alternative prebiotics for pigs by Dr Stephen Mansbridge and Changing Mindsets by Dr Laura Palczynski – as well as a paper I presented, on Barriers to Applied Research on Farm.

In this paper, I explored challenges to undertaking research on commercial farms.

There are a number of situations where undertaking research in a commercial farming environment is the best option.

But there can be limitations, and it is important that the same principles are applied as more controlled studies. It is also critical to ensure the study is communicated clearly to farm staff and that they are fully are on-board - so that the results are robust and of value.

During the conference dinner, Dr Holly Vickery was awarded the Professor Chris Wathes Travel Award - which is used to support studies involving animal welfare, precision livestock farming or ethical considerations relating to the use of animals.

The Harper Adams team also won the highly competitive quiz on the Tuesday evening!

Attending meetings such as BSIAS is an excellent opportunity for staff and students to present their most recent findings to an international audience. It is also a fantastic event to network with colleagues from other organisations.

Attending events such as BISAS allows staff to keep up to date with the most recent developments in animal science, welfare and the environment that helps underpin their teaching, research, and knowledge exchange.