Cows, Crops, and Climate: Rebecca Smith’s Research on Sustainable Forage Crops and Plant-based Biofuels

By Elizabeth Lane

If you’ve ever driven through Wisconsin, you’ve likely seen cows grazing in the fields. Many people don’t stop to think about what happens to the plants they eat or what comes out of the other end. Dr. Rebecca Smith has dedicated her research to that very topic.

Smith’s research focuses on engineering plant traits in forage crops, such as corn, to improve digestion by cows. Improving plant digestibility also increases the quality of manure, allowing for the creation of better quality plant-based biofuels and bioproducts, which increases sustainability and decreases the rate of greenhouse gas emissions. Smith conducts this research to address challenges growers face in growing forage crops in a more sustainable way.

“Sustainability in my research program really comes down to… how are we growing the plants and how are the plants we’re growing impacting the entire ecological system,” Smith said.

Smith was born and raised in Canada, where she obtained her bachelor’s and PhD in Botany. She was inspired to pursue a career in science by seeing other women in science, especially Rachel Carson, a marine biologist whose writings influenced marine conservation.