Transform dairy sustainability

Agustin Olivo of Cornell University’s Nutrient Management Spear Program defended his PhD dissertation in early June. Learn more about Olivo and his work with nutrient management and greenhouse gas emissions in dairy systems, and to see where he’s going from here.

Originally from a small town in central Argentina, Olivo completed his undergraduate degree in agricultural engineering at the National University of Córdoba. He went on to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to earn his master’s degree working under Associate Professor Amy Schmidt to evaluate how soil amendments impact soil health properties and crop yield.

He then began his doctorate at Cornell University in August 2020 under Quirine Ketterings, professor of nutrient management and leader of the Nutrient Management Spear Program in the department of animal science.

Motivated to expand his teaching, research and extension expertise, and hoping to continue exploring the intersection between agriculture and environmental management, he took the lead on three initiatives during his time with the Nutrient Management Spear Program.

• Expanding the reach of Nutrient Management Spear Program's whole-farm nutrient and greenhouse gas emissions assessments to grazing and organic dairies
• Implementing trainings about farm environmental assessments for high school students
• Developing nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency indicators for corn silage production in dairies

“Working on a diverse array of projects allowed me to gain valuable research and extension skills and engage with a variety of stakeholders in the New York agricultural industry,” Olivo said. “This wide variety of opportunities made my experience with the NMSP team very unique, personally enriching and profoundly rewarding.”

“This wide variety of opportunities made my experience with the NMSP team very unique, personally enriching and profoundly rewarding.”

Olivo worked closely with the Nutrient Management Spear Program Research Associate Olivia Godber on the Dairy Sustainability project, a key pillar in the Nutrient Management Spear Program's applied research and extension program primarily funded by Chobani. That project aims to evaluate key performance indicators related to environmental outcomes of dairies and help farmers effectively implement whole-farm evaluation tools.