January 14 - Methane's Role in Global Warming & Current and Future Opportunities to Decrease Enteric Methane 

Dr. Bob Howarth, The David R. Atkinson Professor of Ecology and Environmental Biology & Current and Future Opportunities to Decrease Enteric Methane Dr. Thomas R. Overton, Professor and Chair of Animal Science-CU and Director PRO-DAIRY Program

Professor Howarth will describe methane as an agent of global warming, discussing its importance relative to carbon dioxide, asking if it matters whether the emission source is from agriculture or the oil & gas industry, and explaining why a 20-year time frame for comparing methane with carbon dioxide is now part of New York State law, embedded in the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act of 2019. Professor Overton will discuss current strategies and future opportunities to decrease enteric methane in ruminants. This presentation provides an update and assessment of the current state of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and their impact on changing global climate.  Understand the role of agriculture to contribute to lowering emissions.

January 21- Corn Silage: 2021 Hybrid Trials and Key Considerations for 2022
Joseph Lawrence, Dairy Forage Systems Specialist, PRODAIRY Program

The Corn Silage Hybrid Evaluation Program is a source of independent information on hybrid performance and a platform for conducting other work to better understand how to optimize the production of corn silage. Joe oversees the project with tremendous support from Margaret Smith, Tom Overton and their teams. The results of the 2021 trials will be discussed with emphasis on how the growing condition's influenced both crop yield and forage quality. Forage quality was analyzed and utilized to predict how each hybrid would perform in a dairy feeding program using the Cornell CNCPS nutrition model to predict milk yield from cows fed each of the hybrid entries. The session will also review key considerations for getting the most out of your forage program in 2022.  New updates include what we are learning about corn N use efficiency from the hybrid trials and considerations of high input costs from the view of forage shrink losses which cost more when crops cost more to grow. 

January 28 - The Value of Manure told with Five Stories
Dr. Quirine Ketterings, Cornell Spear Nutrient Management Program and Kirsten Workman, Nutrient Management Specialist with PRODAIRY.

This presentation will share research results that answer the following questions: What is the fertilizer replacement value of manure? How does injection of manure in alfalfa impact the crop? Can shallow incorporation be as effective in conserving N as deeper incorporation? Can no-till planting be compatible with manure injection? What is the carry over benefit of manure application?                     

Feb 4 - Carbon Markets - A Realistic Outlook
Jenifer Wightman, Senior Extension Associate, specializes in greenhouse gas emission and mitigation potentials for Agricultural and Forest Ecosystems in the School of Integrative Plant Science  Soil and Crop Sciences Section, CALS, Cornell 

The agricultural literature abounds with articles about the opportunities that carbon credits may someday offer. Indigo Ag explains that carbon credits are created based on carbon dioxide you draw down into your soil and GHG emissions you reduce above the soil. This presentation will provide an overview of carbon-credits for farm and forest owners. As well as include different opportunities and the considerations involved before signing a carbon-credit contract.                             

March 23 - Net 0 and Sustainability
Dr. Quirine Ketterings, Cornell Spear Nutrient Management Program and Olivia Godber, Post Doctoral Research Associate

The U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative (NZI) launched in 2020 is an industry-wide effort towards achieving the U.S. dairy's 2050 environmental stewardship goals including carbon neutrality. The Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP) at Cornell University is involved in two major projects that aim to help the dairy industry reach its goals: (1) the Dairy Soil and Water Regeneration Project (under leadership of DMI and SHI); and (2) the Dairy Sustainability Key Performance Indicators Project. The first project focuses on assessment of soil health practices on greenhouse gas emissions and forage crop production. The second project includes whole farm nutrient mass balance, carbon footprint, and biodiversity assessments as key components of environmental stewardship. In this presentation, Quirine Ketterings and Olivia Godber will give updates on both projects and share initial results.