When Nebraska dairy producers met in West Point for the annual Nebraska State Dairy Association convention the honored Nebraska Extension Dairy Nutrition Specialist Paul Kononoff with the Philip H. Cole Dairy Industry Person of the Year award.
In a Nebraska Farmer article, Kononoff said. “I also enjoy finding ways we can use science to solve their problems and make life better for their families and employees. Being presented with this award from NSDA is the greatest honor of my career.”
Born in Canada, Kononoff’s father was a large-animal veterinarian, so that is what brought his attention to cattle. “But I was always interested in nutrition of animals, so I decided to study animal science at the University of Saskatchewan,” he explains.
After attending Penn State University, he eventually earned his doctorate in animal science, with an emphasis on animal nutrition.
Kononoff was working in the dairy industry as a technical support specialist, and then as a project director at the University of New Hampshire, after which he gained an Extension and research appointment with the University of Nebraska in the animal science department.
That was 20 years ago, and now Kononoff is an ex-officio member and board member of NSDA and the Dairy Council of Nebraska (Midwest Dairy), along with serving as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Dairy Science. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles, and he has mentored 31 graduate students during his time at UNL.
Kononoff’s emphasis on dairy nutrition offers a unique perspective when it comes to production challenges.
“Feed is the biggest cost of dairy production, and forages make up about one-half of the diet we feed lactating cows,” he notes. “We know that the quality of forages is affected by growing conditions, as well as harvest and storage practices. Working to ensure high-quality forage year in and year out is one of the biggest challenges producers face.”
Cows cannot reach their milk production potential without high-quality forages. “In the face of extreme weather, water shortages and demands on time, there is no doubt ensuring high-quality forage is delivered to the herd day in and day out is now and will continue to be a major challenge of dairy producers,” Kononoff adds.