Richard A. Kohn

About

Professor Richard A. Kohn is a faculty member in the Department of Animal & Avian Sciences at the University of Maryland. His research focuses on mathematical modeling for basic and applied research in animal nutrition, encompassing animal nutrient metabolism, whole-farm nutrient cycling, and life-cycle analysis. He works on developing next-generation fermentation systems for biofuel production, including methane, hydrogen, or liquid fuels derived from plant fiber through anaerobic digestion and fermentation processes. His environmental research investigates the impacts of animal production systems, particularly nutrient losses affecting water and air quality, and the influence of nutritional management on greenhouse gas emissions. He aims to improve the environmental footprint of animal agriculture by identifying and evaluating farm management strategies that reduce nutrient losses and enhance decision-making methods for farms. Additionally, he conducts research to improve nutrition and diet formulation for farm animals and delivers these findings through extension programs, educational advisement, and direct outreach to farmers. He also provides technical assistance to state and national programs focused on minimizing environmental damage from animal agriculture and supports the education of undergraduate and graduate students through advisement, committee participation, and lecturing.

Research topics

• Food science
• Biology
• Animal science
• Medicine
• Intensive care medicine
• Internal medicine
• Chemistry
• Bioinformatics
• Virology
• Chromatography

Selected publications

• A nitrogen footprint model to help consumers understand their role in nitrogen losses to the environment

  Environmental Development · 2012-01-01 · 466 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Impacts of ruminal microorganisms on the production of fuels: how can we intercede from the outside?

  Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology · 2016-02-16 · 31 citations

  reviewSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Rumen Microbial Predictors for Short-Chain Fatty Acid Levels and the Grass-Fed Regimen in Angus Cattle

  Animals · 2022 · 30 citations

  = 0.87), which could be developed as a valuable biomarker for optimizing milk fat yield and cattle growth. Therefore, our findings provided novel insights into microbial interactions in the rumen under different feed schemes and their ecophysiological implications. These findings will help to develop rumen manipulation strategies to improve feed conversion ratios and average daily weight gains for grass- or pasture-fed cattle production.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Effects of acetate, propionate, and pH on volatile fatty acid thermodynamics in continuous cultures of ruminal contents

  Journal of Dairy Science · 2022 · 28 citations

  headspace emissions, primarily due to shifts in metabolic pathways of VFA formation, likely due to the observed changes in bacterial community structure. Significant interconversions occurred between acetate and butyrate, whereas interconversions of other VFA with propionate were relatively small. The InfAc and InfPr treatments increased net acetate and propionate production, respectively; however, interconversions among VFA were not affected by pH, acetate, or propionate treatments, suggesting…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Corn silage versus corn silage:alfalfa hay mixtures for dairy cows: Effects of dietary potassium, calcium, and cation-anion difference

  Journal of Dairy Science · 2011-09-22 · 25 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Corn silage (CS) has replaced alfalfa hay (AH) and haylage as the major forage fed to lactating dairy cows, yet many dairy producers believe that inclusion of small amounts of alfalfa hay or haylage improves feed intake and milk production. Alfalfa contains greater concentrations of K and Ca than corn silage and has an inherently higher dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD). Supplemental dietary buffers such as NaHCO(3) and K(2)CO(3) increase DCAD and summaries of studies with these buffers sho…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• James D. Ferguson

  University of Pennsylvania

  40 shared

• Zhengxia Dou

  University of Pennsylvania

  34 shared

• Z. Wu

  30 shared

• K.F. Knowlton

  29 shared

• John D. Toth

  California University of Pennsylvania

  28 shared

• L.E. Chase

  Cornell University

  27 shared

• C.F. Ramberg

  26 shared

• Lydie Chapuis‐Lardy

  Université de Montpellier

  26 shared

Awards & honors

• Excellence in Extension Award
• Excellence in Instruction Award
• Excellence in Research Award

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