Aklilu Alemu, Ph.D.
Current research and/or projects
As a ruminant nutritionist, my research program focuses on the development of nutritional knowledge and technologies for the animal industry that improve efficiency of production and minimize its environmental impact.
Current research area include:
- Feeding and nutritional managements of beef cattle
- Forage crop production and nutrition
- Mitigation of enteric methane emissions from ruminants
- Environmental impact assessment of beef production systems
- Farm-based life cycle analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from beef cattle production
- Application mathematical models in livestock production
Research and/or project statements
Recent Publications:
Alemu, A.W., Liana K. D. Pekrul, Adam L. Shreck, Calvin W. Booker, Sean M. McGinn, Maik Kindermann and Karen A. Beauchemin. 2021. 3-Nitrooxypropanol Decreased Enteric Methane Production from Growing Beef Cattle in a Commercial Feedlot: Implications for Sustainabe Beef Cattle Production. Front. Anim. Sci. 2: 641590. doi: 10.3389/fanim.2021.641590.
Pogue, S.J., Kröbel, R., Janzen, H.H., Alemu, A.W., Beauchemin, K.A., Little, S., Iravani, M., Maia de Souza, D., McAllister, T.A.. 2020. A social-ecological systems approach for the assessment of ecosystem services from beef production in Canadian Prairie. J. Ecosys Serv. 45: 101172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2020.101172.
Zhang, X.M., Gruninger, R.J., Alemu, A.W., Wang, M., Tan, Z.L., Kindermann, M., and Beauchemin, K.A. 2020. 3-Nitrooxypropanol supplementation of a high forage diet fed to beef cattle: In situ fiber degradability and microbial colonization forage particles. Target Journal: J. Dairy Sci. 103: 8986-8997. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2019-18077
Alemu, A.W., Romero-Pérez, A., Araujo, R.C. and Beauchemin, K. 2019. Effect of encapsulated nitrate and microencapsulated blend of essential oils on growth performance and methane emissions from beef steers fed backgrounding diets. Animals 9:1-19. doi: 10.3390/ani9010021.
Vayas, D., Alemu, A.W., McGinn, S.M., Duval, S.M., Kindermann, M. and Beauchemin, K. 2018. The combined effects of supplementing monensin and 3-nitrooxypropanol on methane emissions, growth rate, and feed conversion efficiency in beef cattle fed high forage and high grain diets. J. Anim. Sci. 96:2923-2938. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/sky174.
Alemu, A.W., Janzen, H., Little, S., Hao, X., Thompson, D. Baron, V., Iwaasa, A., Beauchemin, K. and Kröbel, R. 2017. Assessment of grazing management on farm greenhouse gas emission intensity of beef production systems in the Canadian prairie using life cycle assessment. Agri. Syst. 158: 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2017.08.003
Kulshreshtha, S., Grant, C., Amiro, B., Ominski, K., Legesse, G. and Alemu, A.W. 2016. Economic and greenhouse gas emission impacts of doubling of forage area in Manitoba, Canada. Can. J. Plant Sci. 97: 487-496.
Alemu, A.W., Doce, R.R., Dick, A.C., Basarab, J.A., Kröbel, R., Haugen-Kozyra, K. and Baron, V.S. 2016. Effect of winter feeding systems on farm greenhouse gas emissions. Agri. Syst. 148: 28-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2016.06.008.
Alemu, A.W., Amiro, B.D., Shabtai, B., MacDonald, J.D. and Ominski, K.H. 2016. A typological characterization of beef cattle farms in Canada using structural and management variables. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 96:187-202. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjas-2015-0060
Alemu, A.W., Ominski, K.H., Tenuta, M., Amiro, B.D. and Kebreab, E. 2016. Evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions from hog manure application in a Canadian cow-calf production system using hole-farm models. Anim. Prod. Sci. 56: 1722-1737. https://doi.org/10.1071/AN14994
Professional activities / interests
Research with ruminant animals.
Education and awards
Recipient of 2020 BCRC Mentorship Program
NSERC Post-Doctoral Fellow, AAFC LeRDC, 2015-2017.
Ph.D., Animal Production System Analysis, University of Manitoba, 2013
MSc., Ruminant Nutrition, University of Alberta, 2008
BSc., Animal Production and Rangeland Management, Hawassa University (Ethiopia), 2003
Diploma, General Agriculture, Awassa College of Agriculture (Ethiopia), 1997
International experience and/or work
- Collaborative research with Norwegian University of Life Science (since 2020)
- Lecturer and researcher at Hawassa University, Ethiopia (2003-2006)
Additional links
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Aklilu-Alemu
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=eFnLnt4AAAAJ
Key publications
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Alemu, A.W., Shreck, A.L., Booker, C.W., McGinn, S.M., Pekrul, L.K.D., Kindermann, M., Beauchemin, K.A. (2021). Use of 3-nitrooxypropanol in a commercial feedlot to decrease enteric methane emissions from cattle fed a corn-based finishing diet. Journal of Animal Science, [online] 99(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaa394
2021 - View publication details
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Zhang, X.M., Gruninger, R.J., Alemu, A.W., Wang, M., Tan, Z.L., Kindermann, M., Beauchemin, K.A. (2020). 3-Nitrooxypropanol supplementation had little effect on fiber degradation and microbial colonization of forage particles when evaluated using the in situ ruminal incubation technique. Journal of Dairy Science (JDS), [online] 103(10), 8986-8997. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2019-18077
2020 - View publication details
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Alemu, A.W., Kröbel, R., McConkey, B.G., Iwaasa, A.D. (2019). Effect of increasing species diversity and grazing management on pasture productivity, animal performance, and soil carbon sequestration of re-established pasture in Canadian Prairie. Animals, [online] 9(4), http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani9040127
2019 - View publication details
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Legesse, G., Kroebel, R., Alemu, A.W., Ominski, K.H., McGeough, E.J., Beauchemin, K.A., Chai, L., Bittman, S., McAllister, T.A. (2018). Effect of changes in management practices and animal performance on ammonia emissions from Canadian beef production in 1981 as compared with 2011. Canadian Journal of Animal Science, [online] 98(4), 833-844. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjas-2017-0184
2018 - View publication details
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Alemu, A.W., D. Vyas, J. Basarab and K.A. Beauchemin. 2017. Enteric methane emissions from beef heifers selected for low- and high-residual feed intake measured using GreenFeed and respiration chamber techniques. J. Anim. Sci. 95:3727–3737. doi:10.2527/jas2017.1501
2017 - View publication details
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Alemu, A.W., Vyas, D., Manafiazar, G., Basarab, J.A., Beauchemin, K.A. (2017). Enteric methane emissions from low– and high–residual feed intake beef heifers measured using greenfeed and respiration chamber techniques. Journal of Animal Science, [online] 95(8), 3727-3737. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/jas.2017.1501
2017 - View publication details
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Alemu, A.W., Amiro, B.D., Bittman, S., MacDonald, D., Ominski, K.H. (2017). Greenhouse gas emission of Canadian cow-calf operations: A whole-farm assessment of 295 farms. Agricultural Systems, [online] 151 73-83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2016.11.013
2017 - View publication details
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Alemu, A.W., Amiro, B.D., Bittman, S., MacDonald, D., Ominski, K.H. (2016). A typological characterization of Canadian beef cattle farms based on a producer survey. Canadian Journal of Animal Science, [online] 96(2), 187-202. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjas-2015-0060
2016 - View publication details
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Stewart, A.A., Alemu, A.W., Ominski, K.H., Wilson, C.H., Tremorin, D.G., Wittenberg, K.M., Tenuta, M., Janzen, H.H. (2014). Whole-farm greenhouse gas emissions from a backgrounding beef production system using an observation-based and model-based approach. Canadian Journal of Animal Science, [online] 94(3), 463-477. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/CJAS2013-193
2014 - View publication details
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Legesse, G., Small, J.A., Scott, S.L., Crow, G.H., Block, H.C., Alemu, A.W., Robins, C.D., Kebreab, E. (2011). Predictions of enteric methane emissions for various summer pasture and winter feeding strategies for cow calf production, 166-167 678-687. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2011.04.082
2011 - View publication details
Contact
Research facility
ORCIDExpertise
Affiliations
University of Manitoba (since 2020)