Gaëtan Tremblay, Ph.D.

Image Gaëtan Tremblay
Research Scientist

Nutritional Value in Ruminant Feed

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
2560 Hochelaga Boulevard, Quebec, QC

Current research and/or projects

  • Improving the nutritive value of ruminant feed to maximize the use of forages and reduce production costs and environmental impacts.

Research and/or project statements

  • Increase the production and use of alfalfa forages in Canada.
  • Improving forage energy / protein ratio to increase dairy cow performance and reduce environmental losses.
  • Evaluation of the interest of using a more digestible alfalfa on Quebec dairy farms.
  • Evaluation of forages and their management in order to respond to a fodder supply problem linked to water deficits.

Professional activities / interests

  • Methods of studying and analysing the nutritive value of ruminant feed, specifically dry or ensiled forages.
  • Characterization of the effects of species, cultivars, management and different harvesting and storage methods on the nutritive value of forages.
  • Use of rumen-cannulated cows for measuring in vitro digestibility of dry matter and fibre in ruminant feed.
  • Use of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to predict the nutritive value of ruminant feed; use of laboratory silos.

Education and awards

  • B.Sc. Bio-Agronomy, Université Laval, 1983.
  • Ph.D. Animal nutrition, Université Laval. 1988.

International experience and/or work

  • Work transfer at the US Dairy research Center, Madison, WI (1992-1993

Key publications

  1. Perreault Gagnon, M., Thivierge, M.-N., Halde, C., Thériault, M., Tremblay, G.F., Bélanger, G. et Claessens, A. Peut-on augmenter la biomasse racinaire des cultures fourragères par le mélange d’espèces pérennes ou l’ajout d’une plante-abri? 35e congrès annuel de l’Association québécoise de spécialistes en sciences du sol (AQSSS), Terre à terre en virtuel, 15–17 juin 2021 (affiche).

    2021 - View publication details

  2. Bélanger, G., Thivierge, M.-N., Tremblay, G., Claessens, A., Bertrand, A., and Lajeunesse, J. 2021. Maximiser le ratio de sucre dans la première coupe. Column in the weekly magazine La Terre de chez nous, June 5, 2021. https://www.laterre.ca/du-secteur/chronique-cqpf/maximiser-le-ratio-de-sucre-dans-la-premiere-coupe?fbclid=IwAR0eis9eObAdQdAveuJbhgjYVmdUBDTxwhelWTNC1FuVX4AIXA_J4J5KDtM

    2021 - View publication details

  3. Boucher, Marie-Soleil, Gaëtan Tremblay, Philippe Seguin, Édith Charbonneau, Mireille Thériault, Jean-Philippe Laroche, Annick Bertrand, Annie Claessens, Gilles Bélanger, Robert Berthiaume, et Caroline Halde. 2021. Les luzernes vendues comme étant plus digestibles ne le sont pas toutes ! L’écho-Fourrager, 1, p. 7-8.
    https://cdn.ca.yapla.com/company/CPYoRnfHXmL6W5Oj5BzbHy5X/asset/files/Echo%20Fourrager%20CQPF_01_2021_VF(1).pdf

    2021 - View publication details

  4. Boucher, M.-S.*, G.F. Tremblay, P. Seguin, É. Charbonneau, M. Thériault, J.-P. Laroche, A. Bertrand, A. Claessens, G. Bélanger, R. Berthiaume, and C. Halde. 2020. Est-ce que les cultivars de luzerne potentiellement plus digestibles le sont vraiment et qu’en est-il de leur rendement sous nos conditions ? Poster presented at the Journées du Centre SÈVE – Recherche en sciences du végétal. Nov. 25 and 16, 2020. Virtual format. 1st Prize at the 2020 Student Scientific Poster Competition

    2020 - View publication details

  5. Boucher, M.-S., G.F. Tremblay, P. Seguin, É. Charbonneau, M. Thériault, J.-P. Laroche, A. Bertrand, A. Claessens, G. Bélanger, R. Berthiaume, and C. Halde. 2020. Assessing performance of alfalfa cultivars with improved digestibility in Quebec, Canada. Poster presented at the 11th Annual Canadian Forage and Grassland Association. Nov. 18 and 19, 2020. Virtual format.

    2020 - View publication details

  6. Boucher, M.-S., G.F. Tremblay, P. Seguin, É. Charbonneau, M. Thériault, J.-P. Laroche, A. Bertrand, A. Claessens, G. Bélanger, R. Berthiaume, and C. Halde. 2020. Performance and digestibility of alfalfa cultivars developed for improved digestibility in Eastern Canada. Poster presented at the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America International Annual Meeting. Nov. 9 and 13, 2020. Virtual format

    2020 - View publication details

  7. Boucher, M.-S., G.F. Tremblay, P. Seguin, É. Charbonneau, M. Thériault, J.-P. Laroche, A. Bertrand, A. Claessens, G. Bélanger, R. Berthiaume, and C. Halde. 2020. Les luzernes plus digestibles: le sont-elles vraiment et qu’en est-il de leur rendement sous nos conditions ? Poster presented at the Symposium sur les bovins laitiers. Nov. 3 and 4, 2020. Virtual format

    2020 - View publication details

  8. Bertrand, A., Gatzke, C., Bipfubusa, M., Lévesque, V., Chalifour, F.P., Claessens, A., Rocher, S., Tremblay, G.F., Beauchamp, C.J. (2020). Physiological and biochemical responses to salt stress of alfalfa populations selected for salinity tolerance and grown in symbiosis with salt-tolerant rhizobium. Agronomy, [online] 10(4), http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10040569

    2020 - View publication details

  9. Bélanger, G., Tremblay, G.F., Seguin, P., Lajeunesse, J., Bittman, S., Hunt, D. (2020). Cutting management of alfalfa-based mixtures in contrasting agroclimatic regions. Agronomy Journal, [online] 112(2), 1160-1175. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20142

    2020 - View publication details

  10. Bélanger, G., Tremblay, G.F., Papadopoulos, Y.A., Duynisveld, J., Lajeunesse, J., Lafrenière, C., Fillmore, S.A.E. (2020). Yield and Nutritive Value of Grazed Complex Legume–grass Mixtures Under Increasing Nitrogen Application Rates. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 100(4), 341-356. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2018-0325

    2020 - View publication details

  11. Aubé, L., Guay, F., Bergeron, R., Bélanger, G., Tremblay, G.F., Devillers, N. (2019). Sows' preferences for different forage mixtures offered as fresh or dry forage in relation to botanical and chemical composition. Animal, [online] 13(12), 2885-2895. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1751731119000958

    2019 - View publication details

  12. Wood, S., Seguin, P., Tremblay, G.F., Bélanger, G., Lajeunesse, J., Martel, H., Berthiaume, R., St. Luce, M., Claessens, A. (2019). Predicting pre-harvest forage nutritive value of spring and summer growth of alfalfa–grass mixtures. Agronomy Journal, [online] 111(6), 3172-3181. http://dx.doi.org/10.2134/agronj2019.03.0199

    2019 - View publication details

  13. Claessens, A., Bertrand, A., Rocher, S., Thivierge, M.-N., Tremblay, G. 2019. Une luzerne plus sucrée pour vos vaches laitières? Symposium sur les bovins laitiers. Drummondville, 29 octobre 2019.

    2019 - View publication details

  14. Aubé, L., Guay, F., Bergeron, R., Bélanger, G., Tremblay, G.F., Devillers, N. (2019). Sows prefer forages conserved as haylage over hay and fresh forage. Livestock Science, [online] 228 93-96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2019.08.007

    2019 - View publication details

  15. http://lait.org/fichiers/Revue/PLQ-2019-10/recherche.pdf

    2019 - View publication details

  16. Thivierge, M.-N., Chantigny, M.H., Bélanger, G., Tremblay, G., Royer, I., Bertrand, N., and Tremblay, J. 2019. Substitution du maïs-ensilage par des plantes fourragères pérennes comme stratégie pour atténuer l’impact environnemental des fermes laitières. Journée d’innovation sur les plantes fourragères et les grandes cultures, Station agronomique de recherche de l’Université Laval, St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, July 3, 2019. Oral presentation.

    2019 - View publication details

  17. Bélanger, G., M.-N. Thivierge, G. Tremblay, A. Claessens, A. Bertrand et J. Lajeunesse. 2019. Améliorer les fourrages servis aux vaches laitières. Chronique du CQPF (Conseil québécois des plantes fourragères) parue dans La Terre de Chez Nous, 5 mai. https://www.laterre.ca/du-secteur/chronique-cqpf/ameliorer-les-fourrages-servis-aux-vaches-laitieres

    2019 - View publication details

  18. Lauzon, J., Tremblay, G.F., Bélanger, G., Seguin, P., Lajeunesse, J., Gervais, R. (2019). Alfalfa and timothy nutritive value in contrasting agroclimatic regions. Agronomy Journal, [online] 111(3), 1371-1380. http://dx.doi.org/10.2134/agronj2018.10.0634

    2019 - View publication details

  19. Gagnon, B., Ziadi, N., Bélanger, G., Tremblay, G.F., Parent, G. (2019). Urea-based fertilizer as an efficient nitrogen source in perennial cool-grass forage production. Agronomy Journal, [online] 111(2), 867-880. http://dx.doi.org/10.2134/agronj2018.07.0431

    2019 - View publication details

  20. BÉLANGER, G. THIVIERGE MN, TREMBLAY, G. CLAESSENS, A. BERTRAND A.LAJEUNESSE J. et SEGUIN, P. Améliorer le ratio Énergie/Protéine des fourrages servis aux vaches laitières.Présentation orale lors de la Journée d’Information Scientifique – Bovins Laitiers et Plantes Fourragères du CRAAQ. Drummondville. 26 février 2019.

    2019 - View publication details

Contact

Research facility

Quebec Research and Development Centre
2560 Hochelaga Boulevard
Québec, QC G1V 2J3
Canada

Expertise

Agriculture›Nutrition›Nutritional value of ruminant feed

Affiliations

  • Adjunct Professor, Department of Animal Science, Department of Plant Science, Université Laval.
  • Member of the Forage Crops Committee of the Centre de références en agriculture et agroalimentaire du Québec (CRAAQ).
  • Web master for the "Plantes fourragères" page of Agri-Réseau site.

Language

English
French