Debbie Cherney

Research Interests

I am a trained animal nutritionist, with that training specifically in forage utilization and quality. Our lab focuses on identifying appropriate forage management, particularly for perennial grasses and mixed alfalfa-grasses, to enable high animal production while at the same time allowing for an environmentally and economically sustainable system, wherever that system may be located.

Research Focus

Our lab has focused on identifying perennial grasses and their management to integrate primarily with dairies in New York state. More recent work has looked at identifying grasses and the management of them that best into an alfalfa-grass system resulting in high-quality forage for dairy cattle.

In concert with that effort, we are investigating how hand-held near-infra-red reflectance spectroscopy instruments can be used to make real time management decisions in ration formulations, field management and improved overall forage quality.

Given the importance of forage and forage systems to small-land holders in lesser developed countries, it is an important part of our lab to also systems and methods that can improve land management, forage quality, and animal health and growth.

Outreach and Extension Focus

My focus is two pronged.

1. Less than 2% of the U.S. population is currently involved in agriculture and many young people have little or no experience with farm animals. We need young people to continue to chose agricultural careers, but also, as adult consumers, to make intelligent choices and policies about issues involving the use of animals for food and fiber.. We have developed a program that begins with a PowerPoint slide show describing what a ruminant animal is, using many images of different animals that the students may have seen on television or in zoos. We describe how a ruminant is able to use grass with the aid of slides and other props. The presentation is geared to the level and experience of the youth group. These groups range in age from 6 to 18 years and from no animal experience to farm youth. Because these audiences learn best from hands-on experiences, they are invited to come down and handle a rumen-fistulated cow, offer her feed, and explore the rumen. The youth are given lab coats and gloves and can place their arm inside the cow. We also have a microscope demonstration, so youth can see some of the rumen microbes, as well as a feed demonstration. In this way, they can see, feel and smell what we have talked about, reinforcing their learning experience. When appropriate, the program also includes discussion of possible careers in animal biology and production. In the last 3 years we have done 47 demonstrations for approximately 1100 young people and their chaperones. The program has Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Approval. Many of the groups bring new students each year. The cow is a critical component of the success of this program.
2. We are currently stressing the use of quality grass in animal production systems: primarily dairy, but also horses, sheep, and goats.

Teaching Focus

The original basis for the Introduction to Welfare class (ANSC 3100) was that too many of our animal science students, and pre-veterinary students in other departments, did not have a scientific basis for their views regarding animal welfare. This is a course that could be evaluated using traditional testing techniques, if my major objective was the teaching of welfare issues today. Welfare issues of the future, however, may not be those that we face today, what is considered acceptable today may not be considered acceptable tomorrow. Students need to have a science-based knowledge of today’s issues coupled with well-developed critical analysis skills to face tomorrow’s audiences. They also need the skills to recognize emerging welfare issues.

Initially, this class was not large, but ANSC 3100 has 95 students today. My fellow teachers and I decided that lectures, discussions, analysis of WEB sites, group evaluations of the Welfare Evaluation Contest started by Michigan State, and a group project proposal would be a good start. As the course grew and the original seven teachers shrunk to two and now one, it became impossible to teach the course as it was. I have attended work-shops on teaching of large classes and working with case-studies (both here at Cornell University and nationally). I did change my teaching style to incorporate techniques suggested, including case studies. Students evaluated actual farms, an excellent way to learn critical skills.

In a class where learning critical thinking skills is a main objective, students should have some control over their own learning choices. For this class, I have always assigned a text, but it is difficult to find a text that students can relate to. I have been less than satisfied with their writing skills, resulting from assignments using these texts. Having been at several universities and interacting with instructors from other universities, I have long realized how truly fortunate we are to have the quality students that we do. Recently I had decided to have my students write the textbook that they would like to read. At the beginning of Fall 2015, I gave my students the choice of writing the text book, or continuing with the syllabus they had been given. Students almost unanimously chose to write the book, although none fully recognized the effort that would be required. Also, I learned that the students needed more structure in what was required. Divided into groups, each group chose a chapter to write. This writing included outlines, drafts, reviews of other chapters and final chapter. I am very pleased with the product and proud of my students. The students learned a lot about working in groups and getting a job done that they could be proud of, even for groups that were not composed of the best students I thoroughly enjoyed the process, and generating this book recharged the pleasure I receive from teaching.

Ethics in Animal Science (ANSC 4140) was started before ANSC 3100, and is another class where the major objective is to learn critical analysis skills, tolerance for others, and recognition of ethical issues. While some objectives are similar, the courses do have different knowledge objectives and overlap less than five percent. We use case studies, role playing, small group discussions, large group discussion with audience participation, and other pedagogical techniques that emerge as the discipline of teaching progresses. We allow students to voice their own opinions, or they can voice opinions from another perspective. They are allowed to be creative, which generates remarkable results.

Intellectually, I do not believe that courses should be rote. If students are challenged, we all enjoy coming to class. Assignments should engage their minds, such that grades are not a predominant emphasis. Student receive grades primarily based on the effort that they put into the class, not simply based on innate intelligence. Along with the increase in student numbers in this class, the group is becoming increasingly diverse, and this has presented both opportunities and problems.

My aim is for students in my courses to be actively engaged and to develop as independent, responsible learners with the intellectual and social skills required to be productive members of our field and of our society. We accomplish this in a number of ways, from students choosing their own projects in Ethics and Animal Science to being involved in group projects in Animal Nutrition.

Our student body is increasingly diverse and a large percentage of them are from non-agricultural backgrounds. These students may benefit from different pedagogies due to different learning styles. Course curriculum needs to be adapted to the abilities and styles of learning that students come into class with. My philosophy is that teaching is not static. You must continually climb upward or be falling back down. My teaching goal is for students in my courses to be actively engaged and to develop as independent, responsible learners with the intellectual and social skills required to be productive members of society.

National and International Presentations

• D. Cherney. Benefits of incorporating high NDF grasses in the dairy ration. Focus on Forage webinar series, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Extension. Feb. 9, 2022. 
• D.J. Cherney. Benefits of Including Grass in the Dairy Ration.  DLF Seeds and Science Seed Camp, June 18, 2022.
• D.J. Cherney. Grass in Dairy Rations. Forage Focus, Webinar, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). November 22-24, 2022.
• Valentine, M.A. and D.J. Cherney. Changes in goat nutrition, health and farmer net incomes with intensification of grazing systems in India. 12th International Conference on Goats, Antalya, Turkey. 25 September 2016 - 30 September 2016. Pg. 104.
• Cherney, J.H. and D.J.R. Cherney. Impact of fertilisation on forage production and animal performance. Colloque sur les plantes fourragères. Best Western Plus, Hôtel Universel, Drummondville, Quebec, Canada. (Joint invitation- Key note speaker) 9 décembre 2015.