College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Faculty & Staff

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) at Michigan State University (MSU) is proud to announce Michael J. VandeHaar, Ph.D., and Robert J. Tempelman, Ph.D., of the Department of Animal Science, as the recipients of the 2025 CANR Excellence in Research Impact Award for their work on the Genomics of Feed Efficiency Project.

The CANR Excellence in Research Award program recognizes the outstanding contributions of CANR researchers to the research mission of MSU. In particular, the awards focus on the impact that their achievements have had on academic and/or external stakeholder communities. The Impact Award, co-sponsored by ABR and MSUE, recognizes research projects that have made an outstanding impact in the external stakeholder community.

The Genomics of Feed Efficiency Project, led by VandeHaar and Tempelman, has revolutionized the breeding practices of dairy cows in the U.S. Beginning in 2010 with funding from a USDA competitive grant and continuing with support from the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) in 2018, the project culminated in 2021 with the inclusion of feed efficiency as a selection trait in major breeding indices. This groundbreaking research has already impacted dairy cattle genetics and promises to continue shaping the industry for decades to come.

The project has led to significant changes in dairy cattle genetics, ensuring that future generations of Holstein cows will require less feed, use less land and produce less manure and methane per unit of milk. The team developed methods to measure feed efficiency using Residual Feed Intake (RFI) and demonstrated the heritability of RFI, leading to its inclusion in national breeding indices. The project's impact extends beyond Michigan, influencing dairy farming practices across North America and globally, enhancing the sustainability of the dairy industry.

In 2021, the team revised the national Net Merit selection index to include feed efficiency as a new trait, increased the maintenance cost penalty for larger body size and adjusted the feed costs needed to produce milk. This revision led to an estimated increase in genetic progress for feed efficiency in U.S. Holsteins by $7.3 million annually. By 2025, the savings are projected to reach $22 million annually, with long-term savings estimated at $70 million annually in 10 years.

The project's feed intake records are shared with international collaborators, enhancing genomic predictions for feed efficiency in countries like Canada and Germany. The Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding sends U.S. feed intake predictions to cow owners in over 60 countries, improving feed efficiency of dairy cattle worldwide.

Since 2022, VandeHaar and Tempelman have published 12 refereed papers, contributing to the broader scientific community. The feed efficiency project has led to numerous publications, presentations and extension articles, fostering further research and collaboration. 

VandeHaar and Tempelman led the effort to develop feed intake as a new trait for selection, working closely with scientists at USDA’s Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory and the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding. Their work on Residual Feed Intake (RFI) has proven more valuable than any other trait added since genomic selection began. Over the last decade, they coordinated data collection and analysis from several research herds, which is essential for computing genomic predictions nationally. Their efforts have led to accurate predictions for millions of Holsteins across North America and over 60 other countries, benefiting farmers and consumers globally.

The project was a collaborative effort involving several leading institutions, including the University of Wisconsin, Iowa State University, the University of Florida, Virginia Tech, Wageningen University, and the USDA Animal Genomics Improvement Laboratory. Key individual contributors included Efstathios Sarmikasoglou, Julie Moore, Riley Barber, Jim Liesman, Enhong Liu, Sarah Potts, Martin Mangual, Katelyn Goldsmith, Morgan Mills, Sarah Naughton, Piush Khanal, Yongfang Lu, Chunyu Chen and Vrinda Ambike.