Inaugural ASAS–CAAV Asia Pacif ic Rim Conference Abstracts

124 Low carbon farming’s sustainability indicators fromthe Dairy Stewardship Alliance. A. G. Matthews*, University of Vermont,Burlington.Which sustainable practices contribute to reducing the carbon foot print of ourdairy farms? For several years, we have been researching sustainable dairyfarming practices which enhance the natural environment and herd health. To betruly sustainable, these practices must also support profitability and improvingthe quality of life for farmers and their communities. The Dairy StewardshipAlliances’ research on sustainability indicators is a collaborative effort of theUniversity of Vermont, Ben & Jerry’s Inc., St. Albans Cooperative Creameryand Vermont’s Agency of Agriculture. This self-assessment of sustainabilityindicators for dairy farmers promotes a broader use of sustainable agriculturepractices. More recently, we have become involved in an industry wide interestin identifying ways to reduce Green House Grass emissions and the carbonfootprint throughout the production and distribution system (Value Chain).Direct support is provided for farmers to develop a better understanding of theirproduction practices, explore alternatives and implement changes to improve thesustainability of their farm operations. The project researchers offer feedbackto clarify the areas where technical assistance is needed, especially with theimplementation of state and federal accepted practices. Performance target: Of520 farms in the dairy co-op, 10% will participate in the Dairy StewardshipSustainability Indicators research and 40 farms will implement at least 2 newidentified sustainable production practices. Outcomes: 1. Farmers completeself assessment of sustainability indicators for ten modules for sustainabledairy practices, receive summary reports and identify sustainable practicesto implement. 2. During this period, 76% of participating farms improvesustainable farming practices and utilize the self assessment to guide them inmeeting Accepted Agricultural Practices (AAPs) certification requirements. 3.The Dairy Stewardship Alliance and University Extension identify future areasfor technical assistance as identified through the research summary results.Key Words: sustainability, dairy, environment125 Publishing in the Journal of Animal Science. G. S.Lewis* 1 and S. A. Zinn 2 , 1 USDA, ARS, US Sheep Experiment Station, Dubois,ID, USA, 2 Department of Animal Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs,CT, USA.The Journal of Animal Science (JAS) is the leading international journal foranimal science research. The American Society of Animal Science publishesJAS to support its mission, “To discover, disseminate, and apply knowledgefor sustainable use of animals for food and other human needs.” Thus, JAScontains original research articles, invited reviews, technical notes, and lettersto the editor addressing basic and applied animal genetics; growth, physiology,and reproduction; nutrition; production; and animal products. Because peerreviewedscientific publications, such as those in JAS, are considered thegold standard and a peer-reviewed scientific publication becomes part of thehistorical record, JAS maintains stringent standards for peer review, revision,and acceptance of manuscripts. Indeed, in 2008, approximately 40% of JASsubmissions were rejected; approximately 12% were rejected immediately, andWriting Symposium: Publishing in JASanother 28% were rejected after peer review. As a result of JAS stringency,and the quality and relevancy of JAS articles, the 2008 JAS impact factor was2.123 [Institute for Scientific Information (ISI)], and the cited half-life is >10yr, which is the greatest that ISI assigns. Therefore, the purpose of this writingsymposium is to explain the process of preparing and publishing articles in JAS;improve the quality of manuscript submissions; increase the likelihood that amanuscript will be accepted for publication; and reduce the interval betweensubmission and publication. The speakers will describe the goal for each sectionof a JAS manuscript; information that editors and reviewers expect to find inthe sections; expectations for accuracy, clarity, grammar, and syntax; commonproblems in scientific writing; and tips to help authors reduce mistakes andnegotiate the review-revision process. Information in the writing symposiumshould be of special benefit to graduate students and young scientists, but it willalso benefit authors who have never published in JAS or who have had difficultygetting manuscripts accepted for publication in JAS.Key Words: journal, publication, writing skill126 International opportunities fostered by working withUnited States-based professional organizations. M. C. Wulster-Radcliffe*,American Society of Animal Science, Champaign, IL.International networking opportunities and scientific exchange are generallyfacilitated by professional organizations. Worldwide, many professional animalscientists have access to national professional animal science organizations butlimited access to international organizations. China serves as an ideal exampleof a country where a professional organization could help facilitate internationalrelations. For instance, the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS), aninternational professional animal science organization with approximately2,800 professional members, has fewer than 30 Chinese members. Fewer than50 Chinese scientists attend the yearly ASAS international meeting (averageattendance is more than 3,000). High rates of submission to the Journal ofAnimal Science (JAS), which is published by ASAS, are indicative of thedesire of Chinese animal scientists to be represented within ASAS. In 2008,106 articles were submitted to JAS from China, and 11 were accepted forpublication in the journal. The number of submissions from China in 2008 wasa 25% increase from 2007 and represents 12% of the total submissions to thejournal that year. While China is expanding its number of animal scientists, thenumber of animal scientists in the United States is decreasing, which createsa situation in which it is increasingly important for US agriculture to fosterand enhance relationships with scientists worldwide. Increased interactionof Chinese animal scientists with an international professional organizationbased in the United States would provide Chinese animal scientists with theappropriate international forum of scientific exchange and would enhancerelationships with animal scientists in the United States and around the globe.Continuing to use China as an example, active involvement by ASAS wouldinclude organizing international conferences, recruiting Chinese members, anddeveloping programs to encourage retention of Chinese membership. TheseInternational Partnerships and Student Exchangesactivities will not only serve all livestock industries in China by increasingaccess to scientific information, but they also will provide ASAS a uniqueopportunity to enter and serve as a guiding force for science in the area ofanimal agriculture in China.Key Words: international, professional organization127 International opportunities for students. J. S.Radcliffe*, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.Often the most important aspects of graduate education occur outside of theclassroom. One of the most rewarding, and often overlooked, experiencesfor a graduate student is to spend time studying and/or working in a differentcountry. As agriculture has moved into the global market place, it is increasinglyimportant for students and professionals to have a global perspective, and oftenthis is best accomplished by immersion into another culture. Arranging andorganizing an international experience can be challenging due to costs andreluctance of major professors to part with their student for several monthsor more. However, ultimately this experience benefits both the student andtheir home lab as new techniques and collaborations can be brought back tothe home institution. Increased awareness of the importance of an internationalunderstanding of agriculture has resulted in the development of a variety ofinternational programs within and between universities. In addition to theseformalized programs, many informal programs can be developed. This talk willfocus on the benefits of international experiences for students and what types ofprograms exist and/or can be developed.Key Words: international, agriculture, programs58