By Blake Jackson
Haowen Hu 26, a doctoral student in Cornell’s Animal Science Department, is advancing research on the Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) digital modeling tool.
Developed collaboratively by Cornell researchers and partners across academia, industry, and nonprofits, RuFaS allows farmers and researchers to virtually test how changes in herd size, manure management, or other practices impact a farm’s environmental footprint, energy use, and economics. Released last summer as open-source software, it is freely accessible to any user.
“Running a dairy farm today means balancing more than just milk production. Farmers also need a solid business plan, smart strategies for manure and water management, and careful herd management,” Hu explains. Hu research uses a systems engineering approach to identify stakeholder needs, define model requirements, and test whether RuFaS meets those goals.
RuFaS functions as a digital replica of a farm, letting users simulate “what-if” scenarios such as dietary changes or manure system upgrades. Unlike typical carbon calculators, it provides predictions for both environmental outcomes and milk production, helping farmers make informed decisions tailored to their operations.
Hu focuses on the animal and manure modules, which are central to farm emissions. He benchmarks RuFaS against tools like COMET-Farm and refines herd-level milk predictions, improving the model’s accuracy.
Additionally, Hu studies ammonia emissions from barns, which can harm animals, people, and contribute to nitrous oxide emissions. Limited barn-level data has historically constrained predictions, making his research critical.
Collaborating with the Cornell Agricultural Systems Testbed and Demonstration Site (CAST) at the Cornell University Ruminant Center, Hu integrates sensor and lab data to track ammonia in real time. “CAST and RuFaS are a natural fit,” he says, combining data streams for precise, farm-specific insights.
By tuning RuFaS with real-world measurements, Hu aims to provide farmers with a reliable tool to estimate emissions, optimize fertilizer use, save costs, and reduce environmental impacts, giving dairy producers a practical, science-backed decision-making resource.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-digitalvision
Categories: New York, Education, Livestock, Dairy Cattle