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Dr. Bennet G. Cassell |
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Virginia Tech
Department of Dairy Science (#0315)
2140 Litton-Reaves Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061 |
Phone: 540-231-4762
Fax: 540-231-5014
email: bcassell@vt.edu |
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Area of Expertise
Dr. Cassell has published numerous articles in the areas of lifetime performance of different breeds of dairy cattle, inbreeding depression, and progeny testing programs. Dr. Cassell advises producers on genetic improvement of dairy herds and works with DH, particularly the PCDART herd management program. Optimal sire selection strategies, mating programs, and formulation of herd breeding objectives are areas of expertise. He is the principal investigator for the Virginia Tech – Kentucky-North Carolina cooperative Holstein-Jersey crossbreeding project. As of Fall 2006, oldest animals in the project are calving for the second time, while the last of first generation purebred and crossbred calves are to be born by late Spring 2007. The next stage of the project, Brown Swiss and Swedish Red sired progeny of the Holstein-Jersey F1 females, is well underway.
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Academic Training
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BS |
1968
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Virginia Polytechnic Institute |
Dairy Science
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MS |
1972
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Virginia Polytechnic Institute &
State University
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Dairy Genetics
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PhD |
1982
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North Carolina State University
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Animal Breeding |
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Professional Data
Dr. Cassell began his career at Virginia Tech in the Department of
Dairy Science in January 1982, as Extension Specialist for Genetics and
Management, the title that still applies to his position. Through the
years, Dr. Cassell has developed systems to help farmers establish sire
selection policies for optimal improvement of lifetime economic merit
of their cows as new traits were evaluated and economic conditions
changed. Dr. Cassell is also responsible for Extension DHI educational
programs, and conducts workshops for producers and extension agents in
the PCDART herd management computer program. Dr. Cassell taught courses
in microcomputer software applications in the years before personal
computers were common in high schools and taught a section of the
Animal Breeding and Genetics course for several years. His research
efforts have always been an important part of his extension activities
and have focused on producer oriented questions in dairy cattle
breeding. He has been principal advisor to five masters and four PhD
students. Dr. Cassell continues an active program of research in
lifetime economic merit of dairy cattle, including crossbreeding and
serves as the Extension Project Leader for the Dairy Science Department.
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1968-1970 |
- U.S. Army, Specialist 5th Class, Honorable discharge
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1970-1972 |
- Graduate Research Assistant, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
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1972-1975 |
- Sire Analyst, Sire Power, Inc.
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1975-1979 |
- Research Associate (Dairy Husbandman) Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory,
BARC, USDA
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1980-1981 |
- Graduate Research Assistant, North Carolina State University
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1982-Present |
- Professor and Extension Dairy Scientist, Genetics and Management, Virginia Tech
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Membership in Professional Organizations:
- American Dairy Science Association
- Virginia State Dairymen's Association
- Dairy Shrine Club
- Gamma Sigma Delta
- Sigma Xi
- Epsilon Sigma Phi
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International Speaking Engagements
Dr. Cassell has given talks in eleven foreign counties:
- Venezuela (1985, 1987, 1992)
- Chile (1988)
- Australia (1989, 1990)
- New Zealand (1989, 1990)
- Columbia (1991)
- South Africa (2005)
- Italy (1994)
- Brazil (1996, 2007)
- Poland (1998)
- Mexico (1999, 2000, 2006)
- Canada (1999, 2001)
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Honors & Awards
Research
- ADSA Merck Ag Vet Dairy Management Research Award - 1994
- ADSA J.L. Lush Award in Animal Breeding and Genetics - 2003
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Instruction
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Research
Effects of crossbreeding between Holsteins and Jerseys in research herds on lifetime economic merit with specific emphasis on health, fitness, reproduction, and survival. Breed comparisson for production, longevity, somatic cell score, and responce to heat stress using large national data filer. Studies of the effects of inbreeding on various performance characteristics of dairy cattle. Studies of lifetime economic merit with application on optimal breeding goals, management of inbreeding, and effectiveness of crossbreeding as a breeding system.
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Extension
Dr. Cassell's Extension program encourages use of most recent genetic evaluations (see link below) in optimal sire selection and mate assignment programs. He provides educational material to producers and industry personnel on new traits such as daughter pregnancy rate and maternal calving ease. His genetics program encourages producers to utilize new genetic evaluations appropraitely for improvement of lifetime economic merit of dairy cows. Performance testing programs remain critical to dairy herd management. Dr. Cassell's extension DHI program emphasizes routine collection of performance testing records through DHI, utilization of records at the farm level, and use of on-farm computer systems such as PCDART for improved herd management.
Link to Sires Listing
Link to VTDairy
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Student Advising
Dr. Cassell currently serves as advisor to one PhD candidate, Katie Olsen. Katie is a native of Minnesota and won the 2007 Brown Swiss Young Breeder’s Award. Katie’s PhD project is a study of adaptation to negative energy balance by purebreds and crossbreds in the Virginia Tech herd. Her program will continue through Summer 2008.
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Publications
- Appuhamy, J.A.D.R.N., B.G. Cassell, C.D. Dechow, and J.B. Cole. 2007. Phenotypic Relationships of Common Health Disorders in Dairy Cows to Lactation Persistency Estimated from Daily Milk Weights. J. Dairy Sci. (2007) 90:4424-4434.
- Kasimanickam, R., V. Kasimanickam, C.D. Thatcher, R.L. Nebel, and B.G. Cassell. 2007. Relationships among lipid peroxidation, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, sperm parameters, and comptetitive index in dairy bulls. Theriogenology 67 (2007):1004-1012.
- Kasimanickam, R., R.L. Nebel, I.D. Peeler, W.L. Silvia, K.T. Wolf, A.J. McAllister, and B.G. Cassell. 2006. Breed differences in competitive indices of Holstein and Jersey bulls and their association with sperm DNA fragmentation index and plasma membrane integrity. Theriogenology. 66 (2006) 1307-1315.
- Garcia-Peniche, T.B., B.G. Cassell, and I. Misztal. 2006. Effects of breed and region on longevity traits through five years of age in Brown Swiss, Holstein and Jersey cows in the United States. J. Dairy Sci. 89:3672-3680.
- Adamec, V. B.G. Cassell, E.P. Smith, and R.E. Pearson. 2006. Effects of inbreeding in the dam on dystocia and stillbirths in U.S. Holsteins. J. Dairy Sci. 89:307-314.
- Freyer, Gertraude, Jules Hernandez-Sanchez, and Bennet G. Cassell. 2005. A note on inbreeding in dairy cattle breeding.
Archives of Animal Breeding. Archives of Animal Breeding, Dummerstorf 48(2005) 1, 130-137.
- Garcia-Peniche, T.B., I. Misztal, R.E. Pearson, and B.G. Cassell (PI). 2005. Comparisons of Holstein, Brown Swiss, and Jersey cows for age at first calving and first calving interval. J. Dairy Sci. 88:790-796.
- Cassell, B.G., V. Adamec, and R.E. Pearson. 2003. Effect of incomplete pedigrees on estimates of inbreeding and inbreeding depression for days to first service and summit milk yield in Holsteins and Jerseys. J. Dairy Sci. 86:2967-2976.
- Cassell, B.G., V. Adamec, and R.E. Pearson. 2003. Maternal and fetal inbreeding depression for 70-day non-return and calving rate in Holsteins and Jerseys. J. Dairy Sci. 86:2977-2983.
- Cassell, B.G., S. M. Jobst, M. L. McGilliard, and R.E. Pearson. 2002. Evaluating sire selection practices using lifetime net income functions. J. Dairy Sci. 85:3492-3502.
- Cassell, B.G., 2001. Optimal genetic improvement for the high producing cow. J. Dairy Sci. 84(July).
- Vierhout, C.N., B.G. Cassell (PI), and R.E. Pearson. 1999. Comparison of cows and herds in two progeny test programs and two corresponding states. J. Dairy Sci. 82:822-828.
- Smith, L.A., B.G. Cassell (PI), and R.E. Pearson. 1998. The effects of inbreeding on lifetime performance of dairy cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 81:2729-2737.
- Vierhout, C.N., B.G. Cassell (PI), and R.E. Pearson. 1998. Influence of progeny test programs on genetic evaluations of young sires. J. Dairy Sci. 81:2524-2532.
- Weigel, D.J., B.G. Cassell (PI), and R.E. Pearson. 1997. Prediction of transmitting abilities for productive life and lifetime merit from production, SCC, and type traits in milk markets for fluid milk versus cheese. J. Dairy Sci. 80:1398-1405.
- Weigel, D.J., B.G. Cassell (PI), and R.E. Pearson. 1995. Relative genetic merit and effectiveness of selection of young sires for Artificial Insemination. J. Dairy Sci. 78:2481-2485.
- Weigel, D.J., B.G. Cassell (PI), I. Hoeschele, and R.E. Pearson. 1995. Multiple-trait prediction of transmitting abilities for herdlife and estimation of economic weights using relative net income adjusted for opportunity cost. J. Dairy Sci. 78:639-647.
- Weigel, D.J., B.G. Cassell (PI), and R.E. Pearson. 1995. Adjustment of a net income function for opportunity cost of postponed replacement on a lactation basis. J. Dairy Sci. 78:648-654.
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