• Beef Cattle Nutrition
• Forage (silage and hay) Production and Preservation
• Novel Inoculants for the Preservation of Forages
• By-Products for Beef Cattle
• Site-Specific Management for Improving Soybean Yields

Assistant Professor
Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC)
618-453-7105
jay.nair@siu.edu

Dr. Nair’s journey took him from practicing veterinary medicine in India in mixed animal production, to Canada where he researched the nutritional value of canola meal for beef cattle to earn his master’s degree. He pursued his doctorate degree, evaluating the nutrient composition and neutral detergent fiber degradability of common barley varieties grown for silage in western Canada.

Now at SIUC, Dr. Nair is responsible for teaching animal science courses to undergrad and graduate students. He also leads research efforts to enhance the sustainability of beef production with a focus on the use of food industry by-products as animal feed, alternate haying options and site-specific management for improving soybean yields. He has a keen interest in soybean meal as a protein source for ruminants and recognizes the variability of soybean yields even within fields. This led him to create a research project that would enable him to identify site-specific management recommendations within soybean fields that will help increase soybean yields.

Fun Facts!
The teachers Dr. Nair learned from during his academic life instilled in him the desire for teaching, research and innovation. That desire prompted him to pursue his dream career in academia. He treasures the opportunities he’s had to meet and learn from some of the renowned scientists in the field of ruminant and forage production, animal welfare and sustainable agriculture.