Applied Research
Dr. Obioha Durunna
Research Scientist, Livestock Management Systems

"Lead with wisdom and kindness, but live with diligence and gratitude."
Dr. Obioha Durunna leads livestock research at Lakeland College and is an Adjunct Professor in Animal and Poultry Science at the University of Saskatchewan. With expertise in precision livestock systems, quantitative genetics/genomics and integrated crop-livestock systems, his work addresses real-world challenges in beef and dairy production.
Dr. Durunna earned his BSc in Animal Science from the Federal University of Technology
Owerri, an MSc in Animal Science (Quantitative Genetics) from the University of Manitoba,
and a PhD in Animal Science (Genomics) from the University of Alberta. His research
program emphasizes assessment of practical agricultural solutions, including evaluation
of telemetric and remote-sensing tools, forage and grazing systems, and supplementation
strategies to enhance livestock production efficiency and sustainability. He previously
worked with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture,
supporting genetic improvement programs and producer extension services. At Lakeland,
he works with industry partners to drive advancements in livestock technology and
practices, oversees production efficiency profiling services and mentors students.
Education:
- MBA, University of the People
- PhD, University of Alberta
- MSc, University of Manitoba
- BAgricTech, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Nigeria
Areas of expertise:
- Animal Management / Supplementation Strategies
- Beef cattle
- Forage and grazing research
- Genomics
- Greenhouse gas profiling
- Integrated crop-livestock systems
- Remote Sensing / Precision Livestock Systems
- Production efficiency profiling
- Quantitative Genetics
Current projects
| Project name | Dates | Funders |
|---|---|---|
| Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the Canadian beef industry (University of Alberta) | 2024 - 2028 | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Alliance |
| Utilizing polycrops for efficient, sustainable and cost-effective winter swathgrazing | 2024 - 2026 | RDAR (Results Driven Agriculture Research) |
| Evaluation of malate potential in beef cattle production | 2023 -2027 | Beef Cattle Research Council |
| Swath Utilization Efficiency and Residue Characteristics in Diverse Forage Systems Under Winter-Swath and Spring-Residue Grazing | 2022 - 2027 |
|
Completed projects
| Project name | Dates | Funders |
|---|---|---|
| Increasing the resilience of the Canadian cattle industry through horn-fly metamorphosis disruption | 2024 - 2025 | Central Life Sciences |
| Winter swathgrazing demonstration and adoption rates’ survey among cattle producers | 2022 - 2024 | RDAR (Results Driven Agriculture Research) |
| Reducing beef production costs through swathgrazing complex forage-mixtures during winter in Alberta | 2021 -2024 |
|
| Efficacy and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) potentials associated with emerging free-choice supplements to control biting flies A&W Visiting Fellowship in One-Health | 2022 - 2023 | University of Saskatchewan |
| Production and health impacts from seasonal feeding of garlic products to growing cattle | 2019 - 2022 |
|
| Evaluating Sire-Progeny Links, Breeding Plans and Information Management in Multi-Sire Breeding Scenarios on Commercial Herds | 2019 - 2021 | Canadian Agricultural Partnership |
Read Dr. Durunna's publications on ResearchGate.