Dr. John Arthington

Former Center Director and Professor - Beef Cattle Management

Administration (50%)

• Research Focus (25%)

  Optimization of forage resources to improve cow/calf productivity in subtropical environments

  • Identify grazing systems, which focus on optimization of favorable contributions of subtropical forages throughout the growing season.
  • Evaluate supplementation strategies, which efficiently and economically address the mineral, energy, and protein requirements of grazing cattle.

  Managing stress to optimize productivity in cattle

  • Define methods for measuring and characterizing the physiological consequences of stress (environmental, social, and inflammatory) in cattle.
  • Identify opportunities for optimizing stress resistance in cattle through nutrition, breeding, and management considerations.
• Extension Focus (25%)

  Educate Florida cattle producers on cost-effective supplementation strategies to fortify the nutritional needs of grazing cattle in subtropical environments, with specific focus on mineral, energy, and protein. These efforts are in direct coordination and support of the state-wide major program, 1) FL103 - Improving the Production, Efficiency, and Marketability of Beef Cattle in Florida, and 2) FL102 - Forage Production for Livestock and Dairy.

  • Identify grazing systems, which optimize the use of subtropical forages during winter months.
  • Identify nutritional and managerial factors for optimizing stress resistance in livestock.
  • Evaluate economically relevant calf management programs, which optimize calf immune competence and subsequent performance.
  • Evaluate practical management strategies for improving reproductive performance of young cows.

• Education
  • Ph.D Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Nutritional Immunology, 1995.
  • M.S. Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, Department of Animal Sciences, Nutrition / Physiology. 1993.
  • B.S. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, Animal Science. 1991.
• Employment
  • Center Director and Professor
    University of Florida, Range Cattle Research and Education Center, Ona, FL 33865. 2009 to 2019.
  • Center Director and Associate Professor
    University of Florida, Range Cattle Research and Education Center, Ona, FL 33865. 2005 to 2009.
  • Associate Professor
    University of Florida, Range Cattle Research and Education Center, Ona, FL 33865. 2004 to 2005.
  • Assistant Professor
    University of Florida, Range Cattle Research and Education Center, Ona, FL 33865. 1998 to 2004.
  • Technical Research Scientist
    American Protein Corporation, Inc., Ames, IA 50010. 1995 to 1998
• Membership in Professional Societies
  • American Society of Animal Science
  • American Dairy Science Association
  • American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists
  • Florida Cattlemen’s Association
  • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
• Publications
  • View a list of Dr. Arthington's publications