Dr. Mario Cuchillo Hilario - PhD student until 2012

Current Address

Animal Nutritionist
Tropical Forages Program
International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
6713 Cali, Colombia
Tel: +572 4450000 Ext. 3139
Fax: +572 4450073
Email: m.cuchillo@cgiar.org

Background and research interest

Mario Cuchillo Hilario finished his Ph.D. in animal behavior on grass-based ruminant production systems at the University of Goettingen, Germany (finished in 2012). During his masters’ studies, he assessed the milk and cheese quality from either grazing or stabulated goats in semiarid regions (completed in 2007). For his bachelor thesis (completed in 2004) he evaluated poor forage quality diets and different supplementation strategies to improve sheep performance and ruminal kinetics.
Currently, he investigates how to improve the utilization of tropical pastures for animal nutrition. His research is directed to find adequate methods to preserve nutritive properties of tropical legumes and grasses during silage making for animal feeding. Sustainable intensification of forage-based systems on tropical conditions and mitigation of GHG are other topics of his interest.