Konagh Garrett

Konagh joined DairyNZ in 2022 and is involved in identifying practical methods for reducing farmers’ greenhouse gas emissions in tandem with improving their production, efficiency, and sustainability. She has expertise in ruminant nutrition, nitrogen excretion, and methane emissions.

Her passion for scientific research was cemented during a summer internship at DairyNZ while completing her degree. “I did some part-time experimental work with the technical team,” says Konagh. “It lit a fire for me - I knew that’s what I wanted to be doing: finding practical, applicable solutions that can make a difference for farmers. I like using science to find out how and why things happen, but then also providing something useful that works in the real world, on-farm.”

Konagh applies her expertise to methane emissions research, the connection between this and seasonal changes in pastures and cows on farm, and the resulting impact on the effectiveness of methane-reducing technologies. She has also been involved in research investigating early life interventions in dairy cows, aiming to programme their rumen microbiomes so they are lifelong low methane emitters.

Konagh grew up in rural New Zealand, in the midst of a dairy farming community. This instilled a respect for and interest in agriculture, which led to her completing a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science Research at the University of Waikato, followed by a PhD in Animal Sciences at Lincoln University.