Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41497380›Full record

ReviewJDS communications2025

The Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) model is a platform to support future research and actions for sustainable dairy farming.

K F Reed, J M Tricarico, S HekmatiAthar, J S Waddell, D A Andreen, K R Briggs, A Liu, N D Tomlinson, J Adamchick, V E Cabrera and 8 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in JDS communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. The Future of Dairy: Introduction.JDS communications · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

K F ReedKFR Consulting LLC, Sault Sainte Marie, MI 49783.
J M TricaricoDairy Management Inc., Rosemont, IL 60018.
S HekmatiAtharDepartment of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706.
J S WaddellDairy Management Inc., Rosemont, IL 60018.
D A AndreenDepartment of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850.
K R BriggsFairlife LLC, Chicago, IL 60607.
A LiuDepartment of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850.
N D TomlinsonDepartment of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850.
J AdamchickDepartment of Public and Ecosystem Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850.
V E CabreraDepartment of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706.
H HuDepartment of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850.
Y GongDepartment of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706.
G M GraefDepartment of Public and Ecosystem Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850.
M R Villalobos-BarqueroDepartment of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850.
J P OliverDepartment of Animal Science, PRO-DAIRY Dairy Environmental Systems Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
D V NydamDepartment of Public and Ecosystem Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850.
N AyacheNational Milk Producers Federation, Arlington, VA 22201.
L McClintockDairy Management Inc., Rosemont, IL 60018.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) model is an open-source, modular, whole-farm simulation platform designed to support interdisciplinary research, innovation, and decision making in sustainable dairy production. This review outlines RuFaS structure, functionality, current applications, and potential for further development. Through integration of biophysical modules for animal, manure, soil and crop, and feed storage systems, RuFaS enables comprehensive evaluation of management strategies, environmental interventions, and productivity outcomes in a whole-farm context. The RuFaS model facilitates hypothesis testing, multi-objective analysis, scenario evaluation, and identification of research gaps by simulating interactions and trade-offs across biological, environmental, and management domains. The model's current applications include its integration into the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management Environmental Stewardship program for GHG accounting and its use in evaluating innovations in nutrition, breeding, and manure management technologies. Its modular architecture supports rapid prototyping, modeling at different scales, and uncertainty analysis, making it adaptable to diverse research questions and stakeholder needs. Finally, it highlights the critical role its open-source foundation has for promoting transparency, reproducibility, and collaborative development across disciplines. Its transparent development process, hosted on GitHub under a GPLv3 license, invites contributions from across disciplines and institutions. Scientists are encouraged to explore RuFaS as a tool for advancing their own research, contributing to model development, and engaging in a shared effort to improve the sustainability of dairy systems.

Identifiers

PMID41497380
PMCPMC12766618

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.