Introduction
The Department of Animal Science is the leading expert and research group in livestock farming in Slovenia. Our work encompasses cattle breeding, pig farming, and beekeeping.
Our multidisciplinary team of experts enables us to address current challenges in animal production and processing through research, while indirectly supporting crop production through animal feed research and pollinator services.
The foundation of our technical expertise is a centralized database gathering comprehensive data on selection, nutrition, parentage, and yield performance. We digitize existing datasets and develop dedicated tools to assist stakeholders, including both livestock breeders and decision-makers.
We advise, train, and guide stakeholders while providing key information to the public, including up-to-date assessments of the environmental footprint of livestock farming.
Areas of work
Genetics and Breeding: - Maintenance of herdbooks, data collection, and production recording management - Genetic analysis, parentage verification, and determination of monogenic traits and diseases - Research in selection, design, and optimization of breeding programs, and bioinformatics
Meat and Meat Product Quality: - Assessment of meat quality and carcass traits in cattle and pigs - Analysis of the impact of breeding conditions, nutrition, and processing on meat quality
Animal Nutrition: - Ruminant nutrition and quality assessment of forage using the NIRS method - Development of NIRS calibration equations, evaluation of feed energy value, and grassland and grazing trials
The Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollutant Unit - The Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollutant Unit aligns its aims with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to contribute simultaneously to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Focuse is on: • Development and application of GHG calculations using IPCC approaches (Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3) across various animal species (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, poultry, rabbits, horses) and at different levels (e.g. individual animal, farm, region, breed, national, international). • International collaboration on mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy of milk. • International collaboration on sustainable development, sustainability assessment, and tool development. • GHG reporting and development of tools for assessing GHG emissions for dairy farmers within the national milk recording scheme. • Research on sustainability and climate metrics and their application in practice. • Alternative livestock manure management methods. • Preparation of national nitrogen and phosphorus budgets. • Preparing content for national strategic documents (e.g. Long-term Climate Strategy, National Energy and Climate Plan) and national reports (e.g. Climate Report on the State of Agriculture, Slovenia's National Inventory Document on GHG emissions, Slovenian Informative Inventory Report on emissions of air pollutants).
Digitalization and Information Systems - Digitalization of animal science databases - Development of information systems and user support
Consultancy - Consultancy, preparation of reports, and operational programs.
Infrastructure
Public services
Associates
Head of department
Assistant Professor Janez Prešern, PhD
A biologist by training, his research interests focus on the behavior and physiology of bees and other insects, as well as the evaluation of their ecosystem services. He gained professional and research experience both in Slovenia (National Institute of Biology; Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana) and abroad (University of Missouri, USA; Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany). His previous work centered on sensory physiology and information processing in the central nervous system, whereas his current research focuses on bee reproductive behavior and the valuation of pollinator ecosystem services. He serves as Head of the Department of Animal Science at KIS and leads the Beekeeping Research Group, directing its expert and research activities.
Researchers
Žan Pečnik
Responsible for tasks related to the calculation of greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions, evaluation of mitigation factors, and implementation of methods for predicting novel traits with an emphasis on milk MIR spectroscopy. Also contributes to the development of the CPZ Govedo database. In their free time, researches the genomics of nitrogen excretion in cattle.
🔗 SICRIS | ORCID | ResearchGate
Professional and technical staff
Projects
AGRIECOMED – Agroecological practices to support productivity, soil health, biodiversity, and socioecological sustainability under climate change in smallholder farms in the Mediterranean region (N4-0491)
Pheno4P – Fenomski pristop k proizvodnji vrhunskih izdelkov iz prašičjega mesa
N4-0480 – Advanced cryobiology and biomarker-based strategies for the preservation of genetic resources in endangered indigenous pig breeds
APIQUALIS – Vpliv podnebnih sprememb na sestavo in kakovost izbranih čebeljih pridelkov
FEATURE – Bodoča krma za trajnostno evropsko živinorejsko proizvodnjo
ODEON – Okoljsko, ekonomsko in družbeno odgovorna živinoreja
EIP Digitalne rešitve za trajnostno govedorejo
BEEography – Analiza evolucijske zgodovine medonosne čebele za trajnostno izboljševanje populacij (J4-60081)
GenoTrot – Genotipizacija trotovske sperme za boljše razumevanje reproduktivnih lastnosti medonosne čebele (J4-60075)
Genomski pristop za rejo na izboljšano kakovost mesa pri lokalni pasmi krškopoljskega prašiča (Z4-60178)
Pollination deficit in Slovenian agriculture (V4-2411)
Evaluation of factors for effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions ((V5-2366)
BeeGuards – Vzdržljivo čebelarstvo in vzreja za obvarovanje genetskih virov ter storitev opraševanja
BEE2GETHER – Krepitev čezmejnega inovativnega sistema za izboljšanje biotske raznovrstnosti z monitoringom čebel
Modeliranje prehranskih potreb in učinkovitosti krmljenja prašičev ter ocena kakovosti mesa glede na način reje (V4-2201)
SimTROT – Vir trotov ter njihov doprinos h genetskemu napredku pri medonosni čebeli (L4-2624)
A-SUS – Avtentični produkti višje kakovosti in trajnostna prašičereja (L7-4568)
DigŽiv – Digitalizacija podatkovnih zbirk v živinoreji
J4-3094: Identification of genetic and metabolic properties of fatty pig breeds – case of Krškopolje pig
SUSFORAGE – Travno deteljne mešanice za trajnostno kmetijsko rabo v mediteranskem območju (N4-0200)
GEroNIMO – Selekcija na podlagi genoma in epigenoma pri neprežvekovalcih
Publications
Viri energije ter uporaba sistema neto energije v prehrani prašičev pitancev
