Dr. Edwards completed his Doctor of Philosophy Degree, Livestock Science, from the University of the West Indies 2023. His thesis has the main objective of evaluating the effect of tannins on the nutritive value of Gliricidia sepium and Leucaena leucocephala pods available to farmers in Trinidad and Tobago. Attention was focused on establishing strategies through which the beneficial effects of tannins can be maximized (enhanced meat quality parameters) while any antinutritional effects are minimized for the benefit of lamb production for resource-poor farmers in Trinidad and Tobago. This study seeks, in part to develop dry season feeding strategies based on tree pods for improved lamb production and to evaluate the health benefits to humans in terms of meat fatty acid composition that could be derived from the presence of tannins in these pods. Andell obtained his Master of Philosophy Degree, Livestock Science, from the University of the West Indies 2012. Some of his research focused on the in vitro digestibility of proteinacious forages, the effect of harvesting intervals on the chemical characteristics of forage trees and investigating tannin bioavailability in tree forages using a tannin binding agent. He also received a BSc degree in general Agriculture in 2006 from the University of the West Indies and an Associate Degree in agriculture at the Eastern Caribbean Institute of Agriculture and Forestry.

As an Instructor he has delivered courses in the areas of Feeds and Feeding, Animal Nutrition, Tropical forages, Ruminant production, Small Stock production, Poultry production, Advance Non-Ruminant production, Meat Science and Biostatistics. A synopsis of his scholarly articles and conference presentations include: The effect of PEG as a tannin binding agent, the effect of tree forages as a supplement to basal grass and the effect of tree species and cutting interval on nutritive value.

TERTIARY EDUCATION:

1. University of the West Indies, Ph.D. Livestock Science

 

1. University of the West Indies, MPhil. Livestock Science

 

2006-2008        University of the West Indies, B.Sc. Agriculture (First Class Honors)

2002-2004        College of Science Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTATT),   

                             Associate Degree Applied Agriculture.

Programme Leader BAFT 25/2/2025 - 31/08/2026

Excellence in Teaching Awards 2026

Course Name	Institution	Years Taught
Forage Production	UTT	2014-2017
Feeds and Feeding	UTT	2014-2017
Poultry Production	UTT	2014-2023
Trends in Animal Health & Veterinary Public	UTT	2018-2023
Small Ruminant Production	UTT	2014-2023
Animal Nutrition	UWI/UTT	2017-2023
Animal Law and Ethics	UTT	2018-2023
Animal Diseases	UTT	2016-2019
Teaching in the Primary School	UTT	2016-2020
Principles of Food and Nutrition	UTT	2018-2023
Meat and Poultry Processing	UTT	2019-2022
Meat Processing II	UTT	2019-2022
Human Nutrition	UTT	2019-2023
Field Training Cycle	UTT	2014-2023
Farm Practices I	UTT	2014-2023
Nutrition and Metabolism	UTT	2019-2023
Meat Science	UTT	2019 - 2023
Apiculture, Aquaculture, Wildlife	UTT	2020 - 2023
Biostatistics	UTT	2015 - 2018
Plant and Herbivore Activity	UTT	2014 - 2017
Advance non-ruminant Production	UTT	2019 - 2020
Setting up a garden in the primary school	UTT	2017 - 2021

 

Postgraduate Research Opportunities

I welcome postgraduate students interested in applied research in animal nutrition, livestock production and sustainable tropical agriculture, particularly research addressing challenges relevant to Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean.

Potential areas for MSc, MPhil and PhD research include:

Tropical Animal Nutrition and Alternative Feeds

• Development of cost-effective livestock diets using locally available feed resources.
• Evaluation of agro-industrial and food-processing by-products for animal feeding.
• Strategies to reduce dependence on imported livestock feeds.
• Optimisation of feeding programmes for improved animal performance and profitability.

Climate-Smart Forage and Feed Systems

• Climate-resilient forage production for tropical livestock.
• Innovative approaches to forage conservation and dry-season feeding.
• Hydroponic and alternative forage-production systems.
• Drought-tolerant and high-protein forage resources for livestock.

Small-Ruminant Production

• Nutritional and management strategies for improving sheep and goat productivity.
• Improving growth, reproductive performance and feed efficiency.
• Sustainable production systems for meat and dairy goats.
• Strategies for improving the profitability of small-ruminant enterprises.

Poultry Nutrition and Production

• Alternative feed ingredients for broiler and layer production.
• Natural feed additives and non-antibiotic approaches to poultry nutrition.
• Improving feed efficiency and production performance under tropical conditions.
• Low-cost and sustainable poultry production systems.

Animal Product Quality

• Effects of feeding systems on meat and milk quality.
• Nutritional manipulation of animal products to improve their value to consumers.
• Carcass characteristics and meat quality of locally produced livestock.
• Improving the quality and value of locally produced goat milk and meat products.

Precision and Sustainable Livestock Systems

• Application of digital technologies and production data in livestock management.
• Precision feeding and performance monitoring.
• Circular livestock systems using agricultural and food-industry resources.
• Integrated crop–livestock systems for improved resource efficiency.
• Economic and environmental evaluation of sustainable livestock-production strategies.

Research Focus

I am particularly interested in supervising research that combines animal nutrition, local feed resources, climate resilience, production efficiency and sustainable livestock development.

Prospective postgraduate students are encouraged to make contact to discuss the development of research projects aligned with these areas and their individual research interests.

1. A EDWARDS*, V. MLAMBO, G. GARCIA, C. LALLO (2012). Yield, chemical composition and in vitro ruminal organic matter digestibility of Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala and Trichanthera gigantea as influenced by harvesting frequency. Journal of Animal Science Advances 2012 2 (Suppl 3.2):321-331

Journal Impact factor: 3.338

Citation Index: 48

 

2. Andell Edwards1*, Victor Mlambo1, Cicero Horatio Octavius Lallo2, Gary Wayne Garcia2 and Michael Davanan Diptee3 (2012). In vitro ruminal fermentation of leaves from three tree forages in response to incremental levels of polyethylene glycol. Open Journal of Animal Sciences 2 (3): 142-149

Journal Impact factor: 1.35

Citation Index: 11

 

3. Andell Edwards1*, Victor Mlambo1, Cicero Horatio Octavius Lallo2, Gary Wayne Garcia2 (2012).  In vitro ruminal protein degradability of leaves from three tree species harvested at two cutting intervals. Online Journal of Animal and Feed Research 2 (3): 224-230

Journal Impact factor: 0.35

Citation Index: 2

 

4. Andell Edwards1*, Victor Mlambo1, Cicero Horatio Octavius Lallo2, Gary Wayne Garcia2 (2012). In vitro ruminal fermentation parameters of tanner grass (Brachiaria arrecta) supplemented with leaves from Three forage trees. Livestock Research For Rural Development 24 (6) 2012

Journal Impact factor: 0.59

Citation Index: 33

 

5. N. Bernard1, A. Mohammed2, A. Edwards2 and P. Bridgemohan2 (2016). Effect of Aloe barbadense Leaf and Gel Aqueous Extracts During the Starter and Finishing Phases of Broiler Production. International Journal of Poultry Science15 (1): 15-20, 2016

Journal Impact factor: 0.5

Citation Index: 31

6. Aphzal Mohammed, Andell Edwards, Mario Baboolal and Puran Bridgemohan (2016). Low Performance of Broilers from the inclusion of Celmanax prebiotic into a Starter and Finishing feed for Poultry. International Journal of Poultry Science 15 (2): 48-51, 2016

Journal Impact factor: 0.5

Citation Index: 31

 

7. A. Mohammed, H. Ramlall, A. Edwards, S. Sieuchand, A Khan (2016). Effect of partial replacement of soybean meal with fish silage in a conventional starter and finisher diets on performance of broilers International Journal of Poultry Science 15 (8): 313-315 ISSN 1682-8356

Journal Impact factor: 0.5

Citation Index: 31

 

8. Angelisah Khan, Aphzal Mohammed, Janelle Samaroo, Andell Edwards, Puran Bridgemohan, Shenese Sieuchand and Garvin Perry (2016). Preliminary observations on changes in blood metabolite concentrations in early lactation in lactating buffaloes compared with open buffaloes a case study. International Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Research 2 (3): 447-454, 2016

Journal Impact factor: 5.59

Citation Index: 11

 

 

10. Andell Edwards and Tamika Birmingham (2023). An investigation of the effect of drying methods on the nutritive value of forage grasses. Net Journal of Agricultural Science, 11(3), 29 – 34.

Journal impact factor: 1.57

Citation: 3

 

11. A. Mohammed, Angelisah Khan, Indira Pargass, Puran Bridgemohan, A. Edwards, H.S. Stewart, F.G. Youssef, Shenese Sieuchand (2017). Serum mineral levels in goats of various physiological stages in the dry and wet seasons in Central Trinidad. Trace elements in medicine Russian 18 (2):17-27., 2017

Journal Impact factor: 3.845

Citation: 66

12. Mohammed A, Khan A, Bridgemohan P, Edwards A. (2017). Weekly milk yields analysis using a polynomial quadratic model for two Holstein cows over five lactations reared under a semi intensive management system. Int. J Vet Sci Anim. Husb.2017; 2 (3): 27-29

Journal Impact factor: 5.69

Citation: 60

 

Andell Edwards and Ariel John (2017). Effect of a nitrogen fertilizer on the chemical composition of two grass species grown at the ECIAF campus Annual Meeting of the CFCS in Puerto Rico, July 16-22, 2017.

 

15. Aphzal Mohammed, Aishah Rolingson, Andell Edwards, Angelisah Khan and Anthony Griffith (2016). A preliminary investigation on the variation of milk composition during lactation of ten pure bred Anglo Nubian goats from Trinidad 67th Annual Meeting of EAAP29 August – 2 Sept 2016. Poster session 71 Book of Abstracts p. 645.

 

16. Mohammed, A., Edwards, A., Bridgemohan, P., Suepaul, R. Effects of liquid celmanax on performance criteria during the grow-out period of broiler production. 52: Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) in poultry, aquaculture, less conventional animals, exotic animals, reindeers, horses etc. EAAP Annual Meeting 2018, Dubrovnik, Croatia.

 

17. Hospedales, Ricardo1*; Davis, Francis2; Edwards, Andell¹. ASSESSING FORAGE QUALITY FOR GUINEA PIGS (Cavia porcellus) IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: 7 al 11 de Mayo de 2018, Ciudad del Este – Paraguay Formulario de envío de resumen.

 

 

18. Poster: Aphzal Mohammed, Andell Edwards, Puran Bridgemohan, Janine Seetahal, Neemdass Chandool, Garvin Perry (2014). Nutrient analyses and certain blood nutritional indices of food sources fed to a colony of the red rump agouti (agouti dasyprocta) XICIMFAUNA (The 11th International Conference on Management of Amazonian and Latin American Wildlife) held 17 to 22 August 2014 in Trinidad and Tobago

 

19. Poster: Andell Edwards and Louis Farrel (2017). A comparative look into milk chemical composition, dramanski score and milk yield of dairy cattle and water buffaloes in mid lactation. Annual Meeting of the CFCS in Puerto Rico, July 16-22, 2017.
20.  Clarke K, Edwards A, 2026. Effects of ensiling tropical grassLeucaena mixtures on chemical composition and group dry-matter intake by Barbados Black Belly ewes. Net J Agric Sci, 13(1): 10-15.
21. Kishma Anthony, Andell Edwards, 2026. Comparative nutritional evaluation of hydroponically produced corn (Zea mays L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) fodder as alternative feed resources for ruminants under tropical conditions. Journal of Research in Agriculture and Animal Science Volume 13 (9): 06-09.

 

 

Conference Proceedings

EFFECT OF A NITROGEN FERTILIZER ON THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF TWO GRASS SPECIES GROWN AT THE ECIAF CAMPUS
EFFECT OF A NITROGEN FERTILIZER ON THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF TWO GRASS SPECIES GROWN AT THE ECIAF CAMPUS

Peer-reviewed Journal Article

An investigation of the effect of drying methods on the nutritive value of forage grasses
The Effect of Different Inclusion Levels of a Commercial Concentrate On the Growth Performance of Weaned Lambs
Yield, chemical Composition and In Vitro Ruminal Fermentation of the Leaves of Leucaena Leucocephala, Gliricidia Sepium and Trichanthera Gigantea as Influenced by Harvesting Frequency
In vitro ruminal fermentation parameters of tanner grass (Brachiaria arrecta) supplemented with leaves from three forage trees
IN VITRO RUMINAL PROTEIN DEGRADABILITY OF LEAVES FROM THREE TREE SPECIES HARVESTED AT TWO CUTTING INTERVALS
A Preliminary Look into the Effect of Feeding Frequency on the Performance Parameters of Weaner Pigs
In vitro ruminal fermentation parameters of tanner grass (Brachiaria arrecta) supplemented with leaves from three forage trees
Mature fruits of Gliricidia sepium and Leucaena leucocephala plants have potential as inexpensive protein and mineral supplements for ruminants
Effects of ensiling tropical grass-Leucaena mixtures on chemical composition and group dry-matter intake by Barbados Black Belly ewes
Comparative nutritional evaluation of hydroponically produced corn (Zea mays L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) fodder as alternative feed resources for ruminants under tropical conditions

Poster Presentation

A COMPARATIVE LOOK INTO MILK CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, DRAMANSKI SCORE AND MILK YIELD OF DAIRY CATTLE AND WATER BUFFALOES IN MID LACTATION