Methane emissions in grazing dairy systems
Our report on research summarizing potential strategies to mitigate methane emissions in grazing dairy systems also made it into the Top 10 most read stories on FeedNavigator in August.
Low-input, long-acting strategies are needed, according to the experts.
Breeding animals for reduced CH4 emissions shows promise, as long as the purchase of such animals is not cost-prohibitive and animal production is not impaired, they said.
Development of vaccines that target methanogen reduction would be especially useful on grazing farms where cows cannot be supplemented continuously, though they are some years away in terms of commercial development, they added.
The authors also pointed out that further research on slow-release delivery technologies would be beneficial, technologies that provide a constant supply of CH4-inhibiting activity in the rumen for cows not supplemented continuously.
Photo Credit: GettyImages/Tony C French
