Measuring methane at grass - backpacks used for methane collection from grazing beef cattle. Image created by Dr Tommy Boland, UCD School of Agriculture, Food Science & Veterinary Medicine and collaborator on the research project.
A new study conducted by the UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science and the UCD School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine has found that the inclusion of 2% fish oil in the diet of cattle reduces the amount of methane released by the animals. This lowering of emissions is important for the environment, as methane given off by farm animals is a major contribution to greenhouse gas levels.
Speaking at the recent Society for General Microbiology meeting in Harrogate, postdoctoral researcher Lorraine Lillis said, ‘The fish oil affects the methane-producing bacteria in the rumen part of the cow's gut, leading to reduced emissions. Understanding which microbial species are particularly influenced by changes in diet and relating them to methane production could bring about a more targeted approach to reducing methane emissions in animals.’
More than a third of all methane emissions, around 900 billion tonnes every year, are produced by methanogen bacteria that live in the digestive systems of ruminants such as cattle, sheep and goats. By volume, methane is 20 times more powerful at trapping solar energy than carbon dioxide making it a potent greenhouse gas.
Approximately 50% of Irish agricultural methane emissions result from farm animals. There have been suggestions that a cap be placed on the number of animals in animal production due to their methane production, but with a reduction in methane levels through diet this may not be as necessary.
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