Why Reduce Methane Emissions from Cows?
Cows and other ruminant animals produce enteric (intestinal) methane as part of their natural digestive process. Enteric methane is the single largest source of direct greenhouse gases generated by the beef and dairy sectors. As the global demand for animal products, such as milk and meat, is expected to increase by more than 60% in coming decades, livestock production will need to expand as well, further increasing enteric methane emissions. Reducing these emissions is critical to slowing the effects of climate change while also helping the dairy and beef sectors meet their sustainability goals. However, more research is needed to determine how to safely, sustainably and productively reduce the amount of methane that cows produce.
Selective Breeding to Produce Dairy Cows with Lower Emissions
In this episode of The Dairy Signal™, Dr. Francisco Peñagaricano, assistant professor of quantitative genomics, University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison), and Dr. Guillermo Martinez Boggio, research assistant, UW-Madison, discuss their research combining interventions that address selective breeding, data on milk composition and rumen microbes to gain the necessary knowledge to inform the selective breeding of U.S. dairy cattle that emit less methane.
Their research project is funded by a $2,301,499 grant from the Greener Cattle Initiative (GCI), a multi-partner international consortium investing in research mitigating enteric methane. The Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding contributed additional funding, for a total $3,301,496 research investment.