CFANS in 60: Reducing Methane in Dairy Cattle
June 15, 2023
As we celebrate Dairy Month this June, CFANS researchers are kicking off research to help lower emissions on dairy farms and help the U.S. dairy industry achieve its goal of greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050.
The U.S. dairy industry is on a mission to reduce its carbon footprint. CFANS Animal Science Professor Brad Heins is researching ways to help it do just that.
At the West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris, MN, Heins’ research program explores how crossbreeding in dairy cattle, organic dairy production, and renewable energy systems can reduce the emissions generated by dairies.
This summer, Heins is collaborating with several other University of Minnesota researchers to kick off a research project focused on decreasing the emissions of enteric methane from dairy cattle.
A significant portion of the methane emissions in dairy production come from cows’ breath as a normal part of their digestive process. Most research on reducing methane emissions from dairy cows has focused solely on nutritional strategies, but Heins and his collaborators suspect other factors, such as animal genetics, play a role as well.
The team is collecting baseline methane emission data from Holstein and crossbred dairy cattle and investigating the differences in energy used for maintenance, milk production, and emissions between the two breeds. The team is also experimenting with incorporating red seaweed into the diets of dairy cattle as a strategy to reduce GHG emissions.
This research serves as a crucial step toward lowering emissions on dairy farms and helping the U.S. dairy industry achieve its goal of greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050 as part of the industry’s 2050 Environmental Stewardship Goals.
This research is supported by the Minnesota Rapid Agricultural Response Fund (RARF). RARF allows University of Minnesota researchers to respond to urgent issues and challenges facing Minnesota's agricultural and natural resource industries.
