Pardon moo: research team on quest for greener cows
● Project aims to cut methane burps and flatulence in outdoor cattle
Scotland has some of the world’s toughest targets for slashing climate-warming emissions, but some sources are much harder to eliminate than others.
Livestock is a case in point – ever y little belch and trump given off by sheep and cattle sends out a waft of methane, a potent heat-trapping gas.
And the country is home to a lot of cows and sheep.
Farm animals are responsible for around five per cent of the UK’S total greenhouse gas emissions. However, studies have shown that a specially adapted diet can reduce methane emissions.
Scientists at Scotland’s Rural College( SR U C) have done extensive studies on cattle reared indoors, but technological restrictions have meant there is relatively little data for animals that live outside.
Now they are launching a pioneering new project that aims to fill that gap.
The researchers have teamed up with the University of Strathclyde to develop and adapt existing precision livestock farming technology to monitor and reduce methane production.
This includes animalmounted activity sensors and systems that will record a beast’ s location, feeding behaviour and weight as it roams around the fields.
Since around 90 per cent of Scotland’s cattle live outdoors for much of the year, it is hoped the study will help identify the best options for managing grass land and grazing animals to cut methane.
SRUC’S Professor Richard Dewhurst said: “One of the key approaches for r educing methane emissions is to increase the health, fertility and longevity of animals.
“By adapting technologies used to monitor and manage these things for housed cattle, we expect to deliver similar benefits for grazing cattle.”
Professor Craig Michie, from the University of Strathclyde, added :“Creating a batterypowered methane-sensing unit with the required performance for grazing cattle builds on our expertise both in advanced optical sensors for hostile environments and the pioneering innovation of neck-mounted collars that identify key conditions of individual animals.”
The Grastech project has been granted £250,000 of funding from the UK government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as part of a coll aborative research project with European partners.
UK farming minister George Eustice said: “We are proud to be sponsoring this work by Scotland’ s Rural College, which will bring forward new technologies to support farmers across all four corners of the UK to rise to the challenge.”