Study prioritises cutting emissions, maintaining profit

Finding solutions to help farmers reduce emissions and maintain on-farm profit is one of the priorities of a New Zealand/ Ireland joint research programme.

“The joint programme strengthens our connection with Ireland and enables Aotearoa New Zealand to leverage current and future research,” DairyNZ principal scientist Jane Kay said.

Researchers, students, professors and database technology experts from DairyNZ and Ireland’s Agriculture and Food Development Authority (Teagasc), University College Cork and Irish Cattle Breeding Federation would work together for the next four years to quantify methane emissions from dairy cows in pasture-based systems.

“Our world-leading scientists will work with New Zealand farmers, research organisations and commercial companies to develop workable and scalable mitigation solutions that can be widely adopted on-farm to reduce emissions in a sustainable and viable way.”

The study aimed to determine the effect of base methane emissions, and how cows responded to methane-reducing technologies, Kay said.

A methane database for pasture-based systems would be established for both countries.

In New Zealand, most research on methane mitigation technologies was undertaken at Lye Farm, one of DairyNZ’s two Waikato research farms.

“We’re excited about our continued work alongside farmers and other sector and research organisations to develop mitigation solutions for our unique pasturebased farm systems – and to get ahead of the environmental challenges farmers face,” Kay said.

DairyNZ was awarded funding in 2023 as part of a pilot joint research initiative between New Zealand and Ireland. The joint research programme got under way in February.