Methane Emission Reduction Strategies in Livestock Agricultural Systems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22818225Keywords:
enteric methane, 3-nitrooxypropanol, Asparagopsis taxiformis, nitrate supplementation, low-methane breeding, manure management, anaerobic digestion, dairy cattle, greenhouse gas mitigationAbstract
Enteric methane from ruminant livestock is a major contributor to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, and
interest in mitigation has intensified as several feed additives have moved from experimental to commercial use.
We conducted an 18-month multi-site trial across 14 commercial dairy farms in Belgium, Ireland, and Sweden,
enrolling 1,680 lactating Holstein-Friesian cows across four feeding arms: 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP, 60 mg/kg dry
matter intake), Asparagopsis taxiformis meal (0.5% organic matter inclusion), encapsulated calcium nitrate (1.5%
dry matter), and an unsupplemented control, with methane measured by automated head-chamber (GreenFeed)
systems. A parallel six-farm manure sub-study compared covered anaerobic digestion with conventional uncovered
slurry storage using floating flux chambers over 12 months, and a genetic sub-study evaluated residual methane
breeding values already available for a subset of 412 enrolled cows. 3-NOP reduced methane yield by 31% relative
to control with no significant effect on dry matter intake or milk yield. Asparagopsis reduced methane yield by 57%,
the largest effect observed, but was associated with a 6% reduction in dry matter intake at this inclusion rate. Nitrate
reduced methane yield by 13%. Cows in the lowest residual-methane breeding-value quartile emitted 11% less
methane than the highest quartile independent of feeding arm, and this effect was additive with 3-NOP
supplementation. Anaerobic digestion reduced storage-phase manure methane emissions by 76% relative to
uncovered storage, with the largest absolute reduction during summer months. These findings indicate that enteric
feed additives, genetic selection, and manure management act through largely independent mechanisms and can
be combined for cumulative, commercially viable methane reduction in dairy systems.
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