University of Alberta Folio – Nov 5, 2024 – by Bev Betkowski.
New University of Alberta research aims to genetically reduce methane emissions from beef cattle, while making that technology easier for producers to use.
The five-year project is the first to test a large-scale way to measure the methane produced by beef cattle in Canada, to help producers genetically identify which animals in their herds produce less of the potent greenhouse gas.
At the same time, the project focuses on creating a carbon offset protocol that, if approved by governments, would give beef producers a financial return on using genetic selection in their herds.
“Removing those kinds of existing barriers can help the Canadian beef industry stay resilient and along with that, help ease environmental impact,” says project lead Dr. John Basarab, an associate professor of livestock genetics in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences and RDAR Research Professor in Beef Cattle Genetics and Genomics.
Using more than 2,300 beef cattle in the field, including from the Roy Berg Kinsella Research Ranch, the researchers are using an emissions monitoring system to measure methane breathed or burped out by the animals as they feed on treat pellets.
Read the full story Beef Methane Emissions Research.