How to mitigate methane in dairy cows"
"Methane mitigation in dairy cows exemplifies the One Health approach, where animal, human, and environment are tightly linked", says Mikaela Lindberg, Professor at the Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare.
"The focus of this research area is to investigate how greenhouse gas emissions from milk production can be reduced. Partly by directly lowering emissions from the enteric fermentation of cattle using feed additives, while also studying whether this affects production and animal health. We have used the red algae Asparagopsis taxiformis as an additive. In addition, we are examining the effects of choosing feed ingredients produced with lower greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of feed compared to the most commonly used feed stuffs today. In this case, we have compared it to concentrate feeds with a high content of by-products to concentrate feeds containing a large proportion of ingredients that can be grown locally on the farm."
How does the research relate to the One Health concept?
"Methane mitigation in dairy cows exemplifies the One Health approach, where animal, human, and environment are tightly linked. Enteric methane, produced by rumen archaea during fermentation, is a potent greenhouse gas driving climate change and indirectly affecting human health via food security and disease dynamics."
What do you consider the key challenges and opportunities in your research area for advancing sustainable agriculture amidst the impacts of climate change?
"One key challenge is the complexity of ruminant digestion: methane production is a natural by-product of microbial fermentation, making interventions difficult. Feed additives such as the red algae, show strong potential but face hurdles including variable efficacy, scalability, and cost. Another challenge is the reliance on imported feed with high embedded emissions. However, there are clear opportunities. Optimizing diets with by-products or locally grown low-emission feed ingredients can improve sustainability. Precision livestock technologies can track methane output and guide adaptive management. By combining good management practices to maintain healthy animals with sustainable feeding strategies and, potentially, the addition of feed additives, it is possible to achieve a significant overall reduction in total emissions from ruminant production."