SLU participates in global effort to reduce methane emissions from cows

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) is participating in a new global initiative to reduce methane emissions from ruminants by 25 per cent in 25 years. The initiative, supported by the Bezos Earth Fund and the Global Methane Hub, covers five continents and over 100,000 animals. In Sweden, the work is led by Växa Sverige with support of SLU.

SLU's infrastructure enables large-scale data collection

Measurements of methane in exhaled air from cows have recently begun on Swedish farms, using so-called "sniffers" installed in milking robots. The equipment makes it possible to collect large amounts of data from privately owned farms. The project also uses advanced measurement tools such as the GreenFeed system, which is used on SLU's own experimental farms.

‘The measurements generate daily data that will now be integrated into SLU's data platform Gigacow. This is the first step in enabling large-scale breeding for cows that naturally emit less methane,’ says Ingemar Ohlsson, researcher at SLU.

Research supporting sustainable food production

Methane is a greenhouse gas that affects the climate in the short term. Emissions from ruminants account for a significant part of the climate impact of agriculture. By developing animals that produce less methane, without compromising animal health or production, research can contribute to a more sustainable food supply. 
 
The collaboration also represents the world's largest attempt to influence the interaction between host animals and microbes in the digestive system of ruminants. As methane is mainly produced in the rumen through microbial activity, there is great potential to reduce emissions through selective breeding. 
 
‘In the short term, reduced methane emissions can buy us time in the climate work, but the project also opens up new insights into how the animal's genetics affect the microbiome,’ says Tomas Klingström, who leads the work with SLU Gigacow. 
 
The data-driven research is linked to both milk and feed optimisation, including through SLU's Department of Applied Animal Science and the newly established Seydlitz Laboratory. This ensures that methane efficiency does not come at the expense of, for example, feed efficiency in grassland-based feeding.

A global network with strong Swedish participation

Dr Elisenda Rius Vilarrasa, geneticist at Växa Sverige, is the project leader of the Red sub-project, which includes red breeds such as Swedish Red Cattle (SRB). In addition to Sweden, the other Nordic countries, Canada and the UK, are participating in the sub-project. Globally, the exhaled air of over 100,000 sheep and cows will be measured in the project coordinated by Wageningen University in the Netherlands. 
 
In addition to international funding, the Swedish part of the initiative has received support from the Swedish Board of Agriculture, the Swedish Agricultural Research Foundation and the Knowledge Hub for Agricultural Digitalisation at Linköping University.

Contact person

Tomas Klingström, Phone: +46(0)72 503 19 24, E-mail: tomas.klingstrom@slu.se