What can be done to reduce methane production by cows?

ASK THE HORT AGENT

Question What can be done to reduce methane production by cows?

Answer Approximately 18 percent of the greenhouse effect is caused by methane. It is second only to carbon dioxide. Methane breaks down in the atmosphere to form carbon dioxide, ozone and water, all of which absorb heat. If the temperature of the atmosphere rises high enough, then the ice caps melt and folks in Raleigh, NC will have oceanfront property.

There are several major sources of methane: rice paddies, swamps and wetlands, landfills, "biomass burning" (mostly in the Amazon rain forest) and animals. Ninety percent of animal methane is produced by ruminants (cud-chewers). These include sheep, goats, camels and cows.

Ruminants eat plant material containing cellulose, which can be digested only by special microbes that live in the ruminants' guts. A byproduct from this interior composting process is methane. Cows are responsible for approximately 37 percent of the human-produced methane worldwide. While we can’t control the methane produced by swamps, we should be able to control the methane produced by cows, rice paddies and burning rain forests.

By balancing starch, sugar, cellulose, ash, fat and other elements of feed, a Canadian team of scientists has reduced the methane gas their cattle produce by as much as 25%. Researchers also think another potential 25% reduction could come from selecting cattle that naturally produce less methane. This is called breeding or breed selection. Oh, the Europeans will surely lament over the choice of reducing greenhouse gases or eating a genetically modified cow.

Before the Nobel Peace Prize is given to the Canadians, there is one last option. An associate professor of dairy nutrition at Penn State University found that oregano consistently reduced methane without showing any negative effects. Tests on lactating cows at Penn State's dairy barns showed that oregano decreased methane emissions by 40%. The supplement also increased daily milk production by nearly 3 pounds of milk per cow. Oregano equals less methane and more milk – a win win situation.

For more info about the oregano study, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/48055 If you have questions or don’t have internet access, then call me at 910-893-7530 or email me at gpierce@harnett.org

The secret to greenhouse gas reductions may be a simple herb called oregano. According to the Andy Griffith Show, the secret to great spaghetti sauce is oregano. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INSvOryXZ_w Since the solutions to life are on the Andy Griffith Show, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6JrAcuHsJ0 if the Penn State boys had watched more Andy, they may have made the connection sooner.

Gary L. Pierce

Horticulture Extension Agent

Harnett County