University of Galway has received €1.4m to lead research into greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction solutions for agriculture.

The research-based project - methane abatement in grazing systems (MAGS) - will look at breeding strategies and feed and manure additives to mitigate methane in beef and dairy farming.

Beef cattle in Teagasc Grange, Co Meath, and Holstein Friesian dairy cows in AFBI, Hillsborough, Northern Ireland, will be used to evaluate novel slow-release feed additives in combination with microbiome-assisted genomic breeding values on animal performance, health and enteric methane emissions.

The effect of manure and slurry additives at farm-scale will also be monitored.

Feed

Various slow-release formats of an oxidising methane inhibitor, commercially known as RumenGlas and developed by Glasport Bio, will be evaluated, both on its own and in combination with a range of other promising feed additives for beef and dairy cattle.

A trial in Teagasc Grange demonstrated that a pelleted format of the inhibitor reduced methane by 28%, with no negative effects observed on animal performance or health.

Manure

The efficacy of a slurry additive, GasAbate, produced by GlasPort Bio, will be tested at farm-scale, with the aim of creating a blueprint for widespread agri-sector roll out.

Some beef cattle can emit up to 30% less methane

Methane losses from stored manures account for around 10% of Irish agricultural GHG emissions.

No effective, widely implementable and commercially available mitigation solutions currently exist. But research has shown the GasAbate additive reduces methane losses from stored slurries by more than 80%.

Breeding

In conjunction with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, the MAGS project will develop and validate a selection and breeding programme for beef and dairy cattle that emit less methane which is produced from the gut during grazing.

Research by the project partners has already shown that some beef cattle can emit up to 30% less methane, for the same level of performance.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture with special responsibility for research and development Martin Heydon said: “The €1.4m committed to the MAGS project by my Department, along with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, is an indication of our ambition and commitment to reduce methane emissions from agriculture. This project builds on the success of previously DAFM-funded projects in this area, such as ‘MethAbate’ and ‘GreenBreed’," he said.