Trial shows methane reduction in herds using health system

Early detection of health problems in dairy cows could could lead up to a 15% reduction in the methane emissions they produce, according to new research.

The work was carried out by the Agricultural Research and Education Centre (AREC) Raumberg-Gumpenstein in Austria, in conjunction with dairy innovators, smaXtec. It looked at the impact of animal health on methane emissions.

Researchers found that smaXtec’s state-of-the-art bolus technology cah help farmers detect and treat sick cows sooner.

They say this could lead to a 10-15% reduction in the amount of methane emissions per kg of milk produced.

Thomas Guggenberger, head of the Institute of Livestock Research at AREC Raumberg-Gumpenstein, says the calculation is based on IPCC standards to measure the benefits of smaXtec’s health monitoring system to improve animal health.

Longer life

“Our calculations, which are also based on our own respiration experiments, have shown that animals with a longer useful life emit less methane per litre of milk at typical breed performance,” he adds.

“Early detection of disease and proactive health management can reduce animal losses, effectively reducing methane emissions in the dairy industry.”

Chris Howarth, global sales director at smaXtec, says   the findings correlate with a report called Acting on Methane by Ruminant Health & Welfare. It  shows that better animal health can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10%.

He adds: “The smaXtec system has been proven to accurately detect diseases, such as mastitis, long before clinical symptoms appear.

Lower emissions

“This study with AREC Raumberg-Gumpenstein shows that this not only leads to animals being treated quickly, and in turn an improvement to their overall health, but a reduction in the methane emissions intensity of each litre of milk they produce.”

Mr Howarth claims methane emissions from cattle are not comparable to emissions from fossil fuels because cow methane is converted back to carbon dioxide after about 12 years. However, despite this natural recycling process, reducing emissions will help farmers meet government targets.

“This study shows that our advanced system can lead to healthier cows and help farmers reduce the total methane emissions from their herds effectively and quickly – something that’s good for both the climate and wider dairy industry.”