2023-07-13 10:47:07
Cattle – WALLPAPERFLARE.COM
MADRID, 13 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The addition of tropical algae ‘red sea feather’ to cattle feces can cut greenhouse gas emissions from dairy cow manure by nearly half.
Approximately one third of all anthropogenic methane is emitted by ruminant cattle. These animals obtain nutrients by fermenting food in four-chambered stomachs found in cows, sheep, and goats. They produce methane in two ways: by belching and by the decomposition of their dung under certain conditions.
“We showed that adding AT (Asparagopsis taxiformis) to the feces of dairy cows significantly reduced fecal methane production by 44% compared to feces without AT,” says Dr. Mohammad Ramin, an animal science researcher at the University of of Agricultural Sciences– It also turned out that the methane production of the feces of the cows that had received an AT supplement in their diet was not inferior to that in the feces of cows that had not been fed the algae.”
AT is a species of red algae, worldwide in distribution in tropical to warm waters. Its main compound is bromoform, which mitigates methane by blocking the process by which methane is generated. gas. To date it is the most promising natural methane inhibitor.
“Many studies have been conducted using AT in the diets of dairy cows to reduce enteric methane production. However, no study has reported on the decrease in methane emissions from manure,” notes Ramin, quoted by Eureka Alert.
However, adding it to cows’ feed is not without its side effects, as it contains high levels of iodine. Research has shown that if cows are fed with AT, iodine levels increase in milk, which is also consumed by humans.
Iodine is an essential nutrient, but it can be toxic in high concentrations. Elevated iodine levels can cause health problems such as thyroid problems. Researchers are currently working on culturing AT with less iodine in the laboratory.
However, TA can also be used to reduce methane emissions from manure, not just enteric fermentation from cows. This is the approach the researchers took.
The contribution of manure to greenhouse gas emissions depends on several factors, including storage conditions. It is estimated that manure stored in the cool-temperate European climate it is responsible for approximately 12% of the total methane emissions from the dairy system.
“Methane production from manure contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions and must be reduced,” Ramin said. “Our study shows a potential way to use methane inhibitors to achieve this.”
The research is published in ‘Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems’.
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