August 30, 2019
Cows, and other ruminant livestock, produce methane while digesting their food. They then burp out methane, which is a greenhouse gas with 28 times the heat trapping potential of carbon dioxide. Reducing the amount of methane released by ruminants has been an important quest for many years.
Researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast discovered that a pink algae called Asparagopsis taxiformis, when added to dry feed, reduced the methane emissions of cows entirely. The algae interacts with the microbiome of the cow, in turn reducing methane production.
Since this discovery was made the team have been working hard to find ways to sustainably grow commercial quantities of the algae to allow for production at levels that will allow it to be used worldwide.
Source: Science Alert
Read more: http://ow.ly/MoUF50vK8jD
