Breeding tannin-rich clover and ryegrass could curb cow burps
Bermingham EN, Burke JL, Khan AM, Wedlock DN, Janssen PH
Climate Adaptation
The clover and ryegrass growing in that grazed paddock down the road are being redesigned with more tannins and lipids specifically to change what happens inside a cow's stomach, a reminder that pasture plants are agricultural technology as much as scenery.
Cows and sheep burp out methane as a natural part of digesting grass, and that gas adds up to a huge chunk of New Zealand's climate footprint. Researchers are looking at seaweed extracts, special feed additives, and even vaccines to calm down the gut microbes that make the methane, but they're especially excited about breeding new versions of clover and ryegrass that are naturally richer in tannins and healthy fats, since those compounds seem to shift digestion in a way that produces less gas. No single trick solves the problem on its own, so farmers will likely end up mixing several of these approaches together.
Key Findings
Chemical inhibitors like 3-nitrooxypropanol and bromoform-based seaweed compounds (Asparagopsis) block methane-producing gut microbes but need continuous dosing, which is hard to manage in open pasture systems.
Tannin-rich and lipid-enhanced forage plants, including engineered clover and ryegrass varieties, can lower methane output while also reducing emissions from animal waste.
Animal breeding for low-methane traits offers a permanent reduction, and early-life rumen interventions in calves show promise but need testing beyond 12 months of age.
chevron_right Technical Summary
New Zealand scientists are testing ways to cut methane burps from cows and sheep, since livestock digestion is a major source of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. The review finds that no single fix works everywhere on pasture, so farms will likely need to combine several tools: special feed additives, tannin-rich or high-lipid forage plants, selective breeding, and eventually vaccines.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Mitigation of enteric methane production by ruminants: strategies relevant to New Zealand's pasture-based agricultural systems.
The Paris Agreement requires New Zealand to reduce its overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As a consequence, there is increased interest in reducing enteric methane (CH4), a major emission sour...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Gene editing removes 97% of celiac-triggering proteins from bread wheat
It could mean that people with celiac disease — roughly 1 in 100 worldwide — may one day safely eat bread made from real wheat, without sacrificing the taste...
Clovers, also called trefoils, are plants of the genus Trifolium, consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with the highest diversity in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species al...