Methane emission and its mitigation

Methane emission and its mitigation

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Practical strategies to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions are urgently sought, particularly for enteric methane. The most successful strategies will be those, which lead to a profitable increase in animal productivity, as well as reduce enteric methane emission. Enteric methane emissions and its mitigation are directly related with hydrogen utilization, suppression and diversion towards a productive process. Researchers are trying to explore the best possible options for the eradication of enteric methane through feeding, redirecting hydrogen towards productive process, and biological control of rumen archaea.

Objective

  • To study the effect of long term supplementation (rotational) of proven methane ameliorating agents on enteric methanogenesis and rumen microbial population
  • Developing and testing of slow release nitrate sources with/without sulfur combination to study their efficacy on rumen methane reduction
  • To study the underlying mechanism of association between protozoa and methanogens and designing biomolecules for facilitating the disassociation between these two
  • To compare the enteric methane emission among indigenous and crossbred cattle and buffaloes fed on similar feeding regimes. 

Methods

  • Ameliorative measures for the effective and persistent enteric methane reduction for long duration by rotational and intermittent feeding of proven/established sources and overcoming the issue of methanogen resistance to the supplementation
    • Comprehensive data on the effectiveness of ameliorative measures by comparing short and long term impact on methane emission
    • First-hand information on the persistency of mitigation effect after withdrawal of the supplementation of test sources        
  • Development of slow release nitrate source, their optimum dose of supplementation and methods for managing fermentative hydrogen effectively, without any adverse effect on the residing microbes and host animal
  • Biomolecules for blocking the adherence of rumen methanogens and protozoa to prevent interspecies hydrogen transfer and thereby reducing methane emission  
  • First-hand information on the variability in enteric methane emission among indigenous cattle and crossbred cattle and buffaloes when fed on the same dietary regimes.

Expected outcomes

  • Set of practices for the long-term methane amelioration using proven methane ameliorative agents
  • Slow release nitrate source for supplementation in cattle and buffalo for reducing methanogenesis
  • Bio-molecules for preventing the adherence of methanogens-protozoa

Staff

Vijayalakshmy Kennady

Vijayalakshmy Kennady

Research & Communications Officer, South Asia

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