I'm going to miss these stories when they're gone: Researchers think they can help prevent cyclones by encouraging farmers to use breeding bulls that burp less

Good breeding reduces greenhouse burps

NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) researchers are contributing to a project which aims to reduce agricultural greenhouse emissions by reducing the amount of methane belched by beef cattle.

NSW DPI research scientist, Kath Donoghue, said the project team is working to identify traits which can be selected to breed low methane producing cattle.

“Cattle emit methane gas when they belch and beef cattle are responsible for about 10 per cent of the nation’s greenhouse emissions,” Dr Donoghue said.

“Methane emissions from 400 cattle have been measured to date and preliminary results indicate that genetics account for a variation in the amount of methane cattle emit.

“That means we will be able to select bulls which can be used in breeding programs to produce progeny with naturally lower methane emissions.”