Reducing Emissions from Livestock Research Program Projects

National Strategies and Coordination – Meat & Livestock Australia

This project will ensure that the Reducing Emissions from Livestock Research Program: meets the priorities of the Climate Change Research Program; provides quantifiable short and long term methane emission reductions from livestock; informs stakeholders of the potential contribution of agriculture to national emissions reduction goals.

Development of a methane measurement system for Australian livestock – CSIRO Livestock Industries

Efforts to develop effective strategies to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions have been hampered by the lack of methods to accurately and reliably measure methane production from large numbers of grazing ruminants. This project will explore the use of electronic gas sensor technologies to accurately identify, develop and/or adapt a method for measuring emissions from ruminants. If this project is successful researchers will be better equipped to measure direct and indirect methane emissions from grazing ruminant livestock in a fast and reliable manner for developing and validating methane mitigation strategies in Australian grazing systems.
Funded by program partners.  

Genetic Improvement of Beef Cattle for Greenhouse Gas Outcomes – New South Wales Department of Primary Industries

This project will study the genetic variation between Angus research herds that differ in methane production to evaluate and demonstrate the potential for breeding cattle for reduced methane emissions without compromising animal performance. 

Breeding low methane emitting sheep and elucidating the underlying biology – University of Western Australia

This project will measure methane emissions and net feed efficiency from sheep breeding flocks to investigate the relationship between the genetic parameters for methane production and productivity traits with the objective of generating selection lines of high and low methane emitting sheep.

Metagenomic analysis of feed utilization and hydrogen balance in Australian livestock for lower methane emissions – CSIRO Livestock Industries

This project aims to understand the structure and function of organisms in the rumen of north Australian cattle. This will form the basis of developing practical ways to redirect feed digestion and rumen fermentation to reduce enteric methane emissions.
Funded by program partners.  

Archaeaphage therapy to control rumen methanogens – University of Queensland and Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries 

This project aims to establish a collection of viruses that can infect methanogens - microorganisms in the rumen which produce methane. This will establish “proof of concept” evidence that these viruses can reduce methane emissions from ruminal fermentation. 

Rumen Microbial Profiling – A tool to investigate methane mitigation strategies – South Australian Research and Development Institute

The purpose of this project is to develop and provide molecular techniques based on DNA profiling of rumen bacterial populations to rapidly evaluate feeding, breeding and management strategies to reduce methane production in ruminant systems.
Funded by program partners.  

Novel strategies for enteric methane abatement – New South Wales Department of Primary Industries

This project will investigate (1) chemical techniques to eliminate microscopic organisms called protozoa from the rumen, a technique known to reduce methane production; and (2) the use and efficacy of dietary nitrate supplements to reduce methane production. The impacts on enteric methane emissions and animal productivity over time will be evaluated.

Use of peptide-phage display libraries to discover peptides that are bioactive against rumen methanogens – CSIRO Livestock Industries

This project will screen synthetic peptides (amino acid chains) to identify those that act in methane producing organisms (methanogens) to reduce the production of methane.  

Understanding the mechanisms behind the anti-methanogenic bioactivity of Australian plants targeted for grazing systems – University of Western Australia

This project will assess the potential for Australian forage plants to contribute to feedbase management strategies to reduce methane from grazing livestock. It will identify the bioactive compounds within plants which, when introduced into the feeding regime, may result in lower levels of methane production. It will also analyse how the reduction occurs within rumen. This knowledge would then be used to reduce livestock methane emissions through feed base modification.

Methanotrophs in natural ecosystems and their role in ruminant methane mitigation – University of Queensland

This project will investigate the occurrence of methanotrophs – microorganisms in the stomach that can convert methane back to carbon dioxide and water – and evaluate the possible use of these microbes in reducing methane emitted by ruminants.
Funded by program partners. 

Reducing methane emissions by supplementing feed with dietary lipids – Queensland Department Primary Industries & Fisheries and University of Queensland

This project will investigate lipid-based feed additives (oils) that provide a mechanism to reduce methane emissions and increase productivity that can be made available to producers in the short term. It will concentrate on cattle breeds used in northern Australia.  

Microbial ecology of hydrogenotrophic rumen microorganisms in response to methane inhibition – CSIRO Livestock Industries

This project will analyse bacteria in the digestive tract of ruminants to determine the feasibility and practicality of modifying methane emissions from livestock. 
Funded by program partners.  

Manure management to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cattle feedlots – University of Melbourne

The project will evaluate the effectiveness of manure management innovations in a beef cattle feedlot - specifically those reducing methane, ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions. Indirect nitrous oxide emissions downwind will also be quantified. The potential for achieving reductions in emissions from manure management will be quantified. 

Mitigation of methane emissions from the northern Australian beef herd – CSIRO Livestock Industries

This project will investigate management factors affecting methane emissions from cattle grazing northern forages and detail their potential to reduce emissions. A technique for methane emission benchmarking under northern Australian grazing conditions will also be developed.

Enteric methane abatement strategies for ruminant production systems in SE Australia – Victoria Department of Primary Industries

This project will: evaluate a range of forages and dietary supplements for ruminant methane mitigation potential; quantify the net abatement achievable in a whole of farm context; and improve enteric methane measurement to quantify and verify emission abatement.

Demonstration projects for on-farm practical methane management strategies – Meat & Livestock Australia

Livestock production systems in Australia are highly varied with effective abatement measures likely to vary between production systems. Demonstration sites will engage with livestock producers to ensure that research is directed to practical on-farm measures.  

Information integration and delivery – Meat & Livestock Australia

An Information management system for data and capacity will be provided to enable integration and sharing of information between projects, publish research results and effectively relay progress and outcomes farmers, government and industry.