A joint research project between artificial breeding companies LIC and CRV Ambreed is working to identify sires carrying genetic traits that may contribute to lower-methane herds in years to come. The trial is funded by the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC).
“Genetic selection is permanent and cumulative, but it doesn’t happen overnight. This is a long-term project but it has the potential to deliver real benefits to farmers in the future by providing another tool to reduce their farm emissions,” LIC senior scientist Lorna McNaughton said.
The common practice of artificial insemination in the dairy industry means that genetics can be quickly disseminated, with LIC and CRV bulls siring around 90% of NZ’s dairy herd.
Most economically important dairy traits can only be measured on females, for example, milk production. But methane is a trait that can be measured on the bull itself.
Measurements can be made on young bulls, so methane production can be considered before any semen is collected and used across herds via artificial breeding.
Initial results from the pilot trial, which uses a hooded gas capturing device known as a Greenfeed to measure methane from the bulls’ burps, have been positive.
The next step in the project is a full trial, which will measure methane emissions from 300 yearling bulls from both companies’ progeny testing schemes.
“Offspring from the bulls that are being tested this year will be born next year and be lactating in 2024. We can test those daughters for their high/low methane status to make sure it’s representative of their father’s status,” she said.
“The overall aim of the project is to create a methane breeding value and apply this across all of our artificial breeding bulls, allowing farmers to select bulls who will produce low methane-emitting cows.”
