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This chapter aims to outline the strategy of using feed supplements for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in ruminants, including methane (CH4), carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, given that feed intake is an important variable in predicting these emissions. Focus will be given to direct-fed microbials, a term reserved for live microbes which can be supplemented to feed to elicit a beneficial response. The viability of such methods will also be analysed for their use in large scale on-farm operations.

Intensification of pastoral farming in the temperate world has seen a dramatic shift from the botanically diverse native grasslands (e.g. tussock grasslands of New Zealand, prairie and Pacific grasslands of North America, pampas of South America and steppes of Europe) where many grasses, forbs and shrubs coexisted to botanically depauperate systems. In the extreme, such as in high-intensity flatland dairy farming, high farm production targets may be achieved with a pasture composed of as few as two species such as Lolium perenne and Trifolium repens. In less-intensive farm systems, such as sheep or beef cattle grazing on hill lands, a botanically more diverse pasture is common and often acceptable. Weed control is central to the establishment, maintenance and sustained productivity of these managed pastures. In particular, it is necessary to control non-palatable, injurious and poisonous species that would otherwise reduce livestock carrying capacity or impose other costs on the farm system such as those associated with reduced animal product quality, health and welfare (Fig. 1). These costs can be substantial (Jones et al., 2000; Sinden et al., 2004; Bourdot et al., 2007a; Kaye-Blake et al., 2010).

Fifteen plants, replicated twice, of each of 20 half-sib families of perennial ryegrass were grown in deep sand tubes irrigated with a low ionic strength nutrient solution in a glasshouse. Top growth was measured. Roots were turned out, cut into 10 cm profile increments, washed free of sand, dried and weighed. For top growth, total root growth and root-shoot ratio, there were significant differences among families translating to narrow sense heritability coefficients between 0.3 and 0.4. However, the ratio between root in the top 10 cm and total root, and a parameter for a well-fitting exponential model describing root profile showed variation between individuals but very little or no variation between families. This translated to narrow sense heritability coefficients of less than 0.1.

Nitrous oxide (N2O), ammonia (NH3), and methane (CH4) emissions from the manure management chain of livestock production systems are important contributors to greenhouse gases (GHGs) and NH3 emitted by human activities. Several studies have evaluated manure-related emissions and associated key variables at regional, national, or continental scales. However, there have been few studies focusing on the drivers of these emissions using a global dataset. An international project was created (DATAMAN) to develop a global database on GHG and NH3 emissions from the manure management chain (housing, storage, and field) to identify key variables influencing emissions and ultimately to refine emission factors (EFs) for future national GHG inventories and NH3 emission reporting. This paper describes the “field” database that focuses on N2O and NH3 EFs from land-applied manure and excreta deposited by grazing livestock. We collated relevant information (EFs, manure characteristics, soil properties, and climatic conditions) from published peer-reviewed research, conference papers, and existing databases. The database, containing 5,632 observations compiled from 184 studies, was relatively evenly split between N2O and NH3 (56 and 44% of the EF values, respectively). The N2O data were derived from studies conducted in 21 countries on five continents, with New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Kenya, and Brazil representing 86% of the data. The NH3 data originated from studies conducted in 17 countries on four continents, with the United Kingdom, Denmark, Canada, and The Netherlands representing 79% of the data. Wet temperate climates represented 90% of the total database. The DATAMAN field database is available at http://www.dataman.co.nz.