Back to Search
Start Over
Creating a low enteric methane emission ruminant: what is the evidence of success to the present and prospects for developing economies?
- Source :
- Animal Production Science. 59:1769
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- CSIRO Publishing, 2019.
-
Abstract
- Enteric methane emissions from livestock constitute a greater part of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) in Africa, than in more industrialised economies, providing a strong incentive for the development of low methane phenotype ruminants. Although dietary and husbandry options already exist for lowering methane production, means of changing ‘methane status’ of animals enduringly has a strong appeal. This paper is a critical review the empirical success to date of attempts to alter this status. Introduction of reductive acetogens, defaunation, anti-methanogen vaccines, early life programming and genetic selection at both the rumen and animal level are considered in turn. It is concluded that to date, there is little in vivo evidence to support the practical success of any of these strategies, save selective breeding, and this at a high cost with unknown efficacy. Finally, it is suggested that for developing economies management and nutritional strategies to reduce emissions will have the greatest and most immediate impact, at the lowest cost.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
biology
business.industry
Natural resource economics
Defaunation
0402 animal and dairy science
Developing country
04 agricultural and veterinary sciences
Animal husbandry
biology.organism_classification
040201 dairy & animal science
Enteric methane
03 medical and health sciences
030104 developmental biology
Incentive
Ruminant
Greenhouse gas
Animal Science and Zoology
Livestock
business
Food Science
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 18360939
- Volume :
- 59
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Animal Production Science
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........8936be05164245ba6a80da55ce628f42
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1071/an18457