New Feed Ingredient Reduces Methane Emissions
Breakthrough trial generated close to 1,500-ton reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
A 2-year large-scale trial in beef cattle in Alberta, Canada, has successfully demonstrated that a novel feed ingredient, developed by Royal DSM, can be included in commercial feedlot diets to reduce methane emissions by up to 80%, without negative effects on animal health and performance parameters and carcass characteristics. This was the largest and longest trial for methane reduction in beef to date. The trial alone already reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 1,473 tons carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2,e). This is comparable to taking 500 cars off the road for a year.
“This trial is significant for two reasons: It demonstrates that compared to conventional feed mixes, the inclusion of 3-NOP in the diet mix for cattle has resulted in real, permanent and quantifiable reductions of methane emissions. It therefore has broad application potential across Alberta’s beef and dairy sector — and further afield.”
— Karen Haugen-Kozyra
The trial was conducted by a Canadian research consortium consisting of Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, Feedlot Health Management Services, Viresco Solutions, and DSM Nutritional Products, and with support from the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association. Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) committed $1.5 million to this $3 million project through its Methane Challenge. The project was recognized for having positive implications for the province as 70% of Canada’s cattle production happens in Alberta. With about 15,000 head of beef included in the trial, it represents the largest single trial conducted on methane reduction technologies for ruminants.
Royal DSM, a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and sustainable living, has developed a feed ingredient to reduce enteric methane formation in ruminants by more than 30% on average. The ingredient is scientifically called 3-NOP and is considered a breakthrough technology that inhibits methane formation in the rumen of cattle.
The trial demonstrated the commercial viability of feeding 3-NOP in backgrounding and finishing operations in Alberta’s beef cattle industry in a large-scale field trial. The project
- evaluated the relative effects of feeding the product on methane reduction and feedlot performance, health and carcass quality outcomes in feedlot cattle fed typical North American finishing diets (corn and barley grain-based diets), as well as in a high-forage backgrounding diet.
- evaluated direct measurement techniques for methane emissions in a commercial beef feedlot where the product was used, and
- demonstrated the use of the product in day-to-day practicalities of commercial feedlots.
Measurements indicated that on average 70% enteric methane emission reduction was found when the feed ingredient was provided in steam-flaked or dry-rolled barley finishing diets at 125 mg/kg of feed dry matter. In steam-flaked, corn-based finishing diets, a reduction in the range of 31%-80% at the 125 mg/kg dosage of the feed ingredient was observed.
Lastly, in backgrounding diets, increasing the dose of the feed ingredient stepwise from 150 to 200 mg/kg decreased the yield of methane by 17%-26% compared with control animals. The trial successfully demonstrated that the ingredient can be included in commercial feedlot diets to reduce methane emissions without negative effects on animal health and performance parameters and carcass characteristics.
The inclusion of the feed ingredient in the diets of cattle has resulted in real, permanent and quantifiable reductions of methane emissions and has broad applications across Alberta’s beef and dairy sector, and in feedlots globally.
“This trial is significant for two reasons: It demonstrates that compared to conventional feed mixes, the inclusion of 3-NOP in the diet mix for cattle has resulted in real, permanent and quantifiable reductions of methane emissions,” says Project Leader Karen Haugen-Kozyra of Viresco Solutions. “It therefore has broad application potential across Alberta’s beef and dairy sector — and further afield. We are particularly happy also that the trial in itself generated CO2e greenhouse gas reductions of close to 1,500 tons, clearly showing the impact this solution by DSM can have, especially when it is on the market and scaled up.”
DSM has filed the novel feed ingredient for commercial registration under the trade name Bovaer® in various geographies.
The full report of the trial can be found here.
Editor’s note: This article is edited from a release by DSM.
