The study, led by the Institute of Rural Sciences at the University of Aberystwyth, Wales, is part of a £750,000 DEFRA funded three year research project in conjunction with the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER) and the University of Reading.

Use of feed additives
It is claimed that cows might be responsible for as much as 30% of methane emissions in the UK- a gas which has 23 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. It is hoped that certain feed additives will suppress emissions and thus cut farming’s contribution to climate change.

Professor Jamie Newbold said:: "Initial results show that extracts of garlic compound could reduce the amount of methane produced by animals by 50%. "Garlic directly attacks the organisms in the gut that produce methane."

Other studies
Other studies under the project include the University of Reading’s research into the use of traditional fodder legume, saifoin, and IGER’s research into how bird’s foot trefoil- a traditional meadow flower- might reduce methane emissions.

Related folder:
Dossier AllAbout Plant Extracts

Related websites:
University of Aberystwyth     
University of Reading    
IGER 
DEFRA

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(Source: meatinfo.co.uk)