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  • PRO-DAIRY
  • Animal Science
  • Animals
  • Climate Change
  • Dairy
Adding red seaweed to cow feed has the potential to reduce the amount of methane cows emit.

Diana Reyes Gomez is a postdoctoral associate in the lab of Joseph McFadden at Cornell University. Her work focuses on innovative strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the efficiency of dairy cattle. In particular, she studies the potential of novel algae-based products for methane mitigation, nutrient utilization and improvement in milk quality.

We spoke with Diana about her latest research on the use of red seaweed to reduce methane emissions in cattle.

How does the cow digestion process produce methane?

The digestion process in cows involves a symbiotic relationship with microbes in the rumen, the largest chamber of their stomach. The microbes get a steady supply of food and a suitable living environment. In return, the cow benefits from the microbes not only as a major protein source through microbial protein synthesis but also in their ability to break down complex plant materials into simpler compounds. 

This breakdown produces volatile fatty acids, which cows use as a primary energy source. However, carbon dioxide and methane are also produced as a byproduct. Methane is mainly released through belching.

Beyond the slowing of global warming, what other benefits will farmers see when they reduce enteric methane emissions?

For farmers, methane production means a loss of feed energy. Cutting these emissions can potentially improve feed efficiency, lower costs and boost productivity. Also, when they adopt practices that reduce methane, farmers can comply with the increasing regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and at the same time benefit from potential incentives. When they embrace sustainable practices, they can both lessen environmental impact and open new doors to market opportunities by catering to the growing consumer demand for sustainably produced food.

So how could feeding seaweeds to livestock reduce these methane emissions?

Red seaweeds from the Asparagopsis genus, which contain the compound bromoform, have been shown to reduce methane production in cattle by up to 97% when they make up around 1% of a cow’s diet. Bromoform reduces methane by inhibiting a key enzyme microbes use to produce methane gas.

These are promising results, but several challenges need to be addressed before Asparagopsis (or bromoform)-based technologies can be widely adopted in the US dairy industry. The challenges include the declining stability of bromoform over time, which can lessen its methane-mitigating effect, and the transfer of iodine and bromoform to milk, which raises concerns even though the transfer of bromoform is minimal. Potential impacts on overall animal health also need to be evaluated.

Your project will focus on three bromoform-containing feed formulations. How will you evaluate them?

We’ll assess their effectiveness in reducing methane emissions and improving performance and energy efficiency in dairy cows. To do this, we’ll use a head chamber called the GreenFeed system and Cornell’s new, state-of-the-art respiration chambers, which measure and monitor methane and other gas emissions from ruminants.

One of our key focuses will be to ensure the stability of bromoform in these products and to verify their safety for both animals and humans. We’ll also collaborate with Professor David Barbano in Cornell’s Food Science Department to examine the impact of these products on the physical and chemical properties of milk.

Our goal is to identify seaweed-based formulations that are most effective in significantly reducing methane emissions from dairy cows while maintaining their health, productivity and milk quality. Based on our findings, we’ll select the most promising formulations for further development and subsequent trials.

Break down the various steps in your research for us.

Our initial objective is to assess the stability, or shelf life, of bromoform in these products. We expect to complete this by November. 

Next, we’ll conduct a dose-response trial to determine how much of each additive we need to include in a lactating dairy cow’s diet to reduce enteric methane production by over 50% without negatively impacting feed intake, milk yield, milk composition, or animal health. We expect this trial to run until February.

 After this, we’ll start a 12-week study to evaluate the effects of these three products on health, performance, milk quality, enteric methane emission, nutrient utilization, iodine and bromoform metabolism, and ruminal microbiome in lactating dairy cows. This study will begin in May. 

When will we learn about your research findings?

We plan to analyze the results promptly and aim to present our findings at the Cornell Nutrition Conference in the fall of 2025. We also intend to publish a comprehensive paper on the project’s outcomes later that year.

Jackie Swift is the communications specialist for the Cornell CALS Department of Animal Science.

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