PREDICTION AND AMELIORATION OF METHANE EMISSIONS FROM RUMINANTS

Abstract

Livestock production systems emit enteric methane originated in rumen fermentation. There is growing interest in controlling methane production in the rumen because of its effects on climate change and the energy utilization inefficiency implied by methane losses to the atmosphere. There are currently several strategies of enteric methane abatement being investigated: nutrition, selection of low emitting animals, intensification of production, plant secondary compounds, chemical inhibitors, nitrate, immunization, defaunation, reductive acetogenesis, and bacteriophages. Research is also performed in developing predictive models of methane emissions based on animal production or diet composition, which can be used to build inventories of greenhouse gases emissions by country, region or sector.