Less-Methane

About the programme

New Zealand’s pasture-based farms produce low emissions by global standards. We want to retain and build on this advantage by developing viable and scalable solutions that work on NZ farms.

DairyNZ is working together with other research organisations and commercial companies to develop adoptable options that reduce methane and total GHG emissions on NZ dairy farms.

We aim to have methane mitigation options for New Zealand farms ready to be tested at scale by 2025. We want to have proven and adoptable solutions ready for farmers to use by 2030.

Programme status: progressing

Why we're doing this: Greenhouse-gas research to support world-leading kiwi farmers

New Zealand’s pasture-based farms are among the world’s most emissions efficient. Consumer and dairy supplier expectations are a driver for dairy farmers to continue reducing emissions, so NZ can remain competitive in the market. Finding solutions to help farmers reduce emissions while maintaining on-farm profit remains a research priority.

Most of the research on methane mitigation technologies is completed at Lye Farm, one of DairyNZ’s two Waikato research farms. Lye and Scott Farms are an important sector resource, enabling scientists to carry out pasture, animal, and farm systems trials under relevant conditions. This ensures the technologies and tools developed are practical and can be widely adopted into different farm systems and contribute to a reduction of total farm greenhouse gas emissions.

The challenge

Methane reducing compounds are being used successfully overseas as they are continuously delivered to cows in feedlot or housed farming systems through total mixed rations (TMR). A challenge in NZ is finding how to best incorporate compounds into our pasture-based dairy farms. We are also studying the impact on animal health and performance, milk composition and quality, and farm economics.

Research overview

Over the past 20 years, potential technologies to reduce methane emissions have emerged from all over the world. DairyNZ is focused on potential technologies that fit within NZ’s pasture-based systems. There are a lot of moving parts. Take a look at the breakdown below to see what's involved:

Feed additives

• Evaluating delivery mechanisms to feed methane reducing compounds (feed additives) to cows while grazing and ensuring greenhouse gases don't increase. These include slow-release boluses, supplementary feed during milking, or automated, transportable in paddock feeding stations.
• Determining the short and long-terms effects of feeding methane reducing compounds to calves on methane production.
• Working to understand how cow breed, genetic merit and diet may affect the response to methane reducing compounds.

Cow diet

• Assessing methane emissions when cows graze different forages (like plantain or spring/summer ryegrass) and receive common supplementary feeds.
• This will increase the accuracy of on-farm emissions from pasture-based systems and potentially provide farmers with mitigation options to reduce emissions on farm (e.g., pasture species and or management).
• Read more on the research to better understand methane emissions for pasture-based farm systems.

Animal

• Supporting research into breeding low methane cows.
• DairyNZ has previously funded research into a methanogen vaccine. We are pleased the Government has announced it will provide funding to continue progressing this worthwhile research independent of DairyNZ. This reduces demands on dairy farmers to fund this work.

Farm system

• Supporting regional research into how farm-system changes (e.g., stocking rate, supplementary feed, nitrogen fertiliser use, pasture species and cow genetics) can reduce methane emissions.

Advocacy

• Ensuring the NZ Greenhouse Gas inventory is up to date and accurate so that farmers are rewarded for actions which reduce emissions.
• Undertaking work to allow for more accurate accounting of methane emissions at a national level.

Talking Dairy podcasts

Methane is a big topic and it’s a pressing concern for our sector. We need to reduce our emissions, while improving profitability – but how?

In this episode, recorded at DairyNZ’s Lye Farm, you’ll hear about the options being tested by our scientists. DairyNZ principal scientist Dr Jane Kay and technical team leader Olivia Jordan take us on a walk around Lye Farm’s world-class research facilities, explain when you might start seeing solutions, and discuss other methane research being done across the sector.

You can also hear more from Dr Jane Kay, in this earlier episode of Talking Dairy where she explains what tools offer the most promise to reduce emissions on New Zealand dairy farms.