1. The NFI trait & methane emissions
Fiona Jones
Beef Development Officer
September 2010

2. Overview
1. General outline of methane emissions
2. Net Feed Intake trial – testing emissions in field
3. Conclusions

3. Production of methane
Digestion in rumen
Hydrogen
Methanogens
Methane

4. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Stationary energy Transport Fugitive emissions Industrial
processes
Agriculture Land use and Land
use change
Waste
555.3 million tonnes CO2
equivalent
Source AGO 2007 National inventory

5. Emissions in agriculture
Burning savannas, 10%
Burning residues, 1%
Agricultural soils, 19%
manure management, 4%
enteric fermentation, 67%

6. What is linked with methane production?
 Approximately 8-10% of energy is lost to methane production
 Methane production is linked to higher fibre content pastures
 Pastures kept at higher digestibility have lower methane
production
 Higher intake is linked to higher methane production on
pastures
 Highly fermentable diets i.e. grain have lower methane production

7. Perspective - methane production
Animal Class Methane
(kg/year)
Eq. grazing
days lost/animal
Pot. km driven
by 6 cylinder
LPG car
Beef steer 50-90 32-57 450-800
Eckard, 2007

8. Is it really a focus just on emissions?
There is no silver bullet to reduce methane production but we can still work at it!
KEEP TRYING TO BE AS EFFICIENT AS
POSSIBLE
 Look at optimising year round pasture quality
 Grazing management practices
 Genetic selection for low emitting cattle???
Continue good management practices as we identify solutions e.g. genetics

9. The Net Feed Intake trait
Does it impact on methane emissions?

10. Trangie Angus NFI Lines divergence
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
NFI(kg/day)
High NFI
Low NFI

11. Based on EBV’s the two groups
Expect a variation in feed intake of 1.37 kg/day between the groups
 Cows pregnant on low quality pasture
 Cows with calves at foot on high quality pastures

12. What is OP-FTIR?

13. Wind

15. Feb 2009 – 55% DMD pastures
 While pregnant with low efficiency (HNFI) cows having an
 Estimate intake of 10.7kg DM/500kg LW/day and methane
emissions of 129.3 ± 33g/ 500kg LW.
 While the high efficiency (low NFI) cows were 10.2kg DM/500kg
LW/day with group methane emissions of 130 ±24g/ 500kg LW.
 Grazfeed estimates – 157g (8.1MJ energy lost)

17. August 2009 – 81% DMD pastures
 LE cows and calf intake is 14.0kg DM/day and 190 ± 31g
methane/ 500kg cow and calf LW and intake of and
 HE cows and calves is 13.1 kg DM/day and 170 ± 35g methane /
500kg cow and calf LW.
 Grazfeed estimates 229g (12.7 MJ energy lost/day)

18. Conclusions Net Feed Intake Trial
 Methane emissions based on the extreme in the NFI trait - no
significant differences in emissions
 Individual animals may have lower or higher emissions within the
group.
 Actual emission rates appear lower than expected
 We have control over our normal management practices,
which we can use to reduce emissions.
 These go hand in hand with production efficiency in your
grazing enterprise.

19. Acknowledgements
 Cattle Industry Compensation Act for funding
 DAFWA for support and funding
 University of Wollongong
 Nola Mercer and Neroli Smith for technical support

20. Questions?