Seaweed supplements could significantly reduce livestock methane emissions

A new study had revealed that Irish seaweed in farm animals' food can reduce methane emissions.

A new study will look at whether Irish seaweed can help to reduce methane emissions from farm animals.

While the health benefits of humans consuming seaweed are well known, it is only recently that research has looked at what it can do for animals.

Scientists at the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen’s University Belfast are to feed seaweed to farm animals in a bid to slash methane by at least 30%.

Early research has shown promising research which will build on previous work in Australia and the US which showed up to 80% reductions in methane emissions from cattle given supplements from a red seaweed variety.

This red seaweed contains high levels of bromoform which is known to be damaging to the ozone layer. However, seaweed indigenous to Ireland and the UK doesn't contain bromoform and so may prove to be a better alternative.

The IGFS and the Agrifood and Biosciences Institute in Northern Ireland will join a €2m international project, led by An Teagasc, to monitor the effects of seaweed in the diet of pasture-based livestock.

From early 2022, seaweed will be added to grass-based silage farm trials involving dairy cows.

As well as looking at methane emissions, they will assess the nutritional value of a variety of homegrown seaweeds, their effects on animal productivity and meat quality.

A second project will take place over three years with the UK supermarket Morrisons and its network of British beef farmers.

Professor Sharon Huws, IGFS lead, expects the combined research will show a reduction in GHG emissions of at least 30%.

"The science is there. It’s simply a matter of providing the necessary data and then implementing it," she said.

"Using seaweed is a natural, sustainable way of reducing emissions and has great potential to be scaled up.

"There is no reason why we can’t be farming seaweed — this would also protect the biodiversity of our shorelines."

Following the launch of the Government's Climate Action Plan and as Cop26 continues in Glasgow, there has been a great deal of talk around farm animals, methane gas, and how to reduce these emissions.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 95% of methane emissions from cattle is expelled through the mouth in the form of burps with the other 5% in the form of flatulence.