Livestock are blamed as a significant contributor to global warming because they emit methane, a greenhouse gas, while digesting their feed rations. An international team of scientists has identified a compound that can be added to feed that reduces methane emissions by up to 30 percent. In a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they describe how the compound, 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP), works in the stomachs of ruminants such as cows, sheep and goats, with another benefit for producers. At present, up to 12 percent of the energy in livestock feed is lost in producing methane that is belched, breathed and otherwise emitted by ruminants.
Tiny amounts of 3-NOP reduce the amount of methane generated by bacteria in the animals’ stomach without hurting the bacteria that help convert feed into energy. “We will see an increase in the efficiency of ruminant production systems as better use is made of the energy taken in in animal feed, given that methane production accounts for a loss of up to 12 percent of the energy an animal ingests,” said David Yáñez of the Spanish National Research Council. The council says livestock farming is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gases and ruminants, through methane, account for one-third of the emissions.