Kirsty Hammond

Citation

Thesis Title
Methane emissions from ruminants fed white clover and perennial ryegrass forages

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Nearly 50% of New Zealand’s greenhouse gases come from agriculture, and the biggest source is methane from pasture digestion by sheep and cattle. Miss Hammond researched methane reduction by evaluating a database of measurements and then undertaking a series of sheep trials. Her research showed there was less opportunity for selecting animals with low methane production than previously believed, and the amount of methane from digestion was not strongly related to ryegrass composition. There were no differences in methane emissions between sheep fed either white clover or ryegrass, but she showed the energy loss to methane decreased as intakes increased. Her research provides additional incentive for feeding animals well to achieve high productivity and lower quantities of methane per product. This is a win-win situation for farmers and productivity as well as our environment.

Supervisors
Dr Jennifer Burke
Dr Stefan Muetzel
Dr Cesar Pinares-Patino
Dr Simone Hoskin