National Livestock Methane Program

Summary

The Needs and Gaps report looked at research to date including those developed through this program and recommends opportunities for future research investment using criteria for a range of on farm practices.

Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) analyses were undertaken to assist the assessment of individual practices and predicted potential animal and national emissions reductions based on scaling up predictions for animals on a standard farm within a region to the national level based on stock numbers.

These analyses were based on assumptions, some well supported by literature, but others with little research backing. The MACC analyses also predicted the likely effects of adopting specific practices on farm profitability using a range of processes for generating carbon credits.

Objectives

The National Livestock Methane Program (NLMP) had the twin objectives of researching new ways to mitigate methane production and at the same time increase or maintain productivity of ruminant systems in Australia.

Key findings

The Marginal Abatement Cost Curve analysis showed clearly that the greatest economic benefits come from those methane practices which increase animal productivity and have low costs for implementation. The price paid for carbon credits has an impact on profitability, but the effect is generally smaller than the impact of a practice on productivity.

Benefits to industry

Supplementing diets with red algae or 3-nitroxypropanol or introducing Leucaena plantations reduced methane emissions from individual animals and had positive effects on animal productivity. Manipulating the rumen to capture more energy from methane would have a large effect on animal productivity.

MLA action

Since completion of the National Livestock Methane program, MLA has continued to invest in supplement (including asparagopsis and 3-NOP) and legume (including desmanthus and Leucaena) research.

The Emissions Avoidance Partnership (commencing in 2021) focuses on bringing profitable livestock methane mitigation technologies to market and also included activities to ensure that frameworks enabling remuneration of producers for adopting these practices are developed in line with Australian Government strategies.

Future research

The priorities for investment into methane mitigation projects based on the capacity to reduce methane, the potential productivity gain, barriers to implementation and time and cost of research with the highest priority were:

• develop a dose response curve for Leucaena to allow development of an Emissions reduction fund methodology
• red marine macro-algae evaluation in different classes of ruminants and development of a commercial growing, harvesting and drying process, plus a method of supplementing to grazing livestock
• manipulation of rumen function and biochemical pathways to allow markedly enhanced capture of energy from digestion and reduced methane emissions
• evaluate two selected plant bioactive compounds in sheep for reducing methane emissions and quantify effects on productivity. If positive results, pursue commercialisation plan.