Reducing Cow Emissions

It’s been reported that, taken as a group, cows emit more methane than some large countries. In fact, one research firm estimated that they would rank sixth in the world – ahead of Brazil, Japan and Germany. For this reason, a lot of effort has been going into finding alternative feeds that could reduce the amount of methane that cows produce by altering their digestive chemistry.

Methane is produced by the enzymes in a cow’s stomach that are used to break down cellulose, starch, and sugars in a process similar to fermentation. As the gas builds, a cow has to burp to release the pressure, which also sends methane (a greenhouse gas) into the atmosphere. But researchers have found that a volatile compound called allicin – which is found in garlic – interacts with microbes in the stomach. When combined with citrus extract, the resulting product (called Mootral) reduced methane output by up to 30 percent.

Subsequent field tests have reported anywhere from 20 percent to 38 percent reductions, depending on the breeds of cattle tested. Unexpected anecdotal benefits have included an increase in milk production and one report that flies were not pestering the cows as much – perhaps due to their garlic breath.