SUSTAINABILITY ▶▶▶
Red seaweed, no methane
Two research groups are now scaling up for the commercial launch of this cattle feed additive, one that has been shown to almost completely stop methane production.
BY TREENA HEIN, CORRESPONDENT W
ith concern over climate change reaching un- precedented levels, a feed additive that caus- es a huge reduction in methane production by cows is both exciting and extremely wel-
come. Methane, of course, is one of the worst of the so-called greenhouse gases, and how red seaweed (Asparagopsis sp.) stops methane production by cattle is not complicated. With- in the digestive tract, it simply prevents hydrogen from bind- ing to carbon atoms, so that extremely little methane is burped out by cows into the air. The palatability of red seaweed is good (in any case, it only
needs to be fed at a very low level such as 0.5%), and there are no apparent effects on milk and meat quality from includ- ing it in the beef or dairy cattle ration. But in addition, it interests producers because red seaweed has also been shown in at least one study to result in the same daily gain by beef cattle fed less than would otherwise be needed for that degree of weight gain. First let’s start with the methane research. Dr Ermias Kebreab recently led a 147-day study at the University of California (Davis) showing that methane reduction from beef cattle fed red seaweed was sustained over the entire trial. Kebreab is Di- rector of the World Food Center at the University and the sci- entific advisor for US-based Blue Ocean Barns, a company now working to commercialise a red seaweed additive. In an- other set of short-term studies with lactating dairy cows led by Dr Alexander Hristov (Distinguished Professor of Dairy Nu- trition at Penn State University), including red seaweed in the ration reduced methane emissions by 80% with no effect on feed intake or milk yield.
Debating the need for more research Hristov does not believe that, at this point, there has been “nearly enough” study of whether feeding red seaweed to cat- tle is effective over the long term in terms of reducing meth- ane emissions. He explains that rumen microbes have been shown to adapt to many types of feed and feed additives, and that many additives have stopped producing an effect at some point after being introduced. He suggests that “a long- term study in dairy cows is a full lactation or at least 105 days. In beef cattle, a long-term study is the full feedlot cycle.” For his part, Kebreab thinks his 147-day study is “sufficient” in terms of establishing long-term effectiveness in beef cattle.
Asparagopsis in freeze dried form. 26
Stability and more Hristov also believes more study of stability of the active in- gredient, bromoforms, is needed. On this topic, Kebreab re- ports that in his studies, “we used seaweed stored for three years in a freezer and it works just fine, so I would think it is stable.” When asked about whether other supplements and seaweeds have been shown to produce similar effects, Kebre- ab says “the only seaweed species that works is Asparagopsis.”
▶ ALL ABOUT FEED | Volume 29, No. 2, 2021
PHOTO: BLUE OCEAN BARNS
PHOTO: FUTURE FEED
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