UK: Animal breeding strategies key to tackling global warming

Specifically designed animal breeding strategies will be able to identify cattle and sheep that inherently produce less methane than others. That’s according to Dr. Steven Morrison, programme leader on sustainable livestock production at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI). But can this trait can be implemented in future cattle and sheep breeding strategies without forgoing improvements in their production-related abilities? Morrison has said that these objectives can be achieved – but not without the required data. Speaking at the 2022 AFBI science outlook conference, Morrison confirmed that the adoption of new and nearly new technologies can bring about a 23% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) production levels. But this figure assumes a very high level of uptake for these advancements at farm level. Animal breeding strategies Morrison pointed out that the further attainment of significant net reductions in GHG emissions will require two key drivers – the development ...