US: Selective breeding could help farmers lower enteric methane emissions in dairy cows

With global demand for milk and meat expected to continue rising in the next decade, U.S. dairy farmers have a great opportunity to fuel the needs of a growing population. To capitalize on this opportunity of growing demand, farmers also need to find methods for reducing dairy cow enteric methane emissions. Francisco Peñagaricano, with the University of Wisconsin – Madison, believes selective breeding could provide practical and effective options for dairy farmers seeking to mitigate emissions from their future herds. Francisco Peñagaricano. Courtesy photo. Peñagaricano is leading one of the research projects, awarded by the Greener Cattle Initiative (GCI) in 2023, to identify commercially feasible practices farmers can use to lower enteric methane emissions. Here, Peñagaricano discusses the research project and explains how it could benefit U.S. dairy farmers and have a positive impact around the world. Q. What is the aim of your research? The primary goal of this research is to ...