Join us for a special Dairy Digressions episode with the co-leads of a just-released special issue of the Journal of Dairy Science, Feed Additives for Methane Mitigation. Guests David Yáñez-Ruiz of the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) and André Bannink of Wageningen University & Research introduce listeners to the six articles in the issue, which represent the first outcomes of a flagship project by the Feed and Nutrition Network of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases’ Livestock Research Group. The open-access special issue synthesizes decades of nutrition innovation on methane-reducing feed additives to cover the full spectrum—from additive development to impact measurement. David and André explain the decades of research that have gone into the project, outlining how reducing enteric methane produced by ruminants can contribute to the overall reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. While many areas of research, including breeding and genetics, are working on improving sustainability—nutrition and feed additives are currently at the forefront. The guests explain how feed additives modulate methane production to produce substantially less emissions without negative effects on the animal, milk production, or quality and nutrition of the final milk product. David and André delve into the groundbreaking research on 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP), seaweed, and more, and look ahead to the exciting potential of novel feed additive combinations in the future. Host Matt Lucy and the guests marvel at how far the science has come even in the past ten years and look ahead to the application of this knowledge for farmers around the globe. In closing, Matt asks, “What skills and perspectives are needed to drive impactful research in this critical area?” for anyone looking to enter methane research. Listen in for a valuable overview of the latest advancements in methane mitigation and a glimpse into the future of sustainable dairy production!

Episode Twenty-Three Show Notes

Learn more about David Yáñez-Ruiz and connect with him on LinkedIn, and learn more about André Bannink.

Are you interested in participating in ADSA’s next Annual Meeting? Submit your abstract to the 2025 ADSA Annual Meeting before February 12, 2025, and join us in Louisville, Kentucky, next June!

Check out the full Journal of Dairy Science special issue, Feed Additives for Methane Mitigation, below and join members of the project team for a half-day symposia at the 2025 ADSA Annual Meeting:

·    Introduction—Special issue on technical guidelines to develop feed additives to reduce enteric methane

·   Recommendations for identification and selection of bioactive compounds to develop antimethanogenic feed additives

·    Recommendations for testing enteric methane-mitigating feed additives in ruminant studies

·    Modeling the impact of feed additives on enteric methane emission of ruminants—Approaches and recommendations

·     A guideline to uncover the mode of action of antimethanogenic feed additives for ruminants

·     Regulatory frameworks and scientific evidence requirements for the authorization of feed additives to mitigate ruminant methane emissions

·        Assessment of feed additives as a strategy to mitigate enteric methane from ruminants—Accounting; How to quantify the mitigating potential of using antimethanogenicfeed additives