Dairy cows can be bred to emit less climate-changing methane and now the University-of-Guelph research is being applied world wide.
First the researchers found that milk could be analyzed to identify cows that emit les methane.
Then they used genomics to identify the genes responsible.”
“Matching up those milk samples with DNA samples from individual cows allows a farmer to pinpoint which animals to breed for lower emissions.
said the University of Guelph where Christine Baes is chair of the Department of Animal Biosciences.
Combining that measure with genetic traits for feed efficiency – how effectively a cow turns feed into milk – will enable farmers to contribute to more sustainable dairy operations, she said.
“Lactanet used our paper to develop processes to apply to the national dairy herd,” Baes said.
