November 18, 2019

Canada researchers continue global seaweed studies as solution to cattle methane emissions

They will pick up from studies by Australia and California researchers on a specific tropical seaweed that reduces cattle methane output by up to 80%, reported CBC Canada.

The cattle researchers at Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia (BC) are seeking out seaweed from Canada's west coast of Vancouver Island, as this specific strain is able to lower cattle's methane output between 60 - 80%.

John Church, associate professor in natural resource science at Thompson Rivers University, said the methane-reducing seaweed must contain the chemical compound bromoform, which can be found in the invasive local brown seaweed species inhabiting the west coast area.  

Church, a BC regional innovation chair in cattle industry sustainability, said the research will find out the exact bromoform content in the seaweed, as well as its digestibility for cattle.

Current studies at the university have found that cattle find this seaweed palatable. He added that the studies from Australia and California discovered that cattle did not prefer the seaweed, even though Japan and Scotland ranchers have been traditionally feeding seaweed to their livestock.

In the Australia and California studies, the seaweed is powdered and added to the cattle feed with molasses.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has already approved seaweed as a food ingredient, which means it will not be a problem to add seaweed to cattle feed, said Church.

- CBC Canada