About the project

• Background

  Today, dairy cows in Norway are indoor-fed large parts of the year, with a minimum period of 8 weeks outdoor stay, preferably grazing on pasture (Storfeforskriften 2004, §10). This period could be extended if proven favorable for the environment. Dairy cattle feed on energy basis consists of about 10% pasture, 44% silage, 1% hay, the rest being concentrate. As a contrast, 60 years ago pasture, silage and hay comprised 32%, 8% and 24% of the diet, respectively (Gjefsen 2016). An alternative to grazing is to cut the pasture grass and provide it indoors. Cut-and-carry (0-beiting) is a relevant alternative to grazing in areas where pasture is too far away from the farm or grazing plots are too small or scattered for ordinary grazing.

  Beef production in Norway relies on more use of pasture and forages than dairy production. Beef cows’ diet currently consists (on dry matter basis) of about 30% pasture, 60% silage, 9% straw and 1% concentrate (Samsonstuen et al. 2020b).

  The estimates will be calculated at national and at farm level based on results from early and late in the grazing season. The following assumptions will be tested:

  • i) pasture grazing dairy cows have a lower methane production per unit feed and per unit milk compared to cut-and-carry grass and grass silage feeding indoors,
  • ii) reduction of methane by feed additives is greater in early than late pasture grazing dairy and beef cows,
  • iii) current compared to improved HolosNor and HolosNorBeef models overestimate methane emissions from pasture grazing dairy and beef cows. By improving a farm advisory tool and engaging six actors from agricultural and food industry, MethanePasture ensures user-friendly and targeted outreach.

• Goal

  The main objective of MethanePasture is to improve the sustainability of ruminant livestock production and national inventory and whole-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emission estimates by identifying the methane mitigation potential of pasture grazing, and efficacy of additives fed to dairy and beef cows early and late in pasture season. Our specific objectives

  • 1) To assess the difference in methane production from high-yielding dairy cows grazing pasture compared to indoor cut-and-carry grass and grass silage feeding.
  • 2) To quantify the reduction efficiency of a mitigation measure (feed additive) in dairy cows early and late in pasture season.
  • 3) To quantify the reduction efficiency of a mitigation measure (feed additive) in beef cows early and late in pasture season.
  • 4) To improve the estimates of enteric CH4 on pasture in the HolosNor models and use the improved models to estimate the effect of pasture and additives on net GHG emissions from grazing dairy cows and beef cattle.

  Filling the knowledge gap if pasture grazing per se can reduce methane emission, and if methane reducing feed additives are more effective in early pasture grazing will provide practical and financial benefits to the society and industry.

• Relevance

  MethanePasture is targeted to the agricultural policy objective and thematic area “Sustainable agriculture with reduced greenhouse gas emission throughout the value chain”. MethanePasture will build general insights on enteric methane production from dairy and beef cows on pasture, and specific insights on the mitigation effectiveness of additives under Norwegian conditions.

  By inclusion of a farm-modelling approach and significant involvement of 6 actors from agricultural and food industry, MethanePasture provides applied knowledge for holistic solutions reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ruminant production. Filling the knowledge gap if pasture grazing per se can reduce methane emission, and if methane reducing feed additives are more effective in early pasture grazing will provide substantial and timely benefits to the society and industry.

  Moreover, MethanePasture contributes to the thematic area “Food security and preparedness”. Milk and meat from ruminants represent Norwegian food production based on a national and renewable feed resource. Making better use of Norwegian feed resources strengthen food preparedness.

  Moreover, access to pasture fields is a production system that promotes animal health and welfare, and including fields and area presently not pastured or harvested will increase utilisation of national feed resources.

  Thus, one expected outcome of MethanePasture is increasing the use of grazing resources, including uncultivated areas, as a tool to contribute to efficient, sustainable production system, thereby MethanePasture is targeting also to the thematic area “Agricultural production throughout the country”.

• Participants

  External participants:

  • External collaborator: Frigga-Dohme Meier, Agroscope, Switzerland
  • External collaborator: Stephanie Terry, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada
  • Industry partners: Animalia, Nortura, TYR, KLF, Tine, Felleskjøpet fôrutvikling