Aberystwyth team study farm animal emissions

Cows account for 3% of greenhouse gases in Britain

Scientists in Ceredigion are heading a multimillion-pound project to study how much methane is emitted by farm animals.

The £3.9m initiative is being led by Aberystwyth University's Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS).

It will also research the value of the agriculture industry's attempts to control the greenhouse gas.

The scheme will study the flatulence of sheep, dairy and beef cattle.

The aim is to fill in key gaps in our knowledge to cover the areas of livestock agriculture that account for the most methane emissions Jon Moorby, project leader

Working with teams from six other institutions across the UK, the IBERS' scientists will assess how much methane is released into the atmosphere by agricultural livestock.

Researchers will then generate data that will provide more accurate estimates of methane emissions throughout the UK.

Manure

During the 39-month programme they will also study how farmers are succeeding in cutting emissions by adapting their practices and show which methods work best.

Between 1990 and 2008, farming was responsible for about 38% of the UK's methane emissions, mainly from the digestive systems of livestock and from their manure.

Gas produced by sheep is also being measured

"We will be using a combination of direct measurements from animals and modelling with existing data," said project leader, Dr Jon Moorby.

"The aim is to fill in key gaps in our knowledge to cover the areas of livestock agriculture that account for the most methane emissions."

The other institutions involved in the project are: Scottish Agricultural College, AFBI Hillsborough, the Universities of Reading and Nottingham, Rothamsted Research North Wyke and the National Physical Laboratory.

"The fact that IBERS has been chosen to lead this work is recognition of the Institute's international reputation," said IBERS director Professor Wayne Powell.

The work on methane is part of a broader £12.6m research project called The Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Inventory Research Platform.

The research programme is funded by the Department of Environment, Agriculture and Rural Affairs in London, with contributions from the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.