Water-based methane mitigation

• Grant number: 23/12910-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 10, 2023
• End date: April 09, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Andrade Reis
• Grantee: Marcelo Augusto Oliveira Castro
• Supervisor: Diogo Fleury Azevedo Costa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Central Queensland University (CQU), Australia
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/00508-3 - Effect of different sources of nitrogen fertilizers on methane emissions in capim marandu pastures, BP.IC

Abstract

The livestock sector is one of the main means of producing food for the world, but it is also a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Australian cattle production system is characterized by its low productivity and the fact that animals are raised on large areas of natural pasture. In this sense, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of abromoform additive through remotely managed direct water injection technology (DWIT), analyzing the effects on methane reduction, feed digestibility and changes in the rumen microbiome. The experiment will be carried out at the Central Queensland Innovation and Research Precinct in Rockampton, QLD, Australia. 28 zebu crossbred steers will be used, allocated to individual stalls. The experiment will consist of a 2x2 factorial design. The steers will be placedin individual pens, so that each one represents an experimental unit, with the balance betweentreatments based on their LW at the start of the trial. There will be a total of seven replicates per treatment and 14 replicates for the suppression compound in the bromoform additive. Methane emissions by SF6 will be quantified and animal performance will also be assessed to verify the effectiveness of the bromoform additive and its effect on animal performance. It is hoped that the additive will be effective in reducing methane without affecting animal weight gain. In addition, the student will hold weekly meetings with the Australian research group in order to discuss the results obtained in the first year of evaluations of research project FAPESP 2022/00508-3, entitled "Effect of different sources of nitrogenated fertilizers on methane emissions in marandu grass pastures", carried out by the student at the Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Ricardo Andrade Reis. These meetings will allow the student to broaden his scientific knowledge, thus having the ability to introduce new ideas and methodologies to better conduct the experiment carried out in Brazil. (AU)