Next step in Fonterra gas solution

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – November 22, 2021 7 Next step in Fonterra gas solution

Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz

FONTERRA researchers have moved out of the lab and onto the farm for the next stage of trials on the company’s in-house Kowbucha project, aimed at offering a solution to livestock methane emissions.

The project has centred on developing a culture-based solution to emissions, sourced from the co-operative’s extensive library of culture strains that encompass almost 80 years of assorted cultured product strains used in cheeses and yoghurts.

Fonterra head of strategy and innovation Mark Piper says after sorting through thousands of culture strains some had been identified as having potential for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cows.

A lab-based replication of a cow’s rumen that had the Kowbucha culture strain added to it has demonstrated a 50% reduction in methane production, prompting researchers to move it to real animals.

A group of calves will now receive Kowbucha as part of their diet and researchers are confident the product will have a similar positive effect to probiotics on the youngstock.

At a media innovation gathering earlier this year, Fonterra head of science Dr Jeremy Hill said it was most likely farmers would be offered a suite of solutions to deal with methane reductions over coming years.

While many in the industry are confident the initial methane reduction goal of 10% by 2030 can be achieved, much of it with changes in management techniques, the 24-47% reduction by 2050 was a bigger ask.

“The solution must tick all the criteria we apply to any potential GHG reduction technology. It must be good for the cow, good for the milk, good for the environment and good for the farmer,” Piper said.

It is expected it will be up to six months before researchers know if the trial has been successful and the calves will be followed for a full season to determine if the Kowbucha additive has resulted in a longerterm reduction in methane emissions.

NZ dairy emissions per litre of milk are less than a third of the world dairy emissions average, and the sector has already achieved a 20% reduction per litre of milk over the past three decades. The early research work at Fonterra indicated the use of Kowbucha-type cultures as methane inhibitors may also boost cow protein output.

Other methane reduction work at Fonterra includes working with Royal DSM on their high profile additive Bovaer, which has proven to reduce methane emissions by 30% in non-pastoral feed systems. Trials on undisclosed farms are studying how it can be integrated into NZ’s grass-based dairy systems.

Work also includes including plantain in cow diets to reduce nitrogen losses and studying the incorporation of seaweed into cows’ feed.

COWABUNGA: Fonterra’s Kowbucha may hold one of the answers to lowering livestock methane emissions, its head of strategy and innovation Mark Piper says.

Scientists’ research efforts rewarded

Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz

THREE leading research lights in soil and nutrient research have picked up top awards at this year’s Research Honours Aotearoa for their contributions to soils, water and nutrient technology.

Longtime Lincoln University professor Dr Keith Cameron and his colleague Professor Hong Di were awarded the Pickering Medal by the Royal Society Te Apārangi for their work in inventing new technology for treating dairy farm effluent to recycle water and reduce phosphate and E.coli losses.

The Pickering Medal is awarded to researchers or research teams who have through design or invention performed innovative technological work significant in its influence and recognition, or which could lead to significant commercial success.

The innovative effluent technology developed by the researchers was recently unveiled at Lincoln University dairy farm.

The EcoPond system, developed in conjunction with Ravensdown, is proven to reduce dairy effluent pond methane emissions by 99.9%.

E.coli and phosphate are also reduced by 99% in effluent systems through a 100% natural biological process.

Methane losses from farm effluent ponds are the secondlargest source of on-farm methane emissions after cows.

At the EcoPond launch the researchers were hailed by Ravensdown chair John Henderson for creating a “masterful” piece of tech that met all the needs of farmers in terms of being easy, simple and costeffective.

He also signalled it was the first of several other initiatives in the pipeline with Lincoln researchers.

Professor Rich McDowell of AgResearch and chief scientist of the National Science Challenge was a recipient of the Hutton Medal for outstanding contributions to nutrient flow knowledge in water and soil.

The medal recognises outstanding work by a researcher in New Zealand in the fields of earth, plant and animal sciences.

His work has demonstrated how contaminants move across land into water and options for mitigating losses of those contaminants to waterways.

His work has been used as a foundation for much of the policy work on nutrient management. Earlier this year he was also appointed editor in chief of the Journal of the Royal Society of NZ.

Since 2014, McDowell has led a team of 200 scientists building interdisciplinary teams that have encompassed Māori partners, social researchers and conventional science fields.

He also sits on science advisory panels and boards, including at Queen’s University Belfast and the OECD temperate agriculture network.

CONTRIBUTIONS: Professors Keith Cameron and Hong Di were awarded the esteemed Pickering Medal for the commercial and scientific contribution their technology offers for dealing with one of dairying’s biggest problems.

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