Methane from cows is estimated to be the source of one-third of the world’s methane emissions. A study in Finland identified areas of genetic variation linked to the amount of methane produced per kilo of milk produced. The potential to select for a reduced methane emission cow warrants further study.
Source: The Beef Site, August 31, 2016.
A recent study using cows in glass boxes to measure their emissions found that methane emissions can be linked to genotypes, which may allow scientists to speed up the breeding of more climate-friendly cows.