Seaweed diet project on NI cattle farms could reduce vet reliance

Seaweed diet project on NI cattle farms could reduce vet reliance

Cattle on British and Irish farms are to be fed seaweed as part of a project led by Queen’s academics aimed at cutting methane emissions by almost a third.

Research in Australia and the US has indicated that seaweed feeds can cut methane emissions from cows and sheep by up to 80%. However, those experiments have used red seaweed that grows in warmer climates.

Scientists at the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen’s said red seaweed also contains high levels of bromoform, known to be damaging to the ozone layer.

Seaweed indigenous to the UK and Ireland tends to be brown or green and does not contain bromoform.

The IGFS academics said the homegrown seaweed also is rich in active compounds called phlorotannins, found in red wine and berries, which are anti-bacterial and improve immunity.

They said the feed could therefore have additional health benefits for animals and cut down on the amount of veterinary care required on farms.

IGFS lead Sharon Huws, who is professor of Animal Science and Microbiology within the School of Biological Sciences, said she expected the combined research to demonstrate a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 30%.

‘Great potential’

“The science is there. It’s simply a matter of providing the necessary data and then implementing it,” she said.

“Using seaweed is a natural, sustainable way of reducing emissions and has great potential to be scaled up.

“There is no reason why we can’t be farming seaweed – this would also protect the biodiversity of our shorelines.

“If UK farmers are to meet a zero-carbon model, we really need to start putting this kind of research into practice. I hope IGFS and AFBI research can soon provide the necessary data and reassurance for governments to take forward.”

The institute is involved in two projects to assess the effectiveness of the seaweed-based feed supplement for cattle.

The first is a three-year project in partnership with the UK supermarket Morrisons and its network of British beef farmers who will facilitate farm trials. Those trials also involve the Northern Ireland-based Agrifood and Biosciences Institute (AFBI).

The second  sees IGFS, and AFBI, join a €2m international project – led by Irish Agriculture and Food Development Agency, An Teagasc – to monitor the effects of seaweed in the diet of pasture-based livestock.

In that project, seaweed will be added to grass-based silage on farm trials involving dairy cows in Northern Ireland from early 2022.