Farming emissions: Whole Asparagopsis seaweed effective in methane reduction - study

The study showed whole, dried seaweed reduced methane emissions by 95.6%. Photo / Lucy Penellum

A new study has found that using whole Asparagopsis seaweed as a cattle feed additive is significantly more effective at reducing methane emissions than using bromoform, the aquatic plant’s primary active compound, on its own.

The peer-reviewed, in vitro study, published in Animal Feed Science and Technology, compared the methane reduction potential of whole Asparagopsis armata seaweed to pure bromoform when used as feed additives for cattle.

The results showed that the whole, dried seaweed reduced methane emissions by 95.6% when included at 0.5% of the diet, compared to a 59.6% reduction from an equivalent dose of bromoform.

This suggests that while bromoform is the primary active compound in Asparagopsis responsible for methane reduction, other bioactive compounds in the seaweed play a significant role, accounting for approximately 40% of the total reduction effect.

The study’s lead researcher is Dr Eslam K. Ahmed of Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Japan.

He said the findings demonstrated the superior efficacy of whole Asparagopsis seaweed compared to isolated bromoform in mitigating methane emissions from cattle.

“This reinforces the value of harnessing the full spectrum of bioactive compounds naturally present in the seaweed to reduce enteric methane.”

The study provides strong validation for the approach taken by CH4 Global, a company scaling commercial production and distribution of an Asparagopsis-based feed additive as a natural solution for shrinking the climate impact of cattle farming.

CH4 Global’s flagship product, Methane Tamer, uses whole-dried Asparagopsis seaweed to reduce enteric methane emissions in cattle.

CH4 Global chief executive Steve Meller said the new study underscored how important the company’s approach was, particularly when beef and dairy producers considered different options - some of which relied solely on bromoform or synthetic chemicals - to shrink their carbon footprints.

Asparagopsis armata marine seaweed.

“The results of this study have important implications as CH4 Global continues scaling Methane Tamer for our commercial partners,” Dr Meller said.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with more than 80 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide over 20 years.

With livestock farming, particularly cattle and sheep production, responsible for at least 30% of human-driven methane emissions globally, solutions like the one offered by CH4 Global are critical in the fight against climate change.

Read the full study The anti-methanogenic efficacy of Asparagopsis armata: Could it be attributable solely to its bromoform content? here.

The study was the result of collaborative research work between CH4 Global and Dr Ahmed’s laboratory.