The University of Western Australia researchers, led by Dr Zoey Durmic, have been successful in the bid for a final stage of the Methane Emissions Reduction in Livestock (MERiL) Program.

They attracted a total $3.2 million in Federal Government funding to find feed additives that can reduce methane emissions from livestock and assist in finding tools to combat climate change.

The team is using a natural-based feed additive Agolin® Ruminant that can lead to potential benefits of methane mitigation, sheep health, performance, and welfare.

Image: Dr Suyog Subedi delivering feed additive to grazing sheep at Ridgefield.

After success in stage 1 and 2, in this final stage, they will combine this additive with other natural additives to achieve even greater results than with a single additive.

They will receive $1.6 million to progress their work, which will run for over two years at UWA Farm Ridgefield.

Successful outcomes of this project will contribute to the development of sustainable practices for extensively grazed livestock across Australia, promoting carbon neutrality in the sheep industry and ensuring market access for environmentally certified products like wool and sheep meat.

Researcher Dr Suyog Subedi said the results from the preliminary stages 1 and 2 of the MERiL study, where feed additive was delivered to sheep in pen trial via loose lick, pellets or grain supplements, had been encouraging. 

“Successful outcomes will contribute to the development of sustainable practices for extensively grazed livestock across Australia, promoting carbon neutrality in the sheep industry and ensuring market access for environmentally certified products like wool and sheep meat,” Dr Subedi said. 

"The study will provide valuable data for future regulatory methods and offer producers clear options for methane mitigation strategies."

Dr Suyog Subedi

“Overall, this research will advance our understanding of plant-based additives for methane mitigation across the broader Australian livestock sector.”

In addition to Drs Durmic and Subedi, the UWA research team includes Dr Stephanie Payne, Dr Joy Vadhanabhuti and seven co-investigators.

This article was first published in the September 2024 edition of The UWA Institute of Agriculture newsletter. Read the full publication online.