Cattle flatulence is known to contain methane gas. However, until recently there was no way to measure the release of methane gas from cattle. Scientists wanted to devise a way which could be used to measure the methane gas release without interfering with the regular activities of the herd.
A recent collaborative research study conducted by researchers from University of Melbourne in Australia, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lethbridge Research Centre and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization made a breakthrough in determining a way to measure methane gas from cattle flatulence. Sean McGinn is the author of this study. The full study by Sean McGinn, is published in the January-February 2011 edition of the Journal of Environmental Quality.
The researchers have been successful in developing a technique to measure methane gas release from cattle flatulence, which could track the discharge of methane gas without proving as a disruption in the day to day management of the herd.
* How does the technique to measure methane gas release from cattle work?
As part of the latest development, the movements of cattle were tracked by fitting them with GPS (Global Positioning System) devices. At the same time, wind speed and direction of movement of the cattle were measured constantly for the study. In earlier studies, a few cattle were handled daily and the measurement of methane gas was taken directly from them. The latest study employed the technique wherein open-path lasers are used to obtain a short term measurement of methane release from an entire grazing herd.
In one of the studies, methane concentration was measured repeatedly in intervals of 10 minutes, directly above the height of the cattle in the paddock.
The results of the entire study have been well accounted for. The results of the technique suggested that the technique could even account for 77% of methane release at a particular point in the paddock. The study has been regarded as a great progress in assessing the emissions of green house gas from cattle.
