The NZAGRC-PGgRc methane research programme builds on the NZAGRC&#39;s 2010-2014 objectives and the PGgRc&#39;s work since 2007. 



The research programme pools New Zealand&#39;s resources to identify the most effective and practical solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 


Our research programme aim is to deliver efficient, cost effective, highly productive, on-farm solutions to ensure New Zealand agriculture is economically and environmentally sustainable through the reduction of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.


The &#39;Mitigating Methane Emissions&#39; research programme has four main aims for delivery in the next one to three years:


	Develop low methane-emitting breed selection tools
	Develop low GHG forage farm systems
	Develop a methane reduction vaccine solution
	Discover and test ruminal methane inhibitors that maintain productivity levels


Goals & Objectives 


 


	
		
			 
			Objective 
			Leader 
			Timeframe 
		
		
			
			
			1.1 
			
			
			
			
			Feeding Microalgae 
			
			
			
			
			Dr David Pacheco 
			
			
			
			
			Apr 10 - Jun 11 
			
			
		
		
			
			
			1.2 
			
			
			
			
			Low Methane producing animals 
			
			
			
			
			John McEwan 
			
			
			
			
			Apr 10 - Jun 14 
			
			
		
		
			
			
			1.3 
			
			
			
			
			Genomic identification of universal targets for methanogen inhibition 
			
			
			
			
			Dr Sinead Leahy 
			
			
			
			
			Apr 10 - Dec 14 
			
			
		
		
			
			
			1.4 
			
			
			
			
			Enhanced discovery of methanogen - specific inhibitors 
			
			
			
			
			Dr Ron Ronimus 
			
			
			
			
			Apr 10 - Jun 14 
			
			
		
		
			
			
			1.5 
			
			
			
			
			Expression of vaccine target proteins 
			
			
			
			
			Dr Bryce Buddle 
			
			
			
			
			Apr 10 - Jun 13 
			
			
		
		
			
			
			1.6 
			
			
			
			
			Identifying alternative hydrogen utilisers 
			
			
			
			
			Dr Gemma Henderson 
			
			
			
			
			Apr 10 - Dec 14 
			
			
		
		
			
			
			1.7 
			
			
			
			
			Methane capture and utilisation from Dairy effluent 
			
			
			
			
			Dr Rupert Craggs 
			
			
			
			
			Apr 10 - Jun 11 
			
			
		
	



Principal Investigators 


Dr Graeme Attwood, AgResearch
Dr Peter Janssen, AgResearch 



Stories 


	
		
			
			
			 
			
			
			
			
			Animal variation project 
			
			
			provides wealth of information 
			Release Newsletter - May 2012 
			
			
		
		
			
			
			 
			
			
			
			
			Piecing together the 
			
			
			rumen methanogen puzzle 
			Release Newsletter - May 2012 
			
			
		
		
			
			
			 
			
			
			
			
			Identifying &quot;friendly&quot; 
			
			
			methane inhibitors 
			Release Newsletter - May 2012 
			
			
		
		
			
			
			
			Mitigation of methane 
			
			
			NZAGRC Conference 2012
			Release Newsletter - February 2012 
			
			
		
		
			
			
			
			From tiny bottles to grazing 
			sheep and cows
			Release Newsletter - August 2011 
			
			
		
		
			
			The methane-free rumen - 
			the solution to all problems?
			Release Newsletter - April 2011 
		
		
			
			Technology transfer could help 
			reduce methane emissions from 
			animal waste storage 
			Release Newsletter - December 2011   
		
	



Linkages 


AnimalCHANGE 
CSIRO Livestock Industries 
DPI Queensland  
Global Research Alliance 
Landcare Research
NIWA
PGgRc
Scottish Agricultural College
SLMACC
US Joint Genome Initative