Methane reducing concept for ruminants

About 40 percent of the sector’s emissions are in the form of entheric methane (CH4), which is produced by the animal’s digestion process and released to the environment mostly by burping. A cow produces about 500 litres of methane gas per day. Furthermore, it is important to know that methane’s greenhouse effect is twenty one times stronger than carbon dioxide (CO₂).

AGOLIN^® RUMINANT is the Company’s flagship product. It’s a blend of high quality plant extracts from medicinal herbs and spices, which is effective, innovative, easy to use and safe. Research trials demonstrate AGOLIN’s potential to influence the rumen microbiota positively. Larger rumen bacteria populations and a reduced number of protozoa were discovered when AGOLIN was fed to cows. The feed additive produces rumen responses, both in vitro and in vivo, such as reduced methane and ammonia production in the rumen that leads to better energy and protein utilisation and consequently improved productivity in the animals.

The product research was partially supported by EU research projects, with the goal to demonstrate a reduction of methane production in ruminants by AGOLIN^®, coupled to increased productivity, feed utilisation and animal welfare.

SMEthane’s (Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, FP7) research 

demonstrated AGOLIN’s efficacy to reduce methane. Under the conditions of the trial carried out by INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique) in France, the feed supplement reduced over time the enteric methane production in dairy cows significantly by 30 %. In this trial a tracer gas technique was used.

In the Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries Research (ILVO) in Belgium, gas from cows and beef cattle was measured, but in metabolic chambers. Also in these experiments AGOLIN confirmed its ability to significantly reduce methane.

AGOLIN’s benefits are not limited to methane reduction. University and field trials also show consistent improvement in animal performance such as milk yield and feed efficiency.

Feeding the world’s cattle population with AGOLIN^® RUMINANT and reducing the average enteric methane production by 15 – 20 %, would result in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 300 million tons CO₂-eq. This corresponds to nearly 1 % of the total GHG production.

AGOLIN’s concept is well accepted for its economic but also for its environmental benefits by the feed industry and farmers in Europe, North America and Asia. Agolin SA will continue to invest in science and business models for methane reducing feed additives, which could unlock larger mitigation potential in the agricultural sector.