New methane efficiency technology developed based in part on U of G study at the Ontario Dairy Research Centre

The first national genetic evaluation in the world to help select low-methane dairy cows is based on University of Guelph research, with funding from various organizations including the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a collaboration between the Government of Ontario and the University of Guelph.

The technology is expected to help reduce farm greenhouse gas emissions without affecting milk production.

Investigators working at the Ontario Dairy Research Centre in Elora, Ont., as well as dairy research facilities in Alberta and Denmark used mid-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (MIRS) to measure the absorption of infrared light in milk samples from almost 200 cows. The technology measures various milk components, including fats and proteins. 

This research is part of the Resilient Dairy Genome Project (RDGP), funded by Genome Canada and led by Baes along with co-leaders and investigators at other Canadian universities and dozens of collaborators worldwide.

Read the full article on the U of G News site: Lower-Burp Cows to Be Bred with World-Leading Methods Based on U of G Research