A promising scientific trial has taken place in Powys to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture.
Andrew Evans of Welshpool has been part of a trial that is attempting to reduce methane emissions from cattle – using a chemical found in daffodils.
Mr Evans told BBC Countryfile: “It’s the national flower of Wales and we’re in Wales, so were quite keen on that.
“I think this is us doing our bit to be a part of a trial that could mitigate the effects of methane in the environment.”
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Methane is second most common greenhouse gas and almost half of the UK’s methane emissions come from cows.
However, scientists from the Scottish Rural College have now succeeded in extracting a chemical call haemanthamine from daffodils which could see methane emissions from cows drop by around 30 per cent.
Annie Williams, Business Development Manager at CIEL, at Bangor University who are a partner in the project said in a statement it “will focus on the development of an innovative feed additive to reduce methane emissions” and “the cultivation of a new cash crop, daffodils, for farm diversification purposes, and then finally the creation of a precision on-farm gas analyser to monitor methane emissions”.
She added: “Currently, livestock farming faces scrutiny in terms of its environmental impact and resource utilisation, particularly when it comes to methane contributions.
“Through the project, we can work to address these challenges head-on, and find a practical solution for making livestock farming more sustainable.
The UK government has indicated if the trials are successful the additive could be brought into law for all animal feed in the next few years.
Environmental journalist, George Monbiot, who used to live in Machynlleth, was sceptical that the additive would make much difference environmentally, claiming “it would only make a marginal difference” and said keeping livestock such as sheep and cattle was one of the most “environmentally damaging industries on earth” – citing the ecological cost of grazing.
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