Special feed halves methane production in ruminants

Nitrate and sulphate reduce methane production in the rumen of cattle and sheep. If their feed contains a small percentage of these substances the amount of this powerful greenhouse gas produced by sheep is halved, research by Sander van Zijderveld has shown. By Dick Ziggers Sander Van Zijderveld, a PhD student at the Animal Feeds group at Wageningen University, the Netherlands, made the headlines two years ago when he fed cows feed containing garlic. In vitro tests suggested that garlic reduc