Researchers are finding ways to limit beef cattle’s methane output

A team of researchers in Illinois is studying cattle and microbes to reduce greenhouse gases. It is part of a more than $3 million ag research project.

The project includes six research centers around the world, and they are studying methane produced in a cow’s rumen, or the large part of the stomach. They hope to find a way to redirect excess hydrogen into a more productive end-product.

Project leaders say this is part of a long-term mission to find methane solutions, as it takes less time to break down in the atmosphere than CO2.

Related Stories
Western Caucus member Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) details the SPEED Act on Champions of Rural America. The legislation aims to reform NEPA, streamline permitting, and expand domestic energy development.
Ethanol output softened, but underlying supply-and-demand trends indicate stable longer-term use despite short-term volatility in blending and exports.
Stronger sorghum genetics could enhance the resilience of bioenergy crops and broaden production options for growers in harsher climates.
A permanent national E15 standard would boost corn demand, lower fuel costs, and provide a stable path for U.S. energy security.
Water access—not acreage alone—is driving where irrigation expands or contracts.
Henning Strauss, CEO of STRAUSS, joins us to share his company’s commitment to crafting tools that farmers wear.

Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
From soil to harvest. Top Crop is an all-new series about four of the best farmers in the world—Dan Luepkes, of Oregan, Illinois; Cory Atley, of Cedarville, Ohio; Shelby Fite, of Jackson Center, Ohio; Russell Hedrick, of Hickory, North Carolina—reveals what it takes for them to make a profitable crop. It all starts with good soil, patience, and a strong planter setup.