Daffodils could provide the key to more sustainable animal husbandry, according to scientists who say laboratory tests have shown promise.
Adding an extract of the flowers to cattle feed reduced methane in artificial cow stomachs by 96%.
A team of researchers at the Rural College of Scotland hope that when tested on real cows, it could reduce methane emissions by at least 30%.
It is now starting a four-year trial program on farms across the UK.
On his farm in Powys, Kevin Stephens raises cattle and grows daffodils.
Farmer Kevin Stephens said it could make a “huge difference” to the livestock industry
He has been part of the team developing the science behind the new animal feed.
“We started growing daffodils originally to produce an Alzheimer’s drug, but we discovered that daffodils also produce a compound that stops ruminants from producing methane,” he said.
“So the opportunity to combine the two was too good an opportunity to pass up.”
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For farmers like him, finding a way to farm more sustainably could be a game changer.
“This could make a huge difference to the livestock industry,” he said.
Daffodil extracts reduced methane in artificial cow stomachs by 96%
“There are governments around the world that are trying to get to net zero by taxing ranchers or putting quotas on the number of livestock you can have because of this methane per product.
“This gives us a very real opportunity to change that history.”
It is estimated that half of the country’s methane emissions come from cows.
And globally, livestock production produces around 14% of the world’s greenhouse gases.
Professor Jamie Newbold hopes the project will be part of a solution to methane emissions
Professor Jamie Newbold, lecturer in animal science at the Rural College of Scotland, said: “Our new project has three main stages.
“First by developing a daffodil supply chain and extracting the chemicals from the daffodils. Second, proving that the additive is safe for both animals and humans, and finally working with our farming partners in England and Wales to demonstrate that the additive is effective in reducing methane production and feed costs for dairy cattle.
“This is vital because greenhouse gases and global warming are a major global challenge, and we hope our project will be part of the solution to reducing the role of ruminants in methane production.”
