Recorded on March 14, 2024

Abstract:
Ruminant animals have a symbiotic relationship with microorganisms which allows them to consume human inedible feeds and extract energy for life purposes from cellulose. However, a byproduct of the microbial fermentation processes in the rumen is methane. Enteric methane emissions from ruminant animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats represent 27% of methane emissions in the United States; currently, the single largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions. At CSU’s AgNext, a multidisciplinary research collaborative focused on sustainable animal agriculture, we investigate methane emissions for three key aims: improving our baseline emissions estimates, investigating nutritional and feed additives for enteric methane mitigation, and examining the potential for genetic selection to reduce enteric methane emissions. Our research highlights that animal-to-animal variation in methane emissions is substantial even when correcting for feed intake and body size. Additionally, we have observed the relationship between feed intake and methane emissions varies by diet, highlighting the potential need for refinement of current models to estimate methane emissions from finishing beef cattle.

Bio:
Dr. Sara Place is an associate professor and expert in livestock systems sustainability with over a decade of experience in academia, industry associations, and private industry. She joined Colorado State University’s AgNext, a research collaborative focused on sustainable animal agriculture, in August 2022. Sara’s research focuses on enteric methane emissions measurement and mitigation from cattle. Prior to CSU AgNext, she was the chief sustainability officer for Elanco Animal Health, senior director for sustainable beef production research at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and an assistant professor in sustainable beef cattle systems at Oklahoma State University. She received her PhD in Animal Biology from the University of California, Davis, and a BS in Animal Science from Cornell University. Sara is a native of upstate NY where she grew up on a dairy farm.