Morten Maigaard

Bovaer effectively reduces methane emissions from cattle

Ruminant Nutrition

In his PhD project, Morten Maigaard has studied feeding strategies aimed at reducing methane emissions from cattle.

”I have trained in agriculture and originally planned for a career in farming. But then I developed an interest in animal science, enrolled at the University of Copenhagen and developed a taste for science. As a researcher, I draw on my background in farming as well as my scientific perspective,” says Morten Maigaard. In his PhD project, Morten conducted the first ever large-scale Danish tests of feeding additives aimed at reducing methane emissions from cattle. The results of the project have led to the political decision to make Bovaer – or high-fat – feed mandatory for conventional dairy farmers with more than 50 cows beginning in January 2025. ”We looked at what could be done to reduce methane emissions here and now. Bovaer reduces emissions by 30 per cent; the other options were nitrate and high-fat feed. We believed a combination of the three would create the highest reduction, and therefore we conducted large-scale tests of all possible combinations. However, none of the combinations were able to beat Bovaer,” Morten explains. The next step was to identify the optimum dosage of Bovaer which could significantly reduce methane emissions without affecting the milk quality. Towards the end of the project Morten studied the potential benefits of the fact that cows with reduced methane emissions instead produce more hydrogen. Morten continues his work as a postdoc focussing i.a. on the long-term effects of feed additives in calves.

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