Cows Dine on Curry to Help Reduce Methane Gas

by Lucy Benton, age 12

    Believe it or not, cows contribute to global warming more than you might think. A single cow can release about 18 cubic feet of methane gas everyday.
    Methane is one of the most damaging greenhouse gases. It is twenty times more powerful than carbon dioxide when it comes to trapping heat in the atmosphere.
    Scientists in the United Kingdom have discovered a new and unusual way to reduce agricultural methane emissions. A study by researchers at Newcastle University has discovered that feeding cows and sheep curry can help reduce the amount of methane released.
    The two main spices in curry dishes, coriander and turmeric, have an antibiotic effect on the stomachs of cows and sheep. The ingredients clear out the bacteria that produces methane gas. The researchers say that adding curry to animal food can reduce emissions by up to 40 percent.
    This means that farmers would change their usual feeding methods and help reduce methane emissions. A number of scientists say that this simple strategy could work.

[Sources: Simpson Street Free Press; Discover for Kids]

This is a great post with some really iittresenng ideas. Perhaps some research can be done analyzing the nutrient content of the wet feed' and looking into the effects on the conversion efficiency. Keep up the great posts! – Rezi, This is a great post with some really iittresenng ideas. Perhaps some research can be done analyzing the nutrient content of the wet feed' and looking into the effects on the conversion efficiency. Keep up the great posts! (2014-12-06 17:34)