New project to focus on methane-reducing additive research in beef cattle
A new research project will investigate the lifetime potential of methane-reducing feed additives in beef cattle.
According to Teagasc, methane-reducing feed additives have the potential to contribute to Ireland’s agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets, with studies showing emissions reductions of 8% to 30% under indoor conditions.
However, their long-term effectiveness in grass-based systems remains uncertain.
Sustained progress will depend on combining such technologies with improvements in overall farm system efficiency, Teagasc said.
These efficiencies include animal performance, genetics, nutrition and management and can deliver lower emissions intensity alongside higher productivity.
Research project
Addressing this knowledge gap is the key focus of the new RU-MIT-LESS research project, led by Teagasc, in collaboration with University College Dublin (UCD) and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI).
The project, funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, will investigate the strategic use of a range of methane-reducing feed additives throughout the beef production cycle, including early-life interventions as well as any additive benefits associated with combining different additives.
The project will also evaluate how these technologies can be incorporated into practical and economically-viable beef production systems.
It will also investigate the societal barriers to the uptake and usage of feed additives within the Irish beef sector, and the effectiveness of new technologies for measure methane emissions.
The RU-MIT-LESS project was officially launched by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon and Minister of State Noel Grealish at the Teagasc Beef2026 open day in Grange, Co. Meath this week.
Teagasc researcher Dr. Paul Smith said: "While previous research has demonstrated the methane reduction potential of feed additives during indoor feeding periods, there is still much to learn about their long-term effects.
"RU-MIT-LESS will investigate a range of feed additives, both individually and in combination, across different stages of the beef production cycle, including early-life interventions.
"The project will evaluate their impact on methane emissions, animal performance and farm profitability, providing the evidence needed to support future adoption by Irish beef farmers.
"Furthermore, this project will focus on understanding the opinion of multiple actors throughout the beef sector, to the usage of feed additives for reducing methane emissions."
Professor Alan Kelly of the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science said this research represents a "major step towards delivering practical, science-based methane mitigation solutions for Irish livestock systems".
"A unique feature of the project is the integration of UCD and Teagasc expertise and farm system infrastructure, establishing a fully integrated dairy-to-beef research platform that links the UCD Lyons dairy herd and dairy calf research and education facility with the Teagasc Grange dairy-beef farm system," he said.
He added that the findings of the project will "identify cost-effective solutions that enhance the sustainability, productivity and resilience of Ireland’s pasture-based dairy and beef sectors".
'Promising technologies'
AFBI researcher Dr. Omar Cristobal Carballo added that methane suppressing feed additives are "promising methane mitigation technologies, with the potential to reduce Irish GHG emissions".
"Addressing reductions in methane emissions is urgent for climate mitigation, livestock sustainability, feed efficiency and long-term agricultural viability.
"Wearable technologies provide a practical, scalable, and data-driven solution for monitoring and mitigating methane production.
"RU-MIT-LESS will assess a promising novel halter type wearable device and compare the CO2 and CH4 measurement results with those from metabolic chambers and greenfeed when animals are fed different methane suppressing supplements, at different stages of growth, and in indoors and grazing setting."
Over the lifetime of the project, researchers will investigate the effectiveness of different methane-reducing feed additives across the full beef production cycle, including the potential benefits of introducing interventions early in life.
The research will also explore farmer and consumer attitudes towards methane mitigation technologies and develop improved methods for measuring methane emissions, strengthening Ireland's capability in emissions monitoring and low-carbon livestock research.
