Friday, March 15, 2013

Oregano Reduces Cow's Methane and Increases Milk Production


There have been several correlations between global warming caused by greenhouse gases. Anthropogenic methane is a type of greenhouse gas produced by human activities, such as agriculture. Associated professor of dairy nutrition, Alexander Hristov, has found a way to decrease cow belches by utilizing oregano as a feed supplement. According to Hristov, an oregano-based supplement will decrease methane emissions in dairy cows by 40 percent, as well as improve milk production.

 

This experiment took Hristov six years to find a natural solution for methane reduction in cattle, in which oregano would reduce methane without any negative effects. Livestock produce about 37 percent of methane, which is a major greenhouse gas with 23 times the potential compared to carbon dioxide. Hristov states that some compounds found in oregano, such as carvacrol, geraniol and thymol, play an important role in methane suppression. “Identifying the active compounds is important because pure compounds are easier to produce commercially and more economical for farmers to use.”(Hristov)

As a result, I believe this experiment can be a great natural solution that farmers can use as a daily supplement for cows. Another great thing about oregano, as it has been mentioned before, is the increased of daily milk production by three pounds of milk for each cow. Good for the environment as well as the economy.

Written by: Flor Medina.

Reference:

(September 2010). Oregano Supplement Could Ease Greenhouse Gassy Cows. Retrieved from http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1913093/oregano_supplement_could_ease_greenhouse_gassy_cows/