Breeding could help cut dairy farm emissions, report reveals

Can genetics play an important role in helping to lower a farm’s carbon footprint?

Chris Brayford
clock • 2 min read
Genetics account for more than one third of the variation in emissions between dairy farms, according to Dr Riverso, who added that EnviroCow, developed by AHDB around five years ago to help farmers breed more environmentally efficient cows, showed the strongest link to lower emissions compared with other genetic measures.
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Genetics account for more than one third of the variation in emissions between dairy farms, according to Dr Riverso, who added that EnviroCow, developed by AHDB around five years ago to help farmers breed more environmentally efficient cows, showed the strongest link to lower emissions compared with other genetic measures.

A new study has revealed that breeding could play a bigger part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farming. The research, commissioned by AHDB and undertaken by Promar International, looked...

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