Summary
Chris learns about the science going into helping bulls become low methane producers.
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Chris [00:00:21]:
All right, so I’m here at LIC with Lorna, and Lorna is the lead scientist for a methane project. So tell us about the methane project.
Lorna [00:00:31]:
So basically, we are trying to see if we can breed low methane bulls. And to do that, we need to measure methane in a whole lot of animals. The project we’re working with CRV on, and we’re into year three. So we’ll have about 850 animals measured by the end of this year.
Chris [00:00:49]:
Okay, so why bulls in particular? Or am I just overreacting to what you said as a bulls and cows.
Lorna [00:00:57]:
Or so at the moment it’s bulls, but we will be measuring cows in the future. So we’ve got daughters of the first bulls we’ve measured being born this year, and we’ll be measuring them once they hit the ground in a fully functional ruminant.
Chris [00:01:13]:
Okay, so how are you approaching this? So obviously you’re getting a baseline at the moment. You’re getting that. What is the process in layman’s terms?
Lorna [00:01:27]:
So first we need to understand if there is genetic variation. So that’s the stage we’re at at the moment, based on the data we’ve got to date, we have found genetic variation. So that’s what we need to be able to do that selection. Then we need to understand what the trade offs might be.
Lorna [00:01:45]:
So is the bull that’s really good.
Lorna [00:01:47]:
For methane bad for milk production? So we’re getting that data at the moment.
Chris [00:01:52]:
Right? So you can’t just go whipping in there and splitting up the DNA and getting rid of bits and pieces, and then suddenly, okay, this is a great bull and it doesn’t fart at all, but unfortunately, it’s impotent. Not much use.
Lorna [00:02:05]:
Yes, and the burped not fart.
Chris [00:02:09]:
My mistake. You can tell I’m not a scientist. Okay, so how did you get into this project?
Lorna [00:02:21]:
So, actually, my first project when I started at LIC was in methane back in 2004. Then I worked in refroduction, which is what I’m qualified in.
Lorna [00:02:31]:
And the we knew this was going.
Lorna [00:02:34]:
To be an important area. We saw the work that was happening in sheep that showed there was genetic variation, and we started up our cattle project, which is funded by NZRC.
Chris [00:02:45]:
Well, it is the intersection, right? The right intersection for you between the reproductive and the methane. If you’re going to breed them for that, and if you get this right, assuming you will or whatever, what’s the long term aspirational implication of that? Is it going to be a global thing? Is this just a New Zealand thing? Is it just a Ycado thing where we’re looking for that?
Lorna [00:03:11]:
So around the world, lots of people are doing this kind of research, maybe with slightly different approaches. So in the Netherlands, they measure methane using a methane sniffer, and the milking robot. That’s not really so much of an option here. The Irish have got a very similar set up to us that they’re doing for beef cattle. So it’s something the world is tackling. Our population is quite genetically distinct from a lot of the world, so that means that we have to do a lot of the work here ourselves.
Lorna [00:03:39]:
We can’t just rely on overseas people.
Lorna [00:03:41]:
Doing that work and import it here.
Chris [00:03:43]:
Right. So we’ve got genetically quite different animals here. Okay.
Chris [00:03:48]:
All right.
Chris [00:03:49]:
That’s pretty cool. What should I have asked you that I didn’t ask you?
Lorna [00:03:53]:
I guess genetics is a permanent and cumulative. That’s the great thing about it. But it also takes a long time to get enough data. So we are not really going to be helping farmers much by 2030, but we are really helping to contribute by 2050.
Lorna [00:04:09]:
So we would like to see a.
Lorna [00:04:10]:
10% reduction or ten to 15% reduction in methane through breeding by 2050.
Chris [00:04:16]:
Yeah.
Chris [00:04:17]:
Okay. And it’s important to have that timescale put in there and yeah, no, that’s good. All right, now I’m going to ask you another question really random. Do you listen to podcasts at all?
Lorna [00:04:27]:
I do.
Chris [00:04:28]:
Okay. I want a recommendation. Maybe a serious one and a fun one or just your favorite one.
Lorna [00:04:34]:
I really like Freakonomics, so I listen to lots of their podcast. And also what else? I’ve been listening to the Good Sex podcast. That’s maybe a bit of a random one at the moment.
Chris [00:04:47]:
Okay. I haven’t heard of that one. I might have to maybe check that one out, so no, that’s cool. Thanks, Lorna, I appreciate that. And yeah, keep up the good work with LIC. Cheers.
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