Demonstration projects for on-farm practical methane management strategies: Lansdown

Summary

​There has been considerable investment in research to mitigate methane emissions from livestock, but directed at incremental increases in productivity and adoption has been market-driven. Practical, cost-effective technologies or practices that give a reduction in emissions while maintaining productivity are required for the northern beef industry to remain viable.  
Methane (CH4) emissions associated with beef production systems in northern Australia are yet to be quantified. Livestock production systems are highly variable due to seasonality of pasture production and quality and the most effective abatement measures will be unique to each production system and between seasons.  Methodologies are available to measure individual emissions, but application in extensive grazing environments is challenging. Commercial development and adoption on-farm will require regional sites for validation and practical demonstration. A range of demonstration sites have been established to promote industry acceptance and adoption of methane measurement and mitigation practices.
Lansdown Research Station is located approximately 45 km south of Townsville in the Burdekin Catchment. The site is 638 ha of native and improved pastures and has been chosen as a demonstration site to facilitate industry adoption of practices and technologies resulting in methane mitigation and improved on-farm measurement methodologies relevant to northern Australia.