Reducing greenhouse gases from ruminants: a Korean perspective

Methane, a gas produced during the digestion process of ruminants, is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming and also represents energy loss. Therefore, all countries worldwide, including the United States and Europe, are trying to reduce the amount of methane gas generated. There are many research papers and excellent review papers in this regard. However, this review specifically aims to provide some insights on methane measurement methods and consider ways to reduce greenhouse gases under current domestic conditions. Enteric methane from ruminants is mainly measured using a respiration chamber and the GreenFeed system and can also be measured using an laser methane detector and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer technique. Research priority needs to be focused on measuring the current level of methane produced more accurately from Korea’s perspective, and financial support and research are imperative for this purpose. In terms of mitigation strategies, it is important to adopt and apply various processes proposed by developed countries, still equally, we also actively make efforts to research and support processes that can be implemented in domestic conditions, such as the use of agricultural by-products, food by-products, and home-grown forages in total mixed ration. Additionally, in addition to developing novel additives or substances at a strategic level, if there are any overlooked traditional methods in the livestock industry, such as improving nutrient use efficiency and increasing productivity, then efforts must be placed to complement what is lacking and as a result, those methods may be adopted in the ruminant agriculture relatively fast and easy.