In a bid to protect our grazing livestock industries in an ever-increasingly emissions-conscious world, Australian scientists are drawing on genetics to unlock the complex science behind the production of the greenhouse gas methane in sheepAustralia's sheep industry is a vital and vibrant national industry producing food and fibre, and earning enormous export income. However, Australia's near 90 million sheep are also significant methane gas producers. Sheep produce methane as a by-product of fermentative digestion in the rumen and hind gut. And according to University of Western Australia (UWA), associate professor Phil Vercoe, there is potential for genetics and management, to provide a powerful tool to combat emissions.
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