Methane emissions in beef cattle: A review of measurements and mitigation strategies

Methane emissions from beef cattle make a considerable contribution to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, leading to environmental, economic, and production challenges. This review presents the current understanding on enteric methane emissions in cattle, and evaluates the measurement techniques, bioindicators, and a range of management strategies to mitigate methane emissions, including dietary modifications, feed additives, vaccination, grazing strategies, and microbial manipulation, describing their respective benefits and limitations. The review also examines methane mitigation through genetic selection and breeding, including the applications of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and genomic selection to identify and incorporate methane-reducing traits into the breeding programs. To facilitate genetic selection and breeding programs, more research is needed to link methane traits, gut microbes, and genetics to improve predictions of genetic merit of methane emissions on individual animals. While numerous mitigation strategies show promise, achieving lasting reductions in methane emissions requires an integrated approach that combines management practices with selective breeding and balances productivity, animal welfare, and both environmental and economic sustainability.