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Updates from the Research Networks
Feed and Nutrition Network
The Feed and Nutrition Network (FNN) was established in 2012 and current membership is about 30 countries.
The broad goals of FNN are
• Summarize and evaluate the available
data on mitigating GHG emissions from
ruminants by nutritional means (current
focus is enteric methane);
• Develop sound recommendations on
enteric methane mitigation by nutritional
means for stakeholders; and
• Identify gaps in knowledge and focus
research on priority issues.
Network
members
are
currently
working on several projects, including:
• Preparing a review paper on designing,
conducting, and interpreting in vitro batch
culture experiments to assess methane
production in ruminants;
• Preparing a review paper on suitability of
current in vivo measurement techniques
to meet specific objectives for accurately
quantifying enteric methane emissions
from ruminants;
• Developing a database of treatment
means
allowing
science-based
recommendations of methane mitigation
practices to be communicated to
stakeholders; and
• Assembling a database of individual
animal data for developing robust
methane prediction models based on
nutritional and animal factors.
The treatment means database is complete
and includes over 1,000 observations from
published experiments between 1965 and
2015. The individual animals database is
work-in-progress and currently includes
approximately 3,000 observations from
published and unpublished experiments
provided by over 30 contributors from
around the world. These FNN activities are
integrated with a FACCE-JPI-funded project
(GLOBAL NETWORK for the development of
nutrition-related strategies for mitigation of
methane and nitrous oxide emissions from
ruminant livestock). This four-year project
started in 2014 and involves eight FNN
member countries.
FNN held its annual meeting on 25 June in
Reading. Participants were informed about
activities by member country representatives
and ongoing FNN and GLOBAL NETWORK
research projects. Collaboration among
network members and with other LRG
networks was discussed. The FNN will
next meet in February 2016 in conjunction
with the GGAA conference in Melbourne,
Australia.
For more information about the Feed
and Nutrition Network, please contact
Professor Alex Hristov, Penn State
University
( anh13@psu.edu ).
FNN members at the meeting in Reading, UK in June 2015