Livestock Research Group Newsletter October 2014

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As part of achieving this objective, the New
Zealand Government with the International
Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the
European Union-funded AnimalChange
project
funded a training course to increase the
research capacity in methane and nitrous
oxide measurements across Africa.
Seventeen participants arrived at the
University of Pretoria, South Africa on 21st
September to begin a two week intensive
training course on the “Introduction to
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Measurement”.
Nominated by their organisations to attend
the course, the participants came from
Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Ethiopia,
Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda.
Participants received ‘hands-on’ training
Technicians across Africa
participate in a Global Research
Alliance training course
Participants and trainers on the 2014 training course at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.
during the two weeks to develop skills
that will improve the measurement and
understanding of greenhouse gas emissions
from agriculture in their home country. This
will facilitate their participation in further
research and programmes to explore
the potential for mitigation of livestock
greenhouse gas emissions. The training
course strongly supports and promotes the
priorities and goals of the Global Research
Alliance: developing a collaborative approach
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from
pastoral farming.
The course was organised by the New
Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas
Research Centre (NZAGRC) and taught by a
collaboration of New Zealand, British, Irish
and Kenyan experts in the field. German
Molano from the Animal Nutrition team at
AgResearch, New Zealand led the course
with support from Christo Jacobs from the
University of Pretoria and Dr John Goopy
from ILRI, Kenya. Dr Kenton Hart from
Aberystwyth University, Wales was funded by
the UK Government to assist German Molano
for the two weeks of the course. Dr Gary
Lanigan was funded by AnimalChange and
TEAGASC, Ireland to demonstrate nitrous
oxide measurement using static chambers.
The course, the second of its kind organised
by New Zealand in support of the Livestock
Research Group, reflects a growing desire
amongst scientists and practitioners from
institutions in developing countries to
develop their own capability to quantify
agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
The Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases seeks to find ways to globally
reduce the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of agriculture.