Marcus Hollmann, Michigan State University, was awarded the 2007 National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) National Dairy Leadership Scholarship and the Murray Hintz Memorial Scholarship to advance his research into reducing methane production by supplementing feed with coconut oil. The NMPF awards are given to graduate students who exhibit academic excellence and whose research demonstrates a strong, positive contribution to the dairy industry.
“Coconut oil has been shown to reduce methane emissions from cows and their manure, but no one has done specific nutrition and air quality research,” Hollmann says.
Methane emissions are one of the greatest contributors to the greenhouse effect, and lactating dairy cows produce the most methane of all livestock species. Collectively, cows’ digestive tracts plus stored dairy manure generate about 25% of methane emissions worldwide and 80% of ammonia emissions in the United States.
“Methane has been shown to be a greenhouse gas, and this project is part of a worldwide effort to help reduce those gases,” Hollmann says. “Our goal is to reduce the methane that cows produce without reducing the amount of milk produced. If you get less milk, you will need more cows, which would counteract our efforts.”
Hollmann’s research will focus on reducing methane and ammonia emissions on both ends of the nutrient cycle — feeding and excretion. Studies have shown the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil can reduce digestive tract methane production in cows by 68 percent.