Ruminant Biotech aims to equip 100 million cows with Emitless methane-reducing tech
New Zealand's Ruminant Biotech says that while it has big goals, the scale of the problem it seeks to solve requires it.
OPINION: Irrespective of where you fall on the human-induced-global-warming spectrum - alarmist or sceptic - there is one thing we should all be 100% sure about.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a fertiliser because it carries one of the 16 essential nutrients (carbon, C) required for plant growth.
Plants acquire this essential nutrient in the form of CO2 via a process called photosynthesis. The rate of plant growth is directly related to concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, all other things being equal.
I can recall as a young scientist in the then Ministry of Agriculture much talk about a new special glasshouse being constructed at the Levin Horticultural Research Station.
It was special because it was sealed so that plant growth - in this specific case, tomatoes - could be enhanced by increasing the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere!
There is now a large body of research quantifying this effect. From this data it is predicted that if atmosphere CO2 was increased by 300ppm - and this, some say, is possible given current emissions - plant growth will increase by about 30-40%. A fertiliser indeed!
Satellite images have captured this fertilising effect. The planet is becoming greener, and this effect is most discernable in arid areas. Why should this be?
The "skin" - the outer layers of the plant leaf - have little openings called stomata through which gases can enter (e.g. CO2, water) and leave (oxygen and water) the plant.
As the CO2 increases, the number and the size of these stomatal "holes" decreases and consequently the plant becomes more efficient at using water.
The rule of thumb is that if you double the CO2 concentration, the amount of water required by the plant is halved. These, I emphasise, are not trivial effects!
These scientific facts about the important role of CO2 are immutable and therefore we should be very careful how we use words like "pollutant" and "decarbonise" when talking about CO2.
That "stuff" that you see pouring out of industrial chimneys cannot be CO2 for the simple and sufficient reason that the gas CO2 is colourless. That acrid smog hanging over our large cities is not CO2 because CO2 is odourless. The pollution - the smog, if you like - that you can see is largely due to micro-particles suspended in the air, not CO2.
So, can we agree to stop calling CO2 a pollutant?
Similarly, some balance is required when talking about the negative effects of CO2, especially in the context of agriculture. Sure, farmers need to be informed if their district is likely to become more arid because of global warming. But equally they should be informed that pastures will grow much faster, and they will be more drought resistant!
The whole narrative around 'climate change' has become clumsy and if we are to make progress in controlling the beast, we need to remain balanced.
Dr Doug Edmeades spent 20 years as a soil scientist at Ruakura. In 1997, he established his own science consulting business which has evolved into agKnowledge.
Acclaimed fruit grower Dean Astill never imagined he would have achieved so much in the years since being named the first Young Horticulturist of the Year, 20 years ago.
The Ashburton-based Carrfields Group continues to show commitment to future growth and in the agricultural sector with its latest investment, the recently acquired 'Spring Farm' adjacent to State Highway 1, Winslow, just south of Ashburton.
New Zealand First leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has blasted Fonterra farmers shareholders for approving the sale of iconic brands to a French company.
A major feature of the Ashburton A&P Show, to be held on October 31 and November 1, will be the annual trans-Tasman Sheep Dog Trial test match, with the best heading dogs from both sides of the Tasman going head-to-head in two teams of four.
Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
The key to a dairy system that generates high profit with a low emissions intensity is using low footprint feed, says Fonterra program manager on-farm excellence, Louise Cook.

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