AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Sara Place, an associate professor in Animal Sciences at Colorado State University and affiliated with Ag Next which is focused on sustainable solutions in animal agriculture, to discuss an exciting molecule called 3- nitrooxypropanoal or 3-NOP. Methane is the number one greenhouse gas (GHG) associated with dairy and beef production. The primary source of methanogenesis in beef and dairy cattle is the rumen. If we look at all activities associated with beef production, it is 3.7% of U.S. GHG emissions and about 2% for dairy. This includes enteric methane as well as feed, transportation, manure and other inputs. The primary driver of GHG in the U.S. is burning fossil fuels and release of CO2 into the atmosphere and not animal agriculture, however methane has 28 times the warming potential of CO2, but the half-life is only 10 years, much less than CO2. 

3-NOP has a very specific mode of action in the rumen to competitively inhibit the last step of methanogenesis. Research has consistently shown that 3-NOP decreases rumen methanogenesis by 30% in dairy cattle and up to 50% in feedlot cattle. 3-NOP has a different mode of action to ionophores such as monensin. We discuss that 6% of the energy fed to dairy cows and 3.5% of the energy fed to beef cows is lost to methane. Research has not demonstrated an increase in milk production or dry matter intake, but it has had some impact on milk components. We also discuss the practical application of 3-NOP in dairy cows, pastoral beef systems, pre-weaned calves and its impact on future lifetime production of methane, and during the finishing phase of beef production. 

We also discuss that 3-NOP is a new concept with proven reductions in methane production but there is opportunity for future research to demonstrate potential benefits to producers, animals and consumers as well as the environment. 

Related publications:

 Summary of scientific papers from DSM on 3-nitrooxypropanoal

 DSM sustainability website

 Use of 3-nitrooxypropanol as feed additive for mitigating enteric methane emissions from ruminants: a meta-analysis

 The effects of feeding 3-nitrooxypropanol on methane emissions and productivity of Holstein cows in mid lactation

A meta-analysis of effects of 3-nitrooxypropanol on methane production, yield, and intensity in dairy cattle

 Use of 3-nitrooxypropanol in a commercial feedlot to decrease enteric methane emissions from cattle fed a corn-based finishing diet