Environmental study in Yorkshire Dales to compare sheep belching gases

It will explore how the amount of methane produced by native Swaledale sheep compares to that of half-bred sheep when both types graze on the upland landscape forage.

Mr Thornton-Berry, who farms at Swinithwaite, near Leyburn, is leading the project. He said: “I wanted this project to happen as I believe without our traditional breeds our precious natural habitats will deteriorate with larger more profitable breeds which modern farming practises favour. If we can show these native breeds are better for the habitat and climate change then it would support these native sheep in a more sustainable system.”

The aim of the project is to support upland farmers and help to improve productivity and financial resilience. By utilising breeds that are efficient in the local landscape, and exploiting the most appropriate grazing resources, there is opportunity to reduce input costs and increase profitability, providing potential to access premium meat markets.

The study, to take place this summer, secured funding from the Department for Environmental Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and UKRI as part of the Research Starter Programme. The Forage for CH4nge project seeks to help demonstrate and communicate the environmental impacts of upland farming.

The main elements of the study are:

*Vegetation surveys will be undertaken on three forage types (improved grassland, species-rich-grassland, and moorland) to determine what plant life is making up the sheep’s diet when grazing these fields.

*Methane emission testing will take place on the farm by using innovative Portable Accumulation Chamber technology to rapidly measure methane emissions from individual sheep.

Collaborative international research has provided standardised, well-tested protocols for data collection and analyses using this system. The emissions from native, upland breeds/systems, from grazing different pasture types will be addressed in this project. This has not been explored before.

Sheep production specifically contributes 12 per cent of the UK’s GHG emissions, 57 per cent of emissions in hill sheep production coming from enteric methane. Methane is the most potent GHG, therefore a key priority for the sector to focus mitigations.

The project aims to help define mitigation strategies for upland sheep farmers that increase efficiency and reduce methane emissions. The development of a method for comparing sheep breeds grazing in various natural habitats, will provide a framework to measure carbon footprint and help define sustainable and resilient future farm systems.

Ellie Raynor, ecologist at the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, said: “To meet the challenges of sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation, we must work with industry specialists to explore innovative solutions. This project is an excellent example of collaborating with like-minded passionate individuals, all wanting to come together to tackle challenges in the UK Upland farming sector.”

Nicola Noble, NSA project manager, added the project helped the understanding of emissions from different sheep breeds and emphasises the need to stop assessing farm business on a single metric. She said grazing sheep in the uplands not only produced nutritious food and a sustainable fibre, but delivered wider benefits socially, economically and environmentally that needed to be recognised by consumers and policymakers.

Nicola Lambe, researcher at SRUC, said the project represented a great opportunity to expand research in the measurement of methane emissions from sheep, testing relevant sheep breeds that are grazing different pasture types typically found in UK upland sheep systems.

Holly Jones, network coordinator and funding strategist, Yorkshire Agricultural Society, said the charity prided itself on supporting environmental research while championing farmers. She said: "This project, delivered through our Farmer Scientist Network initiative, will be enlightening for the UK farming industry in further understanding our pathway towards net zero whilst putting a spotlight on the high value of upland heritage breeds.”