Isabelle Kite

Thesis title

Pasture nutrition and associated greenhouse gas emissions potential under climate extremes

Project summary

Producing productive, high-quality pasture systems and reducing enteric methane emissions under a rapidly changing climate are key concerns for the meat and livestock industry. The use of legumes and forbs as forage for cattle can provide changes in the ruminant fermentation process and improved digestibility, resulting in reduced methane emissions. However, this mitigation could be limited by changes in plant quality under future climate stresses.

My research project aims to evaluate the nutritional quality and productivity of range of legumes and forbs, under factorial extreme climate treatments. A selection of temperate and tropical forages will be grown at the Pastures and Climate Extremes (PACE) field facility, receiving simulated Wet (La Niña) or Dry (El Niño) rainfall regimes, under ambient or elevated (+3C) temperatures. I will also use in vitro gas production assays to determine the methane production associated with these forages and observe their differences under various climate treatments. Finally, I will test the applicability of field-based near infrared spectroscopy to determine the pasture nutritional quality at the species and canopy-level under varying climate conditions and seasons.

The insights provided by this PhD will help inform pasture management and methane abatement strategies in Australia by determining the performance of opportunity legumes/forbs under current and projected climate conditions.

Supervisors

Associate Professor Ben Moore, Professor Sally Power