Wearable tech tracks cattle methane emissions in real-time

A new wearable device is helping cattle farmers measure and potentially reduce methane emissions from their herds in real-time. The technology, known as ZELP Sense, is a rubber, waterproof sock that fits snugly to an animal's head, continuously measuring methane gas near the nostrils and delivering data to users via a smartphone app.

How it works

The device holds a pick-up device, a nozzle basically, that is positioned above the nostril of the animal that samples the air that is coming out. It's the combination of the measurement of the concentration of the methane in the airflow as well as the rate of the airflow that gives us the ability to estimate the emissions on a daily or even hourly basis, according to Hayden Montgomery, agriculture program director at the Global Methane Hub.

“That sock holds a pick-up device, a nozzle basically, that is positioned above the nostril of the animal that samples the air that is coming out,” he said.

“It's the combination of the measurement of the concentration of the methane in the airflow as well as the rate of the airflow that gives us the ability to estimate the emissions on a daily or even hourly basis.”

Importance for the livestock industry

Montgomery said the system had been developed and tested through more than 20,000 hours of real-world use, backed by a growing trend towards climate-friendly meat. “We see in the marketplace food companies increasingly interested in sustainable sourcing,” he said. “Methane is growing in importance as part of that conversation.”

The device has been funded by an international philanthropic network and delivers data to an app in real time. It is hoped this and other technologies on the market will help farmers validate mitigation techniques at scale, such as low methane genetics and feed supplements, to ultimately produce less methane.

Industry reaction

Cattle Australia deputy chair Adam Coffey, who farms cattle in Central Queensland, said livestock emissions have historically been “lumped” in with energy and resources in the broader conversation around global warming. “We know that livestock emissions are categorically different from your car's exhaust, and I think it's well and truly time that recognition was given,” he said.

“These devices will play their part in ascertaining exactly what our emissions are or aren't; hopefully this is where we get a bit smarter around how we do measure our livestock emissions,” Coffey said. “We will continue to work and invest in how we reduce them, but we do need to understand that they are categorically different to how they've been historically framed.”