Low-methane genetics is getting real: what the first “Low Methane Beef” genomic values mean on-farm

Article summary: In early December 2025, the Low Methane Beef (LMB) project released its first genomic Research Breeding Values (RBVs) for methane, an “alpha” step towards methane traits becoming routine BREEDPLAN EBVs. This article explains RBVs in plain English, what they can and cannot tell you, and how to use them at bull-buying time without losing sight of the basics.

Methane is no longer just a policy conversation. It’s showing up in supply chain expectations, sustainability claims, and the long-term direction of beef genetics.

That’s why this milestone matters: in early December 2025, Australia’s Low Methane Beef (LMB) project released its first genomic Research Breeding Values (RBVs) for methane emissions.

So what does that mean for you as a commercial producer?

Not “should I chase a single emissions trait?”, but what would you do differently when you’re buying bulls.

What actually got released

A few key points to anchor the conversation:

• The first release is RBVs, described as an alpha version of breeding values.

• The intent is for methane breeding values to become routine EBVs via BREEDPLAN once the delivery pipeline is established.

• The RBVs are designed to estimate genetic differences in methane production under both feedlot and pasture conditions.

• Lower RBVs indicate animals are expected to produce offspring that emit less methane than the current average (for the trait being reported).

Behind the scenes, this is being built from large-scale methane measurement (including GreenFeed systems) across research herds and environments.

RBV in plain English

Think of an RBV like this:

An RBV is a “genes forecast” for a trait that’s still in research mode.
It estimates how a bull’s progeny are likely to compare with the population average for methane traits, based on DNA information and measured cattle in the reference population.

What an RBV can tell you

• Whether a bull is genetically likely to trend higher or lower than average for the methane trait being reported.

• That methane traits appear heritable, meaning selection can work over generations.

What an RBV cannot tell you

• It does not tell you exactly how much methane your cattle will emit on your farm next season (diet, growth rate, class of stock, and weather still dominate day-to-day outcomes).

• It does not replace the need to select for commercial fundamentals (fertility, growth, temperament, structure).

• Being an alpha release, it should be treated as an early decision aid, not a single-trait mandate.

Decision-first: what to do differently at bull-buying time

Here’s a practical way to use these new values without overcomplicating your selection.

1) Keep your breeding objective the boss

Start with the traits that pay the bills in your system:

• fertility (including joining, calving, reconception)

• calving ease where relevant

• growth and doing-ability in your environment

• temperament and structural soundness

• carcase traits that match your market

Then treat methane as one more lever, not the lever.

2) Use methane RBVs as a filter or tie-breaker (not the whole decision)

A sensible approach (especially early on) is:

• shortlist bulls that already meet your commercial criteria

• then use methane RBVs to separate near-equals in price and type

This reduces the risk of “buying emissions” at the expense of performance.

3) Know which methane trait you’re looking at

In the LMB work, research breeding values have been produced for traits such as methane production, methane yield and methane intensity.

In practical terms:

• Production is total methane output.

• Intensity relates methane to output (for example, methane per unit of weight gain or product).

On commercial farms, intensity is often where the real-world win sits because faster, more efficient production dilutes maintenance emissions. MLA’s genetics messaging makes this point clearly: improving lifetime productivity and turning animals off earlier reduces emissions per kilogram of beef.

4) Don’t chase a single trait in isolation

Genetics rarely comes free. One MLA genetics piece highlights research showing that selecting purely for methane could bias towards smaller animals, and recommends using an Index or balanced objective rather than selecting on one trait alone.

5) Ask one extra question of seedstock suppliers

At inspection time, add a simple question:

• “How are you using methane RBVs alongside fertility and growth in your breeding program?”

You’re looking for an answer that signals balance, not hype.

Quick table: genetics vs management

Both matter, but they work on different time horizons.

The takeaway: use genetics to nudge the trajectory, and management to drive the bulk of outcomes in the short term.

Sidebar: how pasture quality and growth rates can mask or amplify genetic differences

Even with perfect genetics, methane outcomes are heavily shaped by what’s happening in the paddock.

• Methane is an energy loss. LMB researchers noted methane can represent 5–15% of feed intake energy, which is why methane intensity per unit of product is a meaningful goal.

• If pasture quality collapses (or growth is interrupted), animals gain less per day. That can make methane per kg of liveweight gain look worse, even if genetics are favourable.

• Conversely, improving pasture utilisation and maintaining consistent growth can amplify genetic advantages by improving efficiency and reducing emissions intensity through earlier turn-off and better lifetime productivity.

So if you’re comparing bulls on methane RBVs, it’s worth remembering: your pasture curve and your growth curve will heavily influence what you observe in the real world.

The “so what?” for commercial producers

This first RBV release is a signal that low-methane selection is moving from concept to tool, but it’s still early.

What you can do now:

• treat methane RBVs as a useful extra column on the spreadsheet

• keep selection balanced around fertility and growth

• avoid single-trait decisions

• keep lifting pasture performance, because management shifts outcomes faster than genetics in the short term

And what to watch next:

• the move from RBVs (research, alpha) to routine BREEDPLAN EBVs as the delivery pipeline is built.

• clearer guidance on how methane traits correlate with the profit drivers you already select for (growth, fertility, intake, carcase).

If you want to keep it simple at the next bull sale: buy the bull that fits your system first, then use methane RBVs to make a smarter choice between good options.

- The Dedicated Team of Pasture.io, 2025-12-04