Researchers from Japan and Colombia have developed a "super pasture grass" enabling suppression of greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing cattle breeding.
The researchers discovered an inhibitor called brachialactone, released from the roots of a tropical grass, that can minimize greenhouse gas emissions from soil caused by use of chemical fertilizers. The inhibitor prevents conversion of the fertilizer components into greenhouse gases, some of which are believed to cause soil and groundwater contamination, according to the study results.
The project was conducted by researchers at Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) based in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, known as CIAT, based in Cali, Colombia. CIAT is an acronym for its Spanish name, Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical.