Mitigating methane in dairy cattle: Integrated strategies and the evolving role of precision livestock farming

Modern dairy farming faces the dual challenge ofmeeting global food demands while mitigating its environmental impact, particularly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, such asmethane (CH4), apotent contributor toclimate change. This review explores the role ofPrecision Livestock Farming (PLF) technologies inmonitoring and reducing CH4 emissions from dairy cattle. Weevaluate state-of-the-art methods, including direct monitoring (e.g. respiratory chambers, GreenFeed systems) and indirect approaches (e.g. infrared milk spectroscopy, AI-driven analytics), alongside mitigation strategies such asnutritional optimisation, genetic selection, and ruminal additives. PLF emerges asatransformative tool, integrating real-time data onanimal health, feed efficiency, and environmental conditions tooptimise management practices and reduce emissions per unit ofmilk produced. Bysynthesising current research, wehighlight the potential ofPLF toreconcile productivity with sustainability, offering scalable solutions for the dairy sector. Critical gaps inreal-time CH4monitoring and farm-level implementation are identified, underscoring the need for further innovation. This review provides aroadmap for aligning dairy production with global climate goals while ensuring food security for the growing population.