AgNext at Colorado State University, a research collaborative in the Department of Animal Sciences, hosted its third annual Research Summit in June 2025. The event brought together researchers, industry stakeholders, students, and community members to explore the latest innovations in sustainable animal agriculture. Over the course of the multi-day event, the AgNext team presented cutting-edge research, hosted expert panels, and highlighted the outstanding work of student researchers.
A key feature of the AgNext Research Summit 2025 was Methane Day, held on Friday, June 13 at the CoBank Center for Agricultural Education at CSU’s Agricultural Research, Development, and Education Center (ARDEC). Co-hosted in partnership with the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), Methane Day brought together agricultural voices to learn about current technologies and discuss methane reduction strategies in livestock systems.
AgNext was selected as a co-host for this important event due to its nationally recognized leadership in methane emissions research particularly in the context of cattle production. AgNext’s interdisciplinary team continues to generate science-based insights that support a sustainable livestock industry.
The theme of the event was methane: a short-lived potent greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere more effectively than carbon dioxide. In the context of animal agriculture, methane is produced in the gut microbiome of ruminant animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats (also called enteric methane). Another way methane is produced in animal agriculture is through anaerobic decomposition of manure. Since methane is relatively short-lived in the atmosphere and has a higher potential to trap heat in the atmosphere, methane mitigation is an attractive near-term climate solution. Recognizing this, Colorado is taking proactive steps to support methane reduction through initiatives like Regulation 85 and its comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Roadmap.
Methane Day brought together ranchers, dairymen, livestock producers, and agricultural groups to discuss opportunities and barriers of reducing methane emissions. The event was free to attend and open to anyone, regardless of participation in the broader AgNext Research Summit. This accessibility reflected CDA’s commitment to inclusive, climate-smart agricultural outreach, as well as AgNext’s ongoing mission to deliver credible and accessible information to producers and partners alike.
The day’s program included presentations from leadership across both organizations, including AgNext Director Dr. Kim Stackhouse-Lawson and Cindy Lair, CDA Deputy Director for Conservation. The agenda also featured presentations from scientists at AgNext and CDA, a producer-led panel discussion, and a guided tour of CSU’s Climate-Smart Research Facility, which showcases real-time methane measurement tools and emission mitigation trials.
In conjunction with the event, AgNext and CDA released five new fact sheets to provide clear, research-backed information about methane in agriculture. These resources aim to help producers and policymakers better understand both the science and the solutions available for methane mitigation.
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