Feeding garlic and oats to belching cows could be the answer to slash global warming.

Welsh farmers will be asked to try out new diets on their livestock to cut the amount of methane their burping releases into the atmosphere.

It comes after scientists found mixing some unusual foods into cattle and sheep feed could cut the stinky emissions from animals by as much as a quarter.

Farm animals currently produce four per cent of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions, and it's thought the new diets could cut that to three per cent.

The research by Aberystwyth, Bangor and Reading universities involved measuring the amount of methane burped out by farm animals in specially designed polytunnels.

The teams tried out different diets while measuring gas coming from the animals' mouths into the air in the tunnels. They discovered the emissions could be reduced by a combination of different feedstuffs, special rations and additives.

Now it's hoped trials being held at Bangor could persuade farmers to change the source of their animals' diet.

Professor Jamie Newbold, of Aberystwyth, said the research looked 'promising'. But he admitted there could be side effects as scientists still work out how much of an effect the garlic extract has on the actual taste of beef and milk.

He hopes the climate change-busting diets could also improve profits for farmers as it's believed the new feeds could also improve beef production and boost milk yield.

Only around 20-25 per cent of the energy in livestock diets ends up in meat or milk, with the rest lost as urine, faeces and emissions.

Prof Newbold and his colleagues spent most of the summer on their research. They will now look into breeding new plants and feed with high sources of fat and sugar, as well as dietary additives such as garlic extract.

The professor said: “We are feeding them with new 'naked' husk-less oats which are high in fat and reduce the emissions. We're keeping Wales' reputation of producing natural products without chemical additives, and trying to improve the green credentials of the country. We are hoping to be partners with farmers.”

(Read by Dan Chinoy. Dan Chinoy is a multimedia journalist at the China Daily Web site.)

(Agencies)