To expand on the "grass is oxidized" idea, even in later decomposition stages when methane _is_ produced the soil contain methanotrophic bacteria that oxidize the methane so it never reaches the atmosphere. So there are no detectable methane emissions, as shown in the paper below.
With cattle emissions the methane is emitted directly to the atmosphere.
From Hartmann, "A study of soil methane sink regulation in two grasslands
exposed to drought and N fertilization", 2010:
"The grasslands investigated continuously acted as net
sinks for atmospheric CH 4. We never detected CH 4
There's also the issue that increased demand for beef results in a greater number of cows being bred for food consumption. So, it's not so much that the amount of methane produced from cows and decomposing grass is similar, but rather what is the right balance of cows to land and feed crop.
25 years ago while researching my book "Kiwi Ingenuity" in the Auckland Public Library,
I was reading about NZ farmer inventions.
The now defunct, NZ Journal of Agriculture had a discussion going about reducing annoying cow belching in the milking shed. The answer was simple, feed them Tea. Farmers were told to grow Camelia Sinensis and feed it as a supplement or add it to sileage. Problem solved. I'm sure someone decided to even add a brew to their water.
To expand on the "grass is oxidized" idea, even in later decomposition stages when methane _is_ produced the soil contain methanotrophic bacteria that oxidize the methane so it never reaches the atmosphere. So there are no detectable methane emissions, as shown in the paper below.
With cattle emissions the methane is emitted directly to the atmosphere.
From Hartmann, "A study of soil methane sink regulation in two grasslands
exposed to drought and N fertilization", 2010:
"The grasslands investigated continuously acted as net
sinks for atmospheric CH 4. We never detected CH 4
emissions from soils, even when soils were water-
logged after heavy rain or snow melt."
Your comments about how the grass and field decomposition would be less is not well established
See attached research paper done in the Netherlands
https://edepot.wur.nl/201574
There's also the issue that increased demand for beef results in a greater number of cows being bred for food consumption. So, it's not so much that the amount of methane produced from cows and decomposing grass is similar, but rather what is the right balance of cows to land and feed crop.
So have you given up milk too?
25 years ago while researching my book "Kiwi Ingenuity" in the Auckland Public Library,
I was reading about NZ farmer inventions.
The now defunct, NZ Journal of Agriculture had a discussion going about reducing annoying cow belching in the milking shed. The answer was simple, feed them Tea. Farmers were told to grow Camelia Sinensis and feed it as a supplement or add it to sileage. Problem solved. I'm sure someone decided to even add a brew to their water.
This was from back issues in the 1930s.
Have we forgotten what we already knew?
Solar Bob,
Rarotonga.