Supplementation of Flemingia macrophylla and cassava foliage as a rumen enhancer on fermentation efficiency and estimated methane production in dairy steers

Strategic supplementation of Flemingia silage to enhance rumen fermentation efficiency, microbial protein synthesis and methane mitigation in beef cattle

Background

Good quality protein as an on-farm feed resource has been in great demand to support the productivity of ruminants. A digestion trial using beef cattle crossbreds was conducted to assess the four dietary treatments of Flemingia macrophylla silage (FMS) supplementation at 0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 kg dry matter (DM)/day in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Feed DM intakes were measured during the 14 days and sample of feeds, feces, urine, as well as rumen fluid and blood were collected during the 7 days while the animals were on metabolism crates.

Results

Based on this experiment strategic supplementation of FMS increased (P < 0.05) nutrients digestibility (organic matter, crude protein, and acid detergent fiber) enhanced rumen total volatile fatty acid production especially propionic acid (C₃), C₂:C₃ ratio while, remarkably promoted the microbial protein synthesis (MPS) by increasing N-balance and retention of purine derivatives.

Conclusions

Under this experiment, the results revealed the potential use of FMS as a good-quality feed to improve nutrients digestibility, rumen fermentation, microbial protein synthesis, and to mitigate methane production. FMS supplementation at 0.6 kg DM/day exhibited the best result.

Potential use of Flemingia (Flemingia macrophylla) as a protein source fodder to improve nutrients digestibility, ruminal fermentation efficiency in beef cattle

Objective

This study aimed at studying the potential use of Flemingia (Flemingia macrophylla) as a protein source fodder to improve nutrients digestibility and ruminal fermentation efficiency in beef cattle.

Methods

Four, Thai native beef cattle were randomly assigned in a 4×4 Latin square design. Four levels of Flemingia hay meal (FHM) were used to replace soybean meal (SBM) in the concentrate mixtures in four dietary treatments replacing levels at 0%, 30%, 60%, and 100% of SBM.

Results

The experimental findings revealed that replacements did not effect on intake of rice straw, concentrate and total dry matter (DM) intake (p>0.05). However, the apparent digestibilities of DM, organic matter, crude protein, acid detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber were linearly increased up to 100% replacement levels. Moreover, the production of total volatile fatty acids, and propionate concentration were enhanced (p<0.05) whereas the concentration of acetate was reduced in all replacement groups. Consequently, the CH₄ production was significantly lower when increasing levels of FHM for SBM (p<0.05). Furthermore, rumen bacterial population was additionally increased (p<0.05) while protozoal population was clearly decreased (p<0.05) in all replacement groups up to 100%. In addition, microbial nitrogen supply and efficiency of microbial nitrogen synthesis were enhanced (p<0.05), as affected by FHM replacements.

Conclusion

The findings under this experiment suggest that 100% FHM replacement in concentrate mixture enhanced rumen fermentation efficiency, nutrients digestibilities, bacterial population, microbial protein synthesis, and subsequently reduced CH₄ production in beef cattle fed on rice straw.

Effect of Flemingia macrophylla silage on in vitro fermentation characteristics and reduced methane production

Fodder shrub, Flemingia macrophylla silage (FMS), was nutritionally evaluated for rumen fermentation characteristics using an in vitro gas production technique. Dietary treatments were imposed in a 2 × 7 factorial arrangement in a completely randomised design. The first factor was two ratios of roughage:concentrate (R:C at 60:40 and 40:60), and the second factor was seven levels of FMS supplementation at 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 g/kg of dietary substrate. The results revealed that a R:C ratio at 40:60 increased the kinetics of gas production (P &lt; 0.001). Moreover, supplementation of FMS increased in vitro degradability and the concentration of propionic acid (P &lt; 0.001), whereas acetic acid concentration, protozoal population and methane production were reduced (P &lt; 0.001). In conclusion, supplementation of FMS at 120 g/kg of dietary substrate improved rumen fermentation and subsequently reduced methane production. However, in vivo feeding trials using FMS should be conducted to gain more information for further implementations.

Effect of bamboo grass (Tiliacora triandra, Diels) pellet supplementation on rumen fermentation characteristics and methane production in Thai native beef cattle

Objective

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of bamboo grass (Tiliacora triandra, Diels) pellet (Bamboo-Cass) supplementation on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, rumen microbial population and methane production in Thai native beef cattle.

Methods

Four Thai native beef cattle bulls (190±2 kg) were randomly allotted to four respective dietary treatments in a 4×4 Latin square design. Treatments were the varying levels of Bamboo-Cass supplementation at 0, 50, 100, and 150 g/head/d, respectively. Rice straw was fed ad libitum and the concentrate offered at 0.5% of body weight.

Results

Under this experiment, the findings revealed that acetate and butyrate production were decreased (p<0.05), propionate increased (p<0.05), whilst ruminal NH₃-N concentration was decreased (p<0.05) by supplementation of Bamboo-Cass at 150 g/head/d. Moreover, rice straw intake, and microbial population were linearly increased (p<0.05), while methane production was decreased (p<0.05).

Conclusion

The results from the present study indicate that supplementation of Bamboo-Cass at 150 g/head/d significantly enhanced feed intake, decreased protozoa and increased bacterial population, rumen fermentation efficiency while decreased methane production. Therefore, Bamboo-Cass as a supplement is promising as a rumen enhancer in beef cattle fed on rice straw.

Effects of supplementing low-quality hay with groundnut foliage and cassava tops on feed intake, apparent digestibility and rumen fermentation in crossbred cattle

Four adult crossbred cattle, fitted with rumen fistula in the dorsal sac, were randomly allocated to four treatments in a 4 × 4 Latin-square design to study the effects of supplementing sun-dried groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) foliage (DGF) and sun-dried cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz) tops (DCT) on feed intake, apparent digestibility and rumen fermentation. All animals were fed a basal diet of rice straw ad libitum and para grass (Brachiaria mutica) at 1% of liveweight (LW). The four experimental diets were as follows: (1) control, basal diet without supplement; (2) DGF, basal diet + DGF; (3) DCT, basal diet + DCT; and (4) DGF+DCT, basal diet + DGF + DCT. The supplementary feeds were fed to the level of 2 g crude protein (CP)/kg LW in Diets 2 and 3 and 1 g CP/kg LW of each feed in Diet 4. The results indicated that total intake of dry matter (DM), organic matter and CP increased with DGF and DGF+DCT diets, while neutral detergent fibre (NDF) intake was highest in the DGF diet. Digestibilities of DM, organic matter, CP and NDF were improved in DGF and DGF+DCT treatments. However, the diet with DCT supplement had lowest CP and NDF digestibility. Ruminal NH3-N and total volatile fatty acids increased in all diets with supplements, but ruminal pH, volatile fatty acid profile and in sacco losses of DM, CP and NDF of sun-dried para grass in the rumen did not differ among the treatments.