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Cueva SF, Wasson DE, Martins LF, Räisänen SE, Silvestre T, Hristov AN. Lactational performance, ruminal fermentation, and enteric gas emission of dairy cows fed an amylase-enabled corn silage in diets with different starch concentrations. J Dairy Sci 2024; 107:4426-4448. [PMID: 38942561 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of feeding an amylase-enabled corn silage (ACS) on the performance and enteric gas emissions in lactating dairy cows. Following a 2-wk covariate period, 48 mid-lactation Holstein cows were assigned to 1 of 3 treatments in a 10-wk randomized complete block design experiment. Treatments were diets containing the same proportion of corn silage (40% of dietary DM) as follows: (1) a conventional hybrid corn silage control (CON), (2) ACS replacing the control silage (ADR), and (3) the ADR diet replacing soybean hulls with ground corn grain to achieve the same dietary starch concentration as CON (ASR). Control corn silage and ACS were harvested on the same day and contained 40.3% and 37.1% DM and (% of DM): 37.2% and 41.0% NDF and 37.1% and 30.0% starch, respectively. Enteric gas emissions were measured using the GreenFeed system. Two cows were culled due to health-related issues during the covariate period. Ruminal fluid was collected from 24 cows (8 per treatment) using the orogastric ruminal sampling technique. When compared with CON, cows fed ADR had increased DMI during experimental wk 3, 4, and 9, but treatment did not affect milk or ECM milk yields (39.0 kg/d on average; SEM = 0.89). Compared with CON, feed efficiency (per unit of milk, but not ECM) tended to be lower for ADR, whereas milk true protein concentration (a tendency) and yield were lower for ASR. Milk urea N was decreased by both ADR and ASR diets relative to CON. Compared with CON, daily CH4 emission and emission intensity were increased by ADR but not ASR. Total protozoal count tended to be increased by both diets formulated with ACS when compared with control corn silage. Total-tract digestibility of dietary NDF was greater for ASR, and that of ADF was greater for both ADR and ASR versus CON. The molar proportion of acetate (a tendency) and acetate-to-propionate ratio were increased by ADR, but not ASR, when compared with CON. Replacement of CON with ACS (having lower starch concentration) in the diet of dairy cows increased DMI during the initial weeks of the experiment, maintained ECM, tended to decrease feed efficiency, and increased enteric CH4 emissions, likely due to increased intake of digestible fiber, compared with CON.
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Affiliation(s)
- S F Cueva
- Department of Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - D E Wasson
- Department of Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - L F Martins
- Department of Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - S E Räisänen
- Department of Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802; ETH Zürich, Department of Environmental Science, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - T Silvestre
- Kemin Industries, Singapore 758200, Singapore
| | - A N Hristov
- Department of Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.
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Hristov AN. Invited review: Advances in nutrition and feed additives to mitigate enteric methane emissions. J Dairy Sci 2024; 107:4129-4146. [PMID: 38942560 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-24440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Methane, both enteric and from manure management, is the most important greenhouse gas from ruminant livestock, and its mitigation can deliver substantial decreases in the carbon footprint of animal products and potentially contribute to climate change mitigation. Although choices may be limited, certain feeding-related practices can substantially decrease livestock enteric CH4 emission. These practices can be generally classified into 2 categories: diet manipulation and feed additives. Within the first category, selection of forages and increasing forage digestibility are likely to decrease enteric CH4 emission, but the size of the effect, relative to current forage practices in the United States dairy industry, is likely to be minimal to moderate. An opportunity also exists to decrease enteric CH4 emissions by increasing dietary starch concentration, but interventions have to be weighed against potential decreases in milk fat yield and farm profitability. A similar conclusion can be made about dietary lipids and oilseeds, which are proven to decrease CH4 emission but can also have a negative effect on rumen fermentation, feed intake, and milk production and composition. Sufficient and robust scientific evidence indicates that some feed additives, specifically the CH4 inhibitor 3-nitrooxypropanol, can substantially reduce CH4 emissions from dairy and beef cattle. However, the long-term effects and external factors affecting the efficacy of the inhibitor need to be further studied. The practicality of mass-application of other mitigation practices with proven short-term efficacy (i.e., macroalgae) is currently unknown. One area that needs more research is how nutritional mitigation practices (both diet manipulation and feed additives) interact with each other and whether there is synergism among feed additives with different mode of action. Further, effects of diet on manure composition and greenhouse gas emissions during storage (e.g., emission trade-offs) have not been adequately studied. Overall, if currently available mitigation practices prove to deliver consistent results and novel, potent, and safe strategies are discovered and are practical, nutrition alone can deliver up to 60% reduction in enteric CH4 emissions from dairy farms in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- A N Hristov
- Department of Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.
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3
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Liu Q, Lei S, Zhao M, Li M, Cong Y, Fang K, Gao X, Zhang L, Zhu C, Zheng L, Liu J. Potential to reduce methane production of using cultivated seaweeds supplementation to reshape the community structure of rumen microorganisms. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 259:119458. [PMID: 38925466 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Methane is a short-lived greenhouse gas but has a far greater warming effect than carbon dioxide. At the same time, the livestock sector serves as a large contributor to global emissions of anthropogenic methane. Herein, this work aimed to use cultivated seaweed supplementation to reduce methane emissions and investigate the potential influencing mechanism. To evaluate the feasibility, two cultivated seaweeds, Laminaria japonica Aresch, and Porphyra tenera, along with the enzymatic hydrolysates derived from L. japonica, underwent in vitro trials, and they were both added into corn silage feed (CSF) with different concentrations (1%, 5%, and 10% of CSF) for methane reduction evaluation. The results indicated that >75% and 50% reductions in methane production were observed for the seaweeds and seaweed enzymatic hydrolysates in 9- and 30-day, respectively. Combined high-throughput sequencing and multivariate analysis revealed that supplementation with seaweed and seaweed enzymatic hydrolysates had a notable impact on the prokaryotic community structure. Mantel tests further revealed that significant correlations between the prokaryotic community and methane accumulation (P < 0.05), implying the prokaryotic community plays a role in reducing methane emissions within the rumen. Correspondingly, the networks within the prokaryotic community unveiled the crucial role of propionate/butyrate-producing bacteria in regulating methane emissions through microbial interactions. The predicted function of the prokaryotic community exhibited a significant reduction in the presence of the narB gene in seaweed-supplemented treatments. This reduction may facilitate an increased rate of electron flow toward the nitrate reduction pathway while decreasing the conversion of H2 to methane. These results indicated the supplementation of cultivated seaweeds and the enzymatic hydrolysates has the potential to reshape the community structure of rumen microbial communities, and this alteration appears to be a key factor contributing to their methane production-reduction capability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Liu
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266003, China; Qingdao Key Laboratory of Ocean Carbon Sequestration and Negative Emission Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Shize Lei
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266003, China; Qingdao Key Laboratory of Ocean Carbon Sequestration and Negative Emission Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Mingbo Zhao
- Institute of Blue Economic Research in Weihai Co., Ltd., Weihai, 264400, China
| | - Mingtan Li
- Weihai Shidai Marine Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Weihai, 264400, China
| | - Yongping Cong
- Institute of Blue Economic Research in Weihai Co., Ltd., Weihai, 264400, China
| | - Kaili Fang
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266003, China; Qingdao Key Laboratory of Ocean Carbon Sequestration and Negative Emission Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - XuXu Gao
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266003, China; Qingdao Key Laboratory of Ocean Carbon Sequestration and Negative Emission Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Lianbao Zhang
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266003, China; Qingdao Key Laboratory of Ocean Carbon Sequestration and Negative Emission Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Chenba Zhu
- Carbon Neutral Innovation Research Center, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China; Global Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions (ONCE) Program Alliance, China
| | - Liwen Zheng
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266003, China; Qingdao Key Laboratory of Ocean Carbon Sequestration and Negative Emission Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.
| | - Jihua Liu
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266003, China; Qingdao Key Laboratory of Ocean Carbon Sequestration and Negative Emission Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China; Global Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions (ONCE) Program Alliance, China.
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4
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Matiello JP, Guadagnin AR, Forgiarini Vizzotto E, Bosco Stivanin SC, Heisler G, Fernandes Bettencourt A, Magalhães Campos M, Ribeiro Tomich T, Samarini Machado F, Ribeiro Pereira LG, Fischer V. Intake, digestibility, energy and nitrogen utilisation, and enteric methane emission in Holstein and Girolando-F1 cows during the transition period. Arch Anim Nutr 2024; 78:16-29. [PMID: 38230440 DOI: 10.1080/1745039x.2023.2292424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate intake, energy and nitrogen balance as well as methane emission in Holstein and ½ Holstein ½ Gyr (Girolando-F1) cows during the transition period. Twenty-four cows (12 Holstein and 12 Girolando-F1) were used to evaluate feed intake, apparent digestibility, heat production and methane emission, carried out in two periods: from 28 to 19 days pre-calving and from 15 to 23 days post-calving. A completely randomised design was used and data were analysed by ANOVA within periods (pre- and post-calving) considering the main effect of genetic groups. Girolando-F1cows presented greater body condition score (BCS) compared with Holstein. During pre-calving, there were no differences between genetic groups, except for highest heat production per kilogram of metabolic body weight for Holstein cows. After calving, Holstein cows had greater intake of DM, nitrogen, NDF per kg of BW and produced more heat per kg of metabolic body weight. Holstein cows yielded more milk and fat-corrected milk (FCM4%) compared with Girolando-F1 cows. Holstein cows presented higher methane emission per unit of BW and of metabolic weight. Emissions of enteric methane per kilogram of milk and per kilogram of FCM4% tended to be lower for Holstein compared with Girolando-F1 cows. Nitrogen and energy retention were similar for both Holstein and Girolando-F1 at pre- and post-calving. Despite differences in BCS, DMI, and milk yield, Girolando-F1 and Holstein cows present overall similar energy efficiency, albeit Holstein cows tended to present less methane emission per kg of eligible product (milk).
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Affiliation(s)
- João Pedro Matiello
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Anne Rosi Guadagnin
- Department of Animal Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Schothorst Feed Research, Lelystad, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Guilherme Heisler
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | | | - Thierry Ribeiro Tomich
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation - Embrapa Dairy Cattle, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | | | | | - Vivian Fischer
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Rencricca G, Froldi F, Moschini M, Trevisan M, Lamastra L. Mitigation Actions Scenarios Applied to the Dairy Farm Management Systems. Foods 2023; 12:foods12091860. [PMID: 37174398 PMCID: PMC10178217 DOI: 10.3390/foods12091860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The environmental impacts of the dairy industry, particularly global warming, are heavily influenced by milk production. Thus, there is an urgent need for farm-level actions and opportunities for improvement, implying mitigation strategies. The aim of this paper is to investigate five possible mitigation actions at the dairy farm and which one the farmers were willing to adopt: management and distribution of livestock manure and fertilizers, anaerobic manure treatment, optimization of the herd composition, feed quality, and heat recovery. A life cycle assessment was conducted on 63 farms using the product environmental footprint approach. The latter was divided into four quartiles, from which four representative farms were selected. For each farm, three scenarios have been analyzed considering the reference impact (reference scenario), the application of the mitigation actions (best-case scenario), and what farmers would implement (realistic scenario). Overall, the most effective mitigation actions in the best-case scenario were anaerobic manure treatment and the management and distribution of livestock manure and fertilizers, showing a potential reduction in total environmental impacts of 7-9% and 6-7%, respectively. Farmers' responses indicated a willingness to implement the latter mitigation strategy better. The optimization of the herd composition, feed quality, and heat recovery reported a range impact reduction between 0.01-5%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Rencricca
- Department for Sustainable Food Process (DiSTAS), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
| | - Federico Froldi
- Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition (DiANA), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
| | - Maurizio Moschini
- Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition (DiANA), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
| | - Marco Trevisan
- Department for Sustainable Food Process (DiSTAS), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Lamastra
- Department for Sustainable Food Process (DiSTAS), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
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Marumo JL, LaPierre PA, Van Amburgh ME. Enteric Methane Emissions Prediction in Dairy Cattle and Effects of Monensin on Methane Emissions: A Meta-Analysis. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13081392. [PMID: 37106954 PMCID: PMC10135289 DOI: 10.3390/ani13081392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Greenhouse gas emissions, such as enteric methane (CH4) from ruminant livestock, have been linked to global warming. Thus, easily applicable CH4 management strategies, including the inclusion of dietary additives, should be in place. The objectives of the current study were to: (i) compile a database of animal records that supplemented monensin and investigate the effect of monensin on CH4 emissions; (ii) identify the principal dietary, animal, and lactation performance input variables that predict enteric CH4 production (g/d) and yield (g/kg of dry matter intake DMI); (iii) develop empirical models that predict CH4 production and yield in dairy cattle; and (iv) evaluate the newly developed models and published models in the literature. A significant reduction in CH4 production and yield of 5.4% and 4.0%, respectively, was found with a monensin supplementation of ≤24 mg/kg DM. However, no robust models were developed from the monensin database because of inadequate observations under the current paper's inclusion/exclusion criteria. Thus, further long-term in vivo studies of monensin supplementation at ≤24 mg/kg DMI in dairy cattle on CH4 emissions specifically beyond 21 days of feeding are reported to ensure the monensin effects on the enteric CH4 are needed. In order to explore CH4 predictions independent of monensin, additional studies were added to the database. Subsequently, dairy cattle CH4 production prediction models were developed using a database generated from 18 in vivo studies, which included 61 treatment means from the combined data of lactating and non-lactating cows (COM) with a subset of 48 treatment means for lactating cows (LAC database). A leave-one-out cross-validation of the derived models showed that a DMI-only predictor model had a similar root mean square prediction error as a percentage of the mean observed value (RMSPE, %) on the COM and LAC database of 14.7 and 14.1%, respectively, and it was the key predictor of CH4 production. All databases observed an improvement in prediction abilities in CH4 production with DMI in the models along with dietary forage proportion inclusion and the quadratic term of dietary forage proportion. For the COM database, the CH4 yield was best predicted by the dietary forage proportion only, while the LAC database was for dietary forage proportion, milk fat, and protein yields. The best newly developed models showed improved predictions of CH4 emission compared to other published equations. Our results indicate that the inclusion of dietary composition along with DMI can provide an improved CH4 production prediction in dairy cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce L Marumo
- Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - P Andrew LaPierre
- Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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Santander D, Clariget J, Banchero G, Alecrim F, Simon Zinno C, Mariotta J, Gere J, Ciganda VS. Beef Steers and Enteric Methane: Reducing Emissions by Managing Forage Diet Fiber Content. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13071177. [PMID: 37048433 PMCID: PMC10093059 DOI: 10.3390/ani13071177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the methane (CH4) emissions that are produced by enteric fermentation is one of the main problems to be solved for livestock, due to their GHG effects. These emissions are affected by the quantity and quality of their diets, thus, it is key to accurately define the intake and fiber content (NDF) of these forage diets. On the other hand, different emission prediction equations have been developed; however, there are scarce and uncertain results regarding their evaluation of the emissions that have been observed in forage diets. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of the NDF content of a forage diet on CH4 enteric emissions, and to evaluate the ability of models to predict the emissions from the animals that are consuming these forage diets. In total, thirty-six Angus steers (x¯ = 437 kg live weight) aged 18 months, blocked by live weight and placed in three automated feeding pens, were used to measure the enteric CH4. The animals were randomly assigned to two forage diets (n = 18), with moderate (<50%, MF) and high (>50%, HF) NDF contents. Their dry matter intake was recorded individually, and the CH4 emissions were measured using the SF6 tracer gas technique. For the model evaluation, six prediction equations were compared with 29 studies (n = 97 observations), analyzing the accuracy and precision of their estimates. The emission intensities per unit of DMI, per ADG, and per gross energy intake were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the animals consuming the MF diet than in the animals consuming the HF diet (21.7 vs. 23.7 g CH4/kg DMI, 342 vs. 660 g CH4/kg ADG, and 6.7% vs. 7.5%, respectively), but there were no differences in the absolute emissions (p > 0.05). The best performing model was the IPCC 2006 model (r2 = 0.7, RMSE = 74.04). These results show that reducing the NDF content of a forage diet by at least 10% (52 g/kg DM) reduces the intensity of the g CH4/kg DMI by up to 8%, and that of the g CH4/kg ADG by almost half. The use of the IPCC 2006 model is suitable for estimating the CH4 emissions from animals consuming forage-based diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Santander
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental La Estanzuela, Ruta 50 km 11, Semillero, Colonia 70006, Uruguay
| | - Juan Clariget
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental La Estanzuela, Ruta 50 km 11, Semillero, Colonia 70006, Uruguay
| | - Georgget Banchero
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental La Estanzuela, Ruta 50 km 11, Semillero, Colonia 70006, Uruguay
| | - Fabiano Alecrim
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental La Estanzuela, Ruta 50 km 11, Semillero, Colonia 70006, Uruguay
- Departamento de Geoquímica, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Outeiro São João Baptista s/n, Niterói 24020-141, Brazil
| | - Claudia Simon Zinno
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental La Estanzuela, Ruta 50 km 11, Semillero, Colonia 70006, Uruguay
| | - Julieta Mariotta
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental La Estanzuela, Ruta 50 km 11, Semillero, Colonia 70006, Uruguay
| | - José Gere
- Engineering Research and Development Division, National Technological University (UTN), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1179, Argentina
| | - Verónica S. Ciganda
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental La Estanzuela, Ruta 50 km 11, Semillero, Colonia 70006, Uruguay
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +598-98451147
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Min BR, Lee S, Jung H, Miller DN, Chen R. Enteric Methane Emissions and Animal Performance in Dairy and Beef Cattle Production: Strategies, Opportunities, and Impact of Reducing Emissions. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:948. [PMID: 35454195 PMCID: PMC9030782 DOI: 10.3390/ani12080948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Enteric methane (CH4) emissions produced by microbial fermentation in the rumen resulting in the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere. The GHG emissions reduction from the livestock industry can be attained by increasing production efficiency and improving feed efficiency, by lowering the emission intensity of production, or by combining the two. In this work, information was compiled from peer-reviewed studies to analyze CH4 emissions calculated per unit of milk production, energy-corrected milk (ECM), average daily gain (ADG), dry matter intake (DMI), and gross energy intake (GEI), and related emissions to rumen fermentation profiles (volatile fatty acids [VFA], hydrogen [H2]) and microflora activities in the rumen of beef and dairy cattle. For dairy cattle, there was a positive correlation (p < 0.001) between CH4 emissions and DMI (R2 = 0.44), milk production (R2 = 0.37; p < 0.001), ECM (R2 = 0.46), GEI (R2 = 0.50), and acetate/propionate (A/P) ratio (R2 = 0.45). For beef cattle, CH4 emissions were positively correlated (p < 0.05−0.001) with DMI (R2 = 0.37) and GEI (R2 = 0.74). Additionally, the ADG (R2 = 0.19; p < 0.01) and A/P ratio (R2 = 0.15; p < 0.05) were significantly associated with CH4 emission in beef steers. This information may lead to cost-effective methods to reduce enteric CH4 production from cattle. We conclude that enteric CH4 emissions per unit of ECM, GEI, and ADG, as well as rumen fermentation profiles, show great potential for estimating enteric CH4 emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byeng-Ryel Min
- College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL 36088, USA;
| | - Seul Lee
- Animal Nutrition & Physiology Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Wanju-gun 55365, Jeollabuk-do, Korea; (S.L.); (H.J.)
| | - Hyunjung Jung
- Animal Nutrition & Physiology Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Wanju-gun 55365, Jeollabuk-do, Korea; (S.L.); (H.J.)
| | - Daniel N. Miller
- Agroecosystem Management Research Unit, USDA/ARS, 354 Filly Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA;
| | - Rui Chen
- College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL 36088, USA;
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Binggeli S, Lapierre H, Lemosquet S, Ouellet D, Pellerin D. Comparison of feed evaluation models on predictions of milk protein yield on Québec commercial dairy farms. J Dairy Sci 2022; 105:3997-4015. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-21182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Enteric methane emission from growing yak calves aged 8–16 months: Predictive equations and comparison with other ruminants. Anim Feed Sci Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2021.115088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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11
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Grešáková Ľ, Holodová M, Szumacher-Strabel M, Huang H, Ślósarz P, Wojtczak J, Sowińska N, Cieślak A. Mineral status and enteric methane production in dairy cows during different stages of lactation. BMC Vet Res 2021; 17:287. [PMID: 34454480 PMCID: PMC8400898 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-021-02984-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lactating dairy cows are the greatest livestock contributor of methane, a major global greenhouse gas (GHG). However, good feeding management with adequate mineral intake can offers an effective approach to maintaining high levels of milk production and the health of dairy cows over the entire course of lactation, while also helping to reduce methane emission. The study described here investigated the plasma concentrations of both macroelements (Ca, Na, K, Mg, P) and microelements (Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn), as well as enteric methane emission and milk composition in high-yielding dairy cows in different lactation periods. The experiment was performed on Holstein-Friesian dairy cows with the average milk yield of 41 (± 9) L/day in a Polish commercial farm with modern dairy systems. A total of thirty high-yielding dairy cows were randomly assigned into three groups differing by lactation stage: early stage (Early, days 25-100), middle stage (Middle, days 101-250), and late stage (Late, day 250 and later). Dietary treatment for all cows was a total mixture ration (TMR) with maize and alfalfa silage the main forage components. RESULTS The greatest milk yield and methane production were recorded in early-stage lactating cows, but the greatest methane intensity per kg of corrected milk was recorded in the late stage of lactation. Plasma concentrations of macroelements and microelements did not differ by lactation stages, but increased plasma concentrations of Zn and Fe and decreased plasma levels of Mg were noted during lactation. A positive correlation was found between plasma levels of Mg and other macroelements (Ca, Na, K), and between the concentrations of Fe and Zn, P in plasma, but no correlation between methane emission and mineral status was detected in the different lactation stages. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed different mineral requirements and enteric methane emissions in each lactation stage. The feeding strategy and mineral utilization were adequate to maintain the health, mineral status, and milk production of the Holstein cows during the entire lactation period, and suggest an effective way of reducing methane emission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ľubomíra Grešáková
- Department of Digestive Tract Physiology, Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4, 040 01, Košice, Slovakia.
| | - Monika Holodová
- Department of Digestive Tract Physiology, Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4, 040 01, Košice, Slovakia
| | | | - Haihao Huang
- Department of Animal Nutrition, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wołyńska 33, 60-637, Poznań, Poland
| | - Piotr Ślósarz
- Department of Animal Breeding and Animal Product Quality Assessment, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Słoneczna 1, 62-002, Złotniki, Poland
| | - Janusz Wojtczak
- Department of Animal Breeding and Animal Product Quality Assessment, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Słoneczna 1, 62-002, Złotniki, Poland
| | - Natalia Sowińska
- Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wołyńska 33, 60-637, Poznań, Poland
| | - Adam Cieślak
- Department of Animal Nutrition, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wołyńska 33, 60-637, Poznań, Poland.
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12
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Theoretical Methane Emission Estimation from Volatile Fatty Acids in Bovine Rumen Fluid. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/app11167730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Methane production from livestock farming is recognized as an important contributor to global GHGs. Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) found in bovine rumen may be utilized as a substrate for methanogens to form CH4, and thus improvement of quantitative VFA measurements can help facilitate greater understanding and mitigation of CH4 production. This study aims to contribute to the development of more accurate methods for the quantification and specification of VFAs in bovine rumen. The VFAs were analyzed using the conventional method and an alternative catalytic esterification reaction (CER) method. Substantial differences in the detected concentrations of the C3+ VFAs (chain length ≥ 3) were observed between both methods, especially for butyric acid. Evaluation of the sensitivity of both methods to detecting the VFA concentrations in standard solutions confirmed that the values resulting from the CER method were closer to the known concentrations of the standard solution than those from the conventional method. The results of this study provide the first quantitative proof to show the improved accuracy of the measurements of C3+ VFAs when using the CER method compared with the conventional method. Therefore, the CER method can be recommended to analyze the VFAs found in rumen, especially butyric acid and other C3+ VFAs.
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13
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Zhang X, Amer PR, Stachowicz K, Quinton C, Crowley J. Herd-level versus animal-level variation in methane emission prediction in grazing dairy cattle. Animal 2021; 15:100325. [PMID: 34371470 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2021.100325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In response to the increased concern over agriculture's contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, more detailed assessments of current methane emissions and their variation, within and across individual dairy farms and cattle, are of interest for research and policy development. This assessment will provide insights into possible changes needed to reduce GHG emissions, the nature and direction of these changes, ways to influence farmer behavior and areas to maximize the adoption of emerging mitigation technologies. The objectives of this study were to (1) quantify the variation in enteric fermentation methane emissions within and among seasonal calving dairy farms with the majority of nutritional requirements met through grazed pasture; (2) use this variation to assess the potential of new individual animal emission monitoring technologies and their impact on mitigation policy. We used a large database of cow performance records for milk production and survival from 2 398 herds in New Zealand, and simulation to account for unobserved variation in feed efficiency and methane emissions per unit of feed. Results showed an average of 120 ± 31.4 kg predicted methane (CH4) per cow per year after accounting for replacement costs, ranging 8.9-323 kg CH4/cow per year. Whereas milk production, survival and predicted live weight were reasonably effective at predicting both individual and herd average levels of per cow feed intake, substantial within animal variation in emissions per unit of feed reduced the ability of these variables to predict variation in per animal methane output. Animal-level measurement technologies predicting only feed intake but not emissions per unit of feed are unlikely to be effective for advancing national policy goals of reducing dairy farming enteric methane output. This is because farmers seek to profitably utilize all farm feed resources available, so improvements in feed efficiency will not result in the reduction in feed utilization required to reduce methane emissions. At a herd level, average per cow milk production and live weight could form the basis of assigning a farm-level point of obligation for methane emissions. In conclusion, a comprehensive national database infrastructure that was tightly linked to animal identification and movement systems, and captured live weight data from existing farm-level recording systems, would be required to make this effective. Additional policy and incentivization mechanisms would still be required to encourage farmer uptake of mitigation interventions, such as novel feed supplements or vaccines that reduce methane emissions per unit of feed.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Zhang
- AbacusBio Limited, PO Box 5585, Dunedin 9058, New Zealand
| | - P R Amer
- AbacusBio Limited, PO Box 5585, Dunedin 9058, New Zealand.
| | - K Stachowicz
- AbacusBio Limited, PO Box 5585, Dunedin 9058, New Zealand
| | - C Quinton
- AbacusBio Limited, PO Box 5585, Dunedin 9058, New Zealand
| | - J Crowley
- AbacusBio Limited, PO Box 5585, Dunedin 9058, New Zealand
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14
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Yang F, Andersen DS, Trabue S, Kent AD, Pepple LM, Gates RS, Howe AS. Microbial assemblages and methanogenesis pathways impact methane production and foaming in manure deep-pit storages. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254730. [PMID: 34343206 PMCID: PMC8330953 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Foam accumulation in swine manure deep-pits has been linked to explosions and flash fires that pose devastating threats to humans and livestock. It is clear that methane accumulation within these pits is the fuel for the fire; it is not understood what microbial drivers cause the accumulation and stabilization of methane. Here, we conducted a 13-month field study to survey the physical, chemical, and biological changes of pit-manure across 46 farms in Iowa. Our results showed that an increased methane production rate was associated with less digestible feed ingredients, suggesting that diet influences the storage pit’s microbiome. Targeted sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA and archaeal mcrA genes was used to identify microbial communities’ role and influence. We found that microbial communities in foaming and non-foaming manure were significantly different, and that the bacterial communities of foaming manure were more stable than those of non-foaming manure. Foaming manure methanogen communities were enriched with uncharacterized methanogens whose presence strongly correlated with high methane production rates. We also observed strong correlations between feed ration, manure characteristics, and the relative abundance of specific taxa, suggesting that manure foaming is linked to microbial community assemblage driven by efficient free long-chain fatty acid degradation by hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Daniel S Andersen
- Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Steven Trabue
- USDA-Agricultural Research Service, National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Angela D Kent
- The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Laura M Pepple
- The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Richard S Gates
- Egg Industry Center, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Adina S Howe
- Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
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15
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Moate PJ, Pryce JE, Marett LC, Garner JB, Deighton MH, Ribaux BE, Hannah MC, Wales WJ, Williams SRO. Measurement of Enteric Methane Emissions by the SF 6 Technique Is Not Affected by Ambient Weather Conditions. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11020528. [PMID: 33670674 PMCID: PMC7922900 DOI: 10.3390/ani11020528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Although the SF6 technique was developed over 25 years ago with the intention that it could be used to measure enteric methane production from ruminants outdoors, no experiments have reported the influence of ambient wind speed, temperature, humidity or rainfall on the accuracy of the technique. Six different cohorts of dairy cows (40 per cohort) were kept outdoors and fed a common diet during spring in 3 consecutive years. Individual cow feed intakes and daily methane productions were measured over 5 consecutive days and an automatic weather station measured air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity and rainfall every 10 min. Regression analyses were used to relate the average daily temperature, wind speed, humidity and rainfall to the average daily dry matter intake, methane production and methane yield of each cohort of cows. It was concluded that the modified SF6 technique can be used outdoors during a range of weather conditions without a significant effect on the measurement of methane production or methane yield of dairy cows. Abstract Despite the fact that the sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer technique was developed over 25 years ago to measure methane production from grazing and non-housed animals, no studies have specifically investigated whether ambient wind speed, temperature, relative humidity and rainfall influence the accuracy of the method. The aim of this research was to investigate how these weather factors influence the measurement of enteric methane production by the SF6 technique. Six different cohorts of dairy cows (40 per cohort) were kept outdoors and fed a common diet during spring in 3 consecutive years. Methane production from individual cows was measured daily over the last 5 days of each 32-day period. An automated weather station measured air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity and rainfall every 10 min. Regression analyses were used to relate the average daily wind speed, average daily temperature, average daily relative humidity and total daily rainfall measurements to dry matter intake, average daily methane production and methane yield of each cohort of cows. It was concluded that the modified SF6 technique can be used outdoors during a range of wind speeds, ambient temperatures, relative humidities and rainfall conditions without causing a significant effect on the measurement of methane production or methane yield of dairy cows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Moate
- Agriculture Victoria Research, Ellinbank, Victoria 3821, Australia; (L.C.M.); (J.B.G.); (B.E.R.); (M.C.H.); (W.J.W.); (S.R.O.W.)
- Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, School of Agriculture and Food, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
- Correspondence:
| | - Jennie E. Pryce
- Agriculture Victoria Research, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia;
| | - Leah C. Marett
- Agriculture Victoria Research, Ellinbank, Victoria 3821, Australia; (L.C.M.); (J.B.G.); (B.E.R.); (M.C.H.); (W.J.W.); (S.R.O.W.)
- Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, School of Agriculture and Food, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Josie B. Garner
- Agriculture Victoria Research, Ellinbank, Victoria 3821, Australia; (L.C.M.); (J.B.G.); (B.E.R.); (M.C.H.); (W.J.W.); (S.R.O.W.)
| | | | - Brigid E. Ribaux
- Agriculture Victoria Research, Ellinbank, Victoria 3821, Australia; (L.C.M.); (J.B.G.); (B.E.R.); (M.C.H.); (W.J.W.); (S.R.O.W.)
| | - Murray C. Hannah
- Agriculture Victoria Research, Ellinbank, Victoria 3821, Australia; (L.C.M.); (J.B.G.); (B.E.R.); (M.C.H.); (W.J.W.); (S.R.O.W.)
| | - William J. Wales
- Agriculture Victoria Research, Ellinbank, Victoria 3821, Australia; (L.C.M.); (J.B.G.); (B.E.R.); (M.C.H.); (W.J.W.); (S.R.O.W.)
- Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, School of Agriculture and Food, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - S. Richard O. Williams
- Agriculture Victoria Research, Ellinbank, Victoria 3821, Australia; (L.C.M.); (J.B.G.); (B.E.R.); (M.C.H.); (W.J.W.); (S.R.O.W.)
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16
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Kobayashi N, Hou F, Tsunekawa A, Yan T, Tegegne F, Tassew A, Mekuriaw Y, Mekuriaw S, Hunegnaw B, Mekonnen W, Ichinohe T. Laser methane detector-based quantification of methane emissions from indoor-fed Fogera dairy cows. Anim Biosci 2021; 34:1415-1424. [PMID: 33561924 PMCID: PMC8255885 DOI: 10.5713/ab.20.0739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Portable laser methane detectors (LMDs) may be an economical means of estimating CH4 emissions from ruminants. We validated an LMD-based approach and then used that approach to evaluate CH4 emissions from indigenous dairy cows in a dryland area of Ethiopia. Methods First, we validated our LMD-based approach in Simmental crossbred beef cattle (n = 2) housed in respiration chambers and fed either a high- or low-concentrate diet. From the results of the validation, we constructed an estimation equation to determine CH4 emissions from LMD CH4 concentrations. Next, we used our validated LMD approach to examine CH4 emissions in Fogera dairy cows grazed for 8 h/d (GG, n = 4), fed indoors on natural-grassland hay (CG1, n = 4), or fed indoors on Napier-grass (Pennisetum purpureum) hay (CG2, n = 4). All the cows were supplemented with concentrate feed. Results The exhaled CH4 concentrations measured by LMD were linearly correlated with the CH4 emissions determined by infrared-absorption-based gas analyzer (r2 = 0.55). The estimation equation used to determine CH4 emissions (y, mg/min) from LMD CH4 concentrations (x, ppm m) was y = 0.4259x+38.61. Daily CH4 emissions of Fogera cows estimated by using the equation did not differ among the three groups; however, a numerically greater milk yield was obtained from the CG2 cows than from the GG cows, suggesting that Napier-grass hay might be better than natural-grassland hay for indoor feeding. The CG1 cows had higher CH4 emissions per feed intake than the other groups, without significant increases in milk yield and body-weight gain, suggesting that natural-grassland hay cannot be recommended for indoor-fed cows. Conclusion These findings demonstrate the potential of using LMDs to valuate feeding regimens rapidly and economically for dairy cows in areas under financial constraint, while taking CH4 emissions into consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fujiang Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agroecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Atsushi Tsunekawa
- Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, Tottori 680-0001, Japan
| | - Tianhai Yan
- Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, County Down BT26 6DR, UK
| | | | - Asaminew Tassew
- College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar 6000, Ethiopia
| | - Yeshambel Mekuriaw
- College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar 6000, Ethiopia
| | - Shigdaf Mekuriaw
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tottori University, Tottori 680- 8550, Japan.,Andassa Livestock Research Center, Amhara Region Agricultural Research Institute, Bahir Dar 6000, Ethiopia
| | - Beyadglign Hunegnaw
- Andassa Livestock Research Center, Amhara Region Agricultural Research Institute, Bahir Dar 6000, Ethiopia
| | - Wondimeneh Mekonnen
- Andassa Livestock Research Center, Amhara Region Agricultural Research Institute, Bahir Dar 6000, Ethiopia
| | - Toshiyoshi Ichinohe
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University, Matsue 690-8504, Japan
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17
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Ramos JCP, Júnior VRR, Monção FP, da Costa Parrela RA, Caxito AM, Cordeiro MWS, da Hora FF, de Assis Pires DA. Effect of replacing forage sorghum silage with biomass sorghum silage in diets for F1 Holstein × Zebu lactating cows. Trop Anim Health Prod 2021; 53:99. [PMID: 33415567 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-020-02503-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the replacement of forage sorghum silage (FS silage) with BRS 716 biomass sorghum silage (BRS 716 silage) in diet of F1 ½ Holstein × ½ Zebu cows on their nutrient intake and digestibility, ingestive behavior, nitrogen balance, and milk yield and composition. The experimental design was in two 5 × 5 Latin squares, simultaneous, composed, each, by five animals, five treatments, and five experimental periods. The study included 10 cows with an initial body weight (BW) of 544 ± 12.84 and 88 ± 14 days of lactation at the beginning of the experiment. The treatments were defined by replacement FS silage at levels 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% with BRS 716 silage. The roughage:concentrate ratio in the total dry matter (DM) of the diets was 75:25. The replacement of FS silage with BRS 716 silage reduced (p < 0.01) the dry matter intake and digestibility of dry matter, but it had not changed average milk yield (12.68 kg/day; p = 0.94), feed efficiency, body weight, the score of body condition, and the average daily gain of the cows. The milk composition was not changed except casein/total protein in milk that decreased and that increased linearly milk urea nitrogen. The inclusion of BRS 716 silage increased the activities of rumination and chewing and decreased the periods of feeding and idleness. The replacement of up to 100% of FS silage with BRS 716 silage in the diet of F1 Holstein × Zebu cows does not alter average milk yield, despite changing diet intake and digestibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce Cipriana Pacheco Ramos
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, State University of Montes Claros, Avenue Reinaldo Viana, Janaúba, Minas Gerais, 2630, Brazil
| | - Vicente Ribeiro Rocha Júnior
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, State University of Montes Claros, Avenue Reinaldo Viana, Janaúba, Minas Gerais, 2630, Brazil
- INCT- Animal Science Member, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Flávio Pinto Monção
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, State University of Montes Claros, Avenue Reinaldo Viana, Janaúba, Minas Gerais, 2630, Brazil.
| | | | | | - Matheus Wilson Silva Cordeiro
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, State University of Montes Claros, Avenue Reinaldo Viana, Janaúba, Minas Gerais, 2630, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Ferreira da Hora
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, State University of Montes Claros, Avenue Reinaldo Viana, Janaúba, Minas Gerais, 2630, Brazil
| | - Daniel Ananias de Assis Pires
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, State University of Montes Claros, Avenue Reinaldo Viana, Janaúba, Minas Gerais, 2630, Brazil
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18
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Min BR, Solaiman S, Waldrip HM, Parker D, Todd RW, Brauer D. Dietary mitigation of enteric methane emissions from ruminants: A review of plant tannin mitigation options. ANIMAL NUTRITION (ZHONGGUO XU MU SHOU YI XUE HUI) 2020; 6:231-246. [PMID: 33005757 PMCID: PMC7503797 DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2020.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Methane gas from livestock production activities is a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which have been shown to influence climate change. New technologies offer a potential to manipulate the rumen biome through genetic selection reducing CH4 production. Methane production may also be mitigated to varying degrees by various dietary intervention strategies. Strategies to reduce GHG emissions need to be developed which increase ruminant production efficiency whereas reducing production of CH4 from cattle, sheep, and goats. Methane emissions may be efficiently mitigated by manipulation of natural ruminal microbiota with various dietary interventions and animal production efficiency improved. Although some CH4 abatement strategies have shown efficacy in vivo, more research is required to make any of these approaches pertinent to modern animal production systems. The objective of this review is to explain how anti-methanogenic compounds (e.g., plant tannins) affect ruminal microbiota, reduce CH4 emission, and the effects on host responses. Thus, this review provides information relevant to understanding the impact of tannins on methanogenesis, which may provide a cost-effective means to reduce enteric CH4 production and the influence of ruminant animals on global GHG emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byeng R. Min
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Bushland, TX, 79012, USA
| | | | - Heidi M. Waldrip
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Bushland, TX, 79012, USA
| | - David Parker
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Bushland, TX, 79012, USA
| | - Richard W. Todd
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Bushland, TX, 79012, USA
| | - David Brauer
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Bushland, TX, 79012, USA
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19
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Uddin ME, Santana OI, Weigel KA, Wattiaux MA. Enteric methane, lactation performances, digestibility, and metabolism of nitrogen and energy of Holsteins and Jerseys fed 2 levels of forage fiber from alfalfa silage or corn silage. J Dairy Sci 2020; 103:6087-6099. [PMID: 32389470 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-17599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Our objective was to determine the effects of replacing alfalfa silage (AS) neutral detergent fiber (NDF) with corn silage (CS) NDF at 2 levels of forage NDF (FNDF) on enteric methane (CH4), lactation performance, ruminal fluid characteristics, digestibility, and metabolism of N and energy in Holstein and Jersey cows. Twelve Holstein and 12 Jersey cows (all primiparous and mid-lactation) were used in a triplicated split-plot 4 × 4 Latin square experiment, where breed and diet formed the main and subplots, respectively. The 4 iso-nitrogenous and iso-starch dietary treatments were arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial with 2 levels of FNDF [19 (low FNDF, LF) and 24% (high FNDF, HF) of dry matter] and 2 sources of FNDF (70:30 and 30:70 ratio of AS NDF to CS NDF). Soyhull (non-forage NDF) and corn grain were respectively used to keep dietary NDF and starch content similar across diets. Total collection of feces and urine over 3 d was performed on 8 cows (1 Latin square from each breed). The difference in dry matter intake (DMI) between Holsteins and Jerseys was greater when fed AS than CS. Compared with Jerseys, Holstein cows had greater body weight (48%), DMI (34%), fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM; 31%) and CH4 production (22%; 471 vs. 385 g/d). However, breed did not affect CH4 intensity (g/kg of FPCM) or yield (g/kg of DMI), nutrient digestibility, and N partitioning. Compared with HF, LF-fed cows had greater DMI (10%), N intake (8%), and FPCM (5%), but they were 5% less efficient (both FPCM/DMI and milk N/intake N). Compared with HF, LF-fed cows excreted 11 and 17% less urinary N (g/d and % of N intake, respectively). In spite of lower (2.5%) acetate and higher (10%) propionate (mol/100 mol ruminal volatile fatty acids) LF-fed cows had greater (6%) CH4 production (g/d) than did HF-fed cows, most likely due to increased DMI, as affected mainly by the soyhulls. Compared with AS, CS-fed cows had greater DMI (7%) and FPCM (4%), but they were less efficient (5%), and CH4 yield (g/kg of DMI) was reduced by 8%. In addition, per unit of gross energy intake, CS-fed cows lost less urinary energy (15%) and CH energy (11%) than did AS-fed cows. We concluded that, in contrast to level and source of FNDF, breed did not affect digestive and metabolic efficiencies, and, furthermore, neither breed nor dietary treatments affected CH4 intensity. The tradeoff between CH4 and N losses may have implications in future studies assessing the environmental effects of milk production when approached from a whole-farm perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Uddin
- Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 53706
| | - O I Santana
- Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 53706; Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP), Campo Experimental Pabellón, Pabellón de Arteaga, Aguascalientes, México 20660
| | - K A Weigel
- Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 53706
| | - M A Wattiaux
- Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 53706.
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20
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Bittante G, Cecchinato A. Heritability estimates of enteric methane emissions predicted from fatty acid profiles, and their relationships with milk composition, cheese-yield and body size and condition. ITALIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/1828051x.2019.1698979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G. Bittante
- Dipartimento di Agronomia, Animali, Alimenti, Risorse naturali e Ambiente (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
| | - A. Cecchinato
- Dipartimento di Agronomia, Animali, Alimenti, Risorse naturali e Ambiente (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
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21
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Velarde-Guillén J, Pellerin D, Benchaar C, Wattiaux M, Charbonneau É. Development of an equation to estimate the enteric methane emissions from Holstein dairy cows in Canada. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjas-2018-0241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to use dietary factors, including the type of fats, and animal characteristics, to predict enteric methane (CH4) emissions from dairy cows under Canadian conditions. For this purpose, 193 individual observations from six different trials assessing the impact of dietary modification on enteric CH4 production were analyzed. Animal [milk yield (MY), milk fat content, milk protein content, days in milk, body weight (BW), and dry matter intake (DMI)] and dietary variables [organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), starch, ether extract (EE), rumen-inert fat, and unprotected fat (EE – rumen-inert fat)] were tested. A 5-fold cross validation was used to obtain the following equation: CH4 (g d−1) = −1260.4 + 1.9 × MY (kg d−1) + 62.8 × milk fat (%) –18.4 × milk protein (%) + 11.0 × DMI (kg d−1) + 0.3 × BW (kg) + 58.3 × NDF (% of DM) − 0.8 × NDF2 (% of DM) + 1.9 × starch (% of DM) − 2.5 × EE – rumen-inert fat (% of DM). The mean estimate from the proposed equation (474 g CH4 cow−1 d−1; r = 0.83, RMSE = 40.0) was close to the observed mean emission (476 g CH4 cow−1 d−1). The proposed model has a higher precision to predict CH4 emission from cows fed typical Canadian diets than other models, and it can be used to evaluate CH4 mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Velarde-Guillén
- Université Laval, 2425, rue de l’Agriculture, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - D. Pellerin
- Université Laval, 2425, rue de l’Agriculture, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - C. Benchaar
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, 2000 College Street, Sherbrooke, QC J1M 0C8, Canada
| | - M.A. Wattiaux
- Wisconsin-Madison University, 1675 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1205, USA
| | - É. Charbonneau
- Université Laval, 2425, rue de l’Agriculture, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
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22
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Garnsworthy PC, Difford GF, Bell MJ, Bayat AR, Huhtanen P, Kuhla B, Lassen J, Peiren N, Pszczola M, Sorg D, Visker MHPW, Yan T. Comparison of Methods to Measure Methane for Use in Genetic Evaluation of Dairy Cattle. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:E837. [PMID: 31640130 PMCID: PMC6826463 DOI: 10.3390/ani9100837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Partners in Expert Working Group WG2 of the COST Action METHAGENE have used several methods for measuring methane output by individual dairy cattle under various environmental conditions. Methods included respiration chambers, the sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer technique, breath sampling during milking or feeding, the GreenFeed system, and the laser methane detector. The aim of the current study was to review and compare the suitability of methods for large-scale measurements of methane output by individual animals, which may be combined with other databases for genetic evaluations. Accuracy, precision and correlation between methods were assessed. Accuracy and precision are important, but data from different sources can be weighted or adjusted when combined if they are suitably correlated with the 'true' value. All methods showed high correlations with respiration chambers. Comparisons among alternative methods generally had lower correlations than comparisons with respiration chambers, despite higher numbers of animals and in most cases simultaneous repeated measures per cow per method. Lower correlations could be due to increased variability and imprecision of alternative methods, or maybe different aspects of methane emission are captured using different methods. Results confirm that there is sufficient correlation between methods for measurements from all methods to be combined for international genetic studies and provide a much-needed framework for comparing genetic correlations between methods should these become available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip C Garnsworthy
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK.
| | - Gareth F Difford
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics-Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark.
- Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Matthew J Bell
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK.
| | - Ali R Bayat
- Milk Production, Production Systems, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), FI 31600 Jokioinen, Finland.
| | - Pekka Huhtanen
- Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Björn Kuhla
- Institute of Nutritional Physiology "Oskar Kellner", Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany.
| | - Jan Lassen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics-Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark.
| | - Nico Peiren
- Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Animal Sciences Unit, Scheldeweg 68, 9090 Melle, Belgium.
| | - Marcin Pszczola
- Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wolynska 33, 60-637 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Diana Sorg
- Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Animal Breeding, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 11, 06120 Halle, Germany.
- German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), Wörlitzer Platz 1, 06844 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany.
| | - Marleen H P W Visker
- Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Tianhai Yan
- Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR, UK.
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23
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Szalanski M, Kristensen T, Difford G, Lassen J, Buitenhuis AJ, Pszczola M, Løvendahl P. Enteric methane emission from Jersey cows during the spring transition from indoor feeding to grazing. J Dairy Sci 2019; 102:6319-6329. [PMID: 31103308 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2018-15984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Organic dairy cows in Denmark are often kept indoors during the winter and outside at least part time in the summer. Consequently, their diet changes by the season. We hypothesized that grazing might affect enteric CH4 emissions due to changes in the nutrition, maintenance, and activity of the cows, and they might differentially respond to these factors. This study assessed the repeatability of enteric CH4 emission measurements for Jersey cattle in a commercial organic dairy herd in Denmark. It also evaluated the effects of a gradual transition from indoor winter feeding to outdoor spring grazing. Further, it assessed the individual-level correlations between measurements during the consecutive feeding periods (phenotype × environment, P × E) as neither pedigrees nor genotypes were available to estimate a genotype by environment effect. Ninety-six mixed-parity lactating Jersey cows were monitored for 30 d before grazing and for 24 d while grazing. The cows spent 8 to 11 h grazing each day and had free access to an in-barn automatic milking system (AMS). For each visit to the AMS, milk yield was recorded and logged along with date and time. Monitoring equipment installed in the AMS feed bins continuously measured enteric CH4 and CO2 concentrations (ppm) using a noninvasive "sniffer" method. Raw enteric CH4 and CO2 concentrations and their ratio (CH4:CO2) were derived from average concentrations measured during milking and per day for each cow. We used mixed models equations to estimate variance components and adjust for the fixed and random effects influencing the analyzed gas concentrations. Univariate models were used to precorrect the gas measurements for diurnal variation and to estimate the direct effect of grazing on the analyzed concentrations. A bivariate model was used to assess the correlation between the 2 periods (in-barn vs. grazing) for each gas concentration. Grazing had a weak P × E interaction for daily average CH4 and CO2 gas concentrations. Bivariate repeatability estimates for average CH4 and CO2 concentrations and CH4:CO2 were 0.77 to 0.78, 0.73 to 0.80, and 0.26, respectively. Repeatability for CH4:CO2 was low (0.26) but indicated some between-animal variation. In conclusion, grazing does not create significant shifts compared with indoor feeding in how animals rank for average CH4 and CO2 concentrations and CH4:CO2. We found no evidence that separate evaluation is needed to quantify enteric CH4 and CO2 emissions from Jersey cows during in-barn and grazing periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Szalanski
- QGG-MBG, Dept. Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, AU-Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark.
| | - Troels Kristensen
- AGRO, Dept. Agroecology, Aarhus University, AU-Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - Gareth Difford
- QGG-MBG, Dept. Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, AU-Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark; Wageningen University & Research Animal Breeding and Genomics, 6700 AH Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Lassen
- QGG-MBG, Dept. Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, AU-Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark; Viking Genetics, Ebeltoftvej 16, 8960 Randers, Denmark
| | - Albert J Buitenhuis
- QGG-MBG, Dept. Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, AU-Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - Marcin Pszczola
- Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, University of Life Sciences in Poznan, Wołyńska 33, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
| | - Peter Løvendahl
- QGG-MBG, Dept. Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, AU-Foulum, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark
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24
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Huhtanen P, Ramin M, Hristov A. Enteric methane emission can be reliably measured by the GreenFeed monitoring unit. Livest Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2019.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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25
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The time after feeding alters methane emission kinetics in Holstein dry cows fed with various restricted diets. Livest Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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26
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Bittante G, Cipolat-Gotet C. Direct and indirect predictions of enteric methane daily production, yield, and intensity per unit of milk and cheese, from fatty acids and milk Fourier-transform infrared spectra. J Dairy Sci 2018; 101:7219-7235. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2017-14289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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27
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Hristov A, Kebreab E, Niu M, Oh J, Bannink A, Bayat A, Boland T, Brito A, Casper D, Crompton L, Dijkstra J, Eugène M, Garnsworthy P, Haque N, Hellwing A, Huhtanen P, Kreuzer M, Kuhla B, Lund P, Madsen J, Martin C, Moate P, Muetzel S, Muñoz C, Peiren N, Powell J, Reynolds C, Schwarm A, Shingfield K, Storlien T, Weisbjerg M, Yáñez-Ruiz D, Yu Z. Symposium review: Uncertainties in enteric methane inventories, measurement techniques, and prediction models. J Dairy Sci 2018; 101:6655-6674. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2017-13536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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28
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Differential effects of oilseed supplements on methane production and milk fatty acid concentrations in dairy cows. Animal 2018; 13:309-317. [PMID: 29914588 DOI: 10.1017/s1751731118001398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
It is known that supplementing dairy cow diets with full-fat oilseeds can be used as a strategy to mitigate methane emissions, through their action on rumen fermentation. However, direct comparisons of the effect of different oil sources are very few, as are studies implementing supplementation levels that reflect what is commonly fed on commercial farms. The objective was to investigate the effect of feeding different forms of supplemental plant oils on both methane emissions and milk fatty acid (FA) profile. Four multiparous, Holstein-Friesian cows in mid-lactation were randomly allocated to one of four treatment diets in a 4×4 Latin square design with 28-day periods. Diets were fed as a total mixed ration with a 50 : 50 forage : concentrate ratio (dry matter (DM) basis) with the forage consisting of 75 : 25 maize silage : grass silage (DM). Dietary treatments were a control diet containing no supplemental fat, and three treatment diets containing extruded linseed (EL), calcium salts of palm and linseed oil (CPLO) or milled rapeseed (MR) formulated to provide each cow with an estimated 500 g additional oil/day (22 g oil/kg diet DM). Dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, milk composition and methane production were measured at the end of each experimental period when cows were housed in respiration chambers for 4 days. There was no effect of treatment diet on DMI or milk protein or lactose concentration, but oilseed-based supplements increased milk yield compared with the control diet and milk fat concentration relative to control was reduced by 4 g/kg by supplemental EL. Feeding CPLO reduced methane production, and both linseed-based supplements decreased methane yield (by 1.8 l/kg DMI) and intensity (by 2.7 l/kg milk yield) compared with the control diet, but feeding MR had no effect on methane emission. All the fat supplements decreased milk total saturated fatty acid (SFA) concentration compared with the control, and SFA were replaced with mainly cis-9 18:1 but also trans FA (and in the case of EL and CPLO there were increases in polyunsaturated FA concentration). Supplementing dairy cow diets with these oilseed-based preparations affected milk FA profile and increased milk yield. However, only the linseed-based supplements reduced methane production, yield or intensity, whereas feeding MR had no effect.
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29
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Effect of Feeding System on Enteric Methane Emissions from Individual Dairy Cows on Commercial Farms. LAND 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/land7010026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of feeding system on diurnal enteric methane (CH4) emissions from individual cows on commercial farms. Data were obtained from 830 cows across 12 farms, and data collated included production records, CH4 measurements (in the breath of cows using CH4 analysers at robotic milking stations for at least seven days) and diet composition. Cows received either a partial mixed ration (PMR) or a PMR with grazing. A linear mixed model was used to describe variation in CH4 emissions per individual cow and assess the effect of feeding system. Methane emissions followed a consistent diurnal pattern across both feeding systems, with emissions lowest between 05:00 and 08:59, and with a peak concentration between 17:00 and 20:59. No overall difference in emissions was found between feeding systems studied; however, differences were found in the diurnal pattern of CH4 emissions between feeding systems. The response in emissions to increasing dry matter intake was higher for cows fed PMR with grazing. This study showed that repeated spot measurements of CH4 emissions whilst cows are milked can be used to assess the effects of feeding system and potentially benchmark farms on level of emissions.
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30
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Review: Selecting for improved feed efficiency and reduced methane emissions in dairy cattle. Animal 2018; 12:s336-s349. [DOI: 10.1017/s1751731118002276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
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31
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Bittante G, Cecchinato A, Schiavon S. Dairy system, parity, and lactation stage affect enteric methane production, yield, and intensity per kilogram of milk and cheese predicted from gas chromatography fatty acids. J Dairy Sci 2017; 101:1752-1766. [PMID: 29224867 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2017-13472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Ruminants (and milk production) contribute to global climate change through enteric methane emissions (EME), and any attempt to reduce them is complicated by the fact that they are difficult and expensive to measure directly. In the case of dairy cows, a promising indirect method of estimating EME is to use the milk fatty acid profile as a proxy, as a relationship exists between microbial activity in the rumen and the molecules available for milk synthesis in the mammary gland. In the present study, we analyzed the detailed fatty acid profiles (through gas chromatography) of a large number of milk samples from 1,158 Brown Swiss cows reared on 85 farms with the aim of testing in the field 2 equations for estimating EME taken from a published meta-analysis. The average estimated methane yield (CH4 emission per kg of dry matter intake, 21.34 ± 1.60 g/kg) and methane intensity (per kg of corrected milk, 14.17 ± 1.78 g/kg), and the derived methane production (CH4 emissions per day per cow, 357 ± 109 g/d) were similar to those previously published. Using data from model cheese makings from individual cows, we also calculated estimated methane intensity per kilogram of fresh cheese (99.7 ± 16.4 g/kg) and cheese solids (207.5 ± 30.9 g/kg). Dairy system affected all EME estimates. Traditional dairy farms, and modern farms including corn silage in the TMR exhibited greater estimated methane intensities. We found very wide variability in estimated EME traits among different farms within dairy system (0.33 to 0.61 of total variance), suggesting the need to modify the farms' feeding regimens and management practices to mitigate emissions. Among the individual factors, parity order affected all estimated EME traits excepted methane yield, with an increase from first lactation to the following ones. Lactation stage exhibited more favorable estimated EME traits during early lactation, concomitant with the availability of nutrients from body tissue mobilization for mammary synthesis of milk. Our results showed a coherence between the EME traits estimated from the analysis of milk fatty acids and the expectations according to current knowledge. Further research is needed to validate the results obtained in this study in other breeds and populations, to assess the magnitude of the genetic variation and the potential of these phenotypes to be exploited in breeding programs with the aim to mitigate emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Bittante
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Alessio Cecchinato
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy.
| | - Stefano Schiavon
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
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