scholarly journals Nutritional Evaluation of Tropical Forage Grass Alone and Grass-Legume Diets to Reduce in vitro Methane Production

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stiven Quintero-Anzueta ◽  
Isabel Cristina Molina-Botero ◽  
Juan Sebastian Ramirez-Navas ◽  
Idupulapati Rao ◽  
Ngonidzashe Chirinda ◽  
...  

Forage grass nutritional quality directly affects animal feed intake, productivity, and enteric methane (CH4) emissions. This study evaluated the nutritional quality, in vitro enteric CH4 emission potential, and optimization of diets based on two widely grown tropical forage grasses either alone or mixed with legumes. The grasses Urochloa hybrid cv. Cayman (UHC) and U. brizantha cv. Toledo (UBT), which typically have low concentrations of crude protein (CP), were incubated in vitro either alone or mixed with the legumes Canavalia brasiliensis (CB) and Leucaena diversifolia (LD), which have higher CP concentrations. Substitution of 30% of the grass dry matter (DM) with CB or LD did not affect gas production or DM degradability. After 96 h of incubation, accumulated CH4 was 87.3 mg CH4 g−1 DM and 107.7 mg CH4 g−1 DM for the grasses alone (UHC and UBT, respectively), and 100.7 mg CH4 g−1 DM and 113.2 mg CH4 g−1 DM for combined diets (70% grass, 15% CB, and 15% LD). Diets that combined legumes (CB or LC) and grass (UHC or UBT) had higher CP contents, gross, and metabolizable energy (GE, ME, respectively) densities, as well as lower concentrations of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL). The ME and nutritional variables such as NFD, tannins (T), and CP showed a positive correlation with in vitro net gas production, while ruminal digestibility was affected by CP, ADL, T, and GE. Optimal ratios of components for ruminant diets to reduce rumen net gas production and increase protein content were found with mixtures consisting of 60% grass (either UHC or UBT), 30% CB, and 10% LD. However, this ratio did not result in a decrease in CH4 production.

Author(s):  
Osman Mahgoub ◽  
Hafidh Al-Mahrouqi ◽  
Sadeq Al-Lawati ◽  
Rabea Al-Muqbali

A study was carried out to evaluate the nutritional value of spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) to determine its potential use for feeding livestock in Oman. Spirulina was grown in wooden cubicles and harvested after 10 days. One batch of spirulina was dried by centrifugation (CS) and the other was dried in an oven without centrifugation (NCS). Samples were analyzed for dry matter (DM) and proximate chemical components. An in vitro assessment was carried out to measure gas production and in vitro DM degradability of spirulina. The DM was 56.1 and 57.1% in CS and NCS, respectively. The proximate composition for CS and NCS as a percentage of DM, respectively was: 60.8 and 62.5 for crude protein (CP); 0.97 and 1.05 for Ether extract (EE); 6.35 and 7.55 for ash. The CS and NCS contained: 0.25 and 0.37% DM Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) and 1.03 and 1.92 % DM Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), respectively. The gross energy (cal/g DM) was 5730 and 5629 in CS and NCS, respectively. The CS produced more in vitro gas (73 and 71 ml/200mg DM) from 12 hr until the end of the experimental period (96 hr) compared to the NCS (51 and 48 ml/200mg DM), respectively. The CS had significantly higher metabolizable energy (ME) (approximately 12 MJ/kg DM) than NCS (about 9 MJ/kg DM). CS had significantly higher (81 and 79%) Organic Matter Digestibility (OMD) than NCS (61 and 58%). The CS had significantly higher Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) (1.7 and 1.6 µmol) than NCS (1.2 and 1.1 µmol). It was concluded that spirulina is an excellent source of protein and can be used after drying as a potential animal feed. There was little effect of the method of drying of spirulina on its chemical composition or digestibility. 


Author(s):  
Osman Mahgoub ◽  
Isam T. Kadim ◽  
Yasmin Eltahir ◽  
Sadeq Al-Lawatia ◽  
Abdulrahim M. Al-Ismaili

ABSTRACT: A study was carried out to evaluate the nutritional value of waste from lettuce, green cabbage, red cabbage and cauliflower to determine their potential use for feeding to livestock. Vegetable wastes were dried in a solar tunnel drier. The crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), total ash, acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) were 24.1, 2.7, 24.7, 29.3 and 29.0%; 17.7, 2.3, 13.7, 25.6, and 28.7%; 11.9, 1.9, 8.8, 23.1 and 25.6%; 10.3, 0.5, 7.0, 16.1 and 19.6 % (DM basis) in cauliflower, lettuce, green cabbage and red cabbage, respectively. The gross energy (MJ/kg DM) in cauliflower  and green cabbage (16.9 and 16.6) was higher than that observed in red cabbage and lettuce (14.1 and14.3). The red and green cabbage waste had higher net gas production (73 and 71 ml/g DM/12h) compared to the lettuce and cauliflower vegetable waste (51 and 48 ml/g DM/12h respectively). The green and red cabbage waste had significantly higher metabolizable energy (ME) (approximately 12 MJ/kg DM) than both lettuce and cauliflower waste (approximately 9 MJ/kg DM). The in vitro DM and OM digestibility (OMD) in green and red cabbage waste was significantly higher than in lettuce and cauliflower. The green and red cabbage waste had significantly higher short chain fatty acids (SCFA) (1.7 and 1.6 µmol) than lettuce and cauliflower (1.2 and 1.1 µmol). It was concluded that leafy vegetable waste (lettuce, green cabbage, red cabbage and cauliflower) is an excellent source of nutrients which can potentially be used after drying as an animal feed to reduce animal feeding costs and consequently increase farmers’ profits. This would also help in waste management and the reduction of environmental pollution.


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1205
Author(s):  
Musen Wang ◽  
Fujin Zhang ◽  
Xinxin Zhang ◽  
Ying Yun ◽  
Lei Wang ◽  
...  

The objective of this work was to evaluate the pH, chemical composition, minerals, vitamins, and in vitro rumen fermentation characteristics of silage prepared with lucerne, sweet maize stalk (MS), and their mixtures. Freshly chopped lucerne and MS were combined in ratios of 100:0 (M0, control), 80:20 (M20), 60:40 (M40), 40:60 (M60), 20:80 (M80), and 0:100 (M100) on a fresh matter basis. Each treatment was prepared in triplicate, and a total of eighteen silos were fermented for 65 days. After 65 days of fermentation, the pH values in M0, M20, M40, M60, M80, and M100 silages were 5.47, 4.84, 4.23, 4.13, 3.79, and 3.61, respectively. As the MS proportion in the mixtures increased, silage K, Ca, P, Na, Fe, and Cu concentrations linearly decreased (p < 0.001) and so did vitamins B5 and K1 and α-tocopherol. In vitro rumen dry matter and organic matter degradability, pH, ammonia, total volatile fatty acid, and gas production linearly decreased (p < 0.01), while neutral detergent fiber concentration linearly increased (p < 0.001), with increasing proportion of MS. The in vitro dry matter and organic matter degradability rapidly decreased when the MS percentage was ≥60%. In conclusion, the M40 silage is the most suitable for livestock utilization in local forage production considering the balance of silage pH, nutritional quality, and in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics.


Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1784
Author(s):  
Beatriz Ligoski ◽  
Lucas Ferreira Gonçalves ◽  
Flavio Lopes Claudio ◽  
Estenio Moreira Alves ◽  
Ana Maria Krüger ◽  
...  

Legume–grass intercropping systems are a sustainable option to improve nutritional quality of animal feed and decrease livestock greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, the present study evaluated yield, chemical composition and in vitro gas production of silages produced with intercropped palisade grass (Urochloa brizantha.(A.Rich.) R.D.Webster), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan cv. Super N) and corn (Zea mays. L.). Forage was harvested and placed inside micro-silos, which were opened after 100 days and samples were collected for chemical composition and in vitro gas production analyses. Intercropped silage had higher crude protein, acid detergent fiber, and lignin content than corn silage. Moreover, intercropped silage decreased total gas and methane production. Therefore, intercropped silage showed potential to increase conserved feed nutritional quality and reduce methane emissions in livestock production systems.


2018 ◽  
Vol 197 ◽  
pp. 06005
Author(s):  
Nevyani Asikin ◽  
Anuraga Jayanegara ◽  
Muhamad Ridla ◽  
Anjas Asmara Samsudin

Pennisetum purpoides is one of the most widely cultivated tropical forages and it is often used as animal feed in Indonesia. However, grass feeding could not fulfill the need of nutrients if served as single feed because it contained of high crude fiber and low protein. In terms of nutritional adequacy, animal feed should contain complete nutritional value in order to achieve an optimum productivity. This experiment aimed to elucidate the potential of tropical grass as a feed in ruminant by using an in vitro gas production technicque. The grasses were determined for proximate analysis, Van Soest fiber fractions (neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber and acid detergent lignin), and in vitro rumen fermentation parameters. This study was conducted from January until April 2018 at Nutrition Laboratory, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. This study used a randomized block design with 3 replications. There were three treatments tested in this study, i.e. (1) Pennisetum purpoides (T1), (2) Setaria splendida (T2), (3) Setaria anceps (T3). Parameters measured in the in vitro study is total gas production. Data were tested using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and continued with Duncan test if there was a significant difference among treatments. The data showed that gas production is not significantly different (P>0,05).


2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (17) ◽  
pp. 1969
Author(s):  
Avijit Dey ◽  
Shyam S. Paul ◽  
Akula V. Umakanth ◽  
Basrur V. Bhat ◽  
Puran C. Lailer ◽  
...  

Context In developing countries of south Asia and Africa, cereal crop residues provide important fodder resources for ruminants. Genetic improvement through plant breeding for high-quality crop residues as well as for grain yield is gaining in demand among mixed crop–livestock farmers. Aims The present study investigated the potential nutritional quality, in vitro ruminal fermentation kinetics, gas production, enzyme activities and methane production of stover of newly developed brown midrib cultivars of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) compared with other cultivars in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Methods Stover from seven sorghum cultivars – brown midrib sorghum (SPV-2017, SPV-2018), normal grain sorghum (CSV-27), forage sorghum (SSG-59-3, CSV-32F) and sweet sorghum (CSH 22SS, CSV 24SS) – was analysed for chemical composition. Stover samples (200 ± 5 mg dry matter) from each cultivar were incubated with buffered rumen fluid (30 mL) in 100-mL calibrated glass syringes at 39°C for 72 h following a standard in vitro gas-production protocol for gas production and fermentation kinetics. Key results Stover chemical composition varied significantly (P &lt; 0.05) among cultivars, with highest organic matter in forage sorghum SSG-59-3 and lowest in sweet sorghum CSV-24SS. Acid detergent lignin was lowest in stover of the brown midrib cultivars (1.27% in SPV-2018 and 1.67% in SPV-2017) and highest in forage sorghum SSG-59-3 (9.42%). The brown midrib cultivars showed highest (P &lt; 0.001) total gas production, truly degradable dry matter, organic matter digestibility and metabolisable energy content. The brown midrib cultivars and forage sorghum CSV-32F had highest (P &lt; 0.05) production of volatile fatty acids (acetate, propionate and butyrate) and activity of ruminal enzymes (carboxymethyl cellulase and xylanase) during fermentation. Conclusions This study demonstrates that stover from brown midrib sorghum cultivars (SPV-2017 and SPV-2018) and forage sorghum CSV-32F could be preferred over stover of other cultivars for animal feed owing to their potential for enhanced utilisation. Implications This study provides information on nutritional quality of stover from newly developed sorghum cultivars for large-scale utilisation as animal feed in smallholder production systems of developing countries.


2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. e06SC01
Author(s):  
Ali Hatami ◽  
Daryoush Alipour ◽  
Fardin Hozhabri ◽  
Meisam Tabatabaei

<p>This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of ensiling pomegranate peel (PP) with different levels of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on its chemical composition, tannin content, <em>in vitro</em> gas production and fermentation characteristics. Fresh PP was chopped and ensiled in mini silos made of polyvinyl chloride tubing. Five levels of PEG were studied: 0 (control), 5, 10, 15, and 20% of fresh PP (dry matter basis). Total phenolics, total tannins, crude ash, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber content and pH decreased with increasing PEG levels, whereas dry matter and non-fiber carbohydrates content, non-tannin phenols, lactic acid and ammonia concentrations and buffering capacity increased. The water soluble carbohydrates and ether extract concentrations were not influenced by the addition of PEG. The partitioning factor and efficiency of microbial biomass production were quadratically decreased (<em>p</em>=0.020 and <em>p</em>=0.032, respectively) as PEG inclusion increased, but the <em>in vitro </em>apparent dry matter disappearance did not differ among treatments. Compared to control, the <em>in vitro</em> true disappearance and <em>in vitro</em> fiber digestibility had a tendency to be higher in silages treated with PEG (<em>p</em>=0.081 and <em>p</em>=0.069, respectively). The metabolizable energy content and total volatile fatty acids concentration increased quadratically by PEG inclusion. The asymptotic gas production and rate of gas production were higher in PEG-treated silages. Overall, ensiling PP with PEG can improve the fermentation characteristics of this by-product.</p>


Author(s):  
Esra GÜRSOY ◽  
Adem KAYA ◽  
Mehmet GÜL

The purpose of this study was to compare the chemical composition, metabolizable energy, net energy lactation, total digestible nutrient, in vitro digestion parameters, and relative feed quality of some grass forage plants growing naturally in the meadows and pastures of Erzurum province in Turkey. Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata), Variegated brome (Bromus variegatus), and Intermediate wheatgrass (Agropyron intermedium) were used as the research material. In this study, the metabolizable energy (ME) and net energy lactation (NEL) contents of the green grass crops forage plants were determined by in vitro gas production method, and their digestibility parameters and relative feed quality (RFQ) by the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) procedure using an Ankom Daisy incubator. As a result of the study, the differences between the forage plants were found to be statistically significant in terms of chemical composition, metabolizable energy, net energy lactation, true organic matter digestibility (TOMD) and RFQ (P<0.05). While the green intermediate wheatgrass was found to have the highest crude protein (CP) (19.56%), crude fat (CF) (3.06%), dry matter (DM) (9.14%), ME  (8.82%), NEL (5.42%), and TOMD (97.75%); the green variegated brome was found to have the highest RFQ (149.79). The green orchardgrass was found to have the highest contents of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) with 66.23%, 34.14, and 8.52%, respectively. In conclusion, the green grass forage plants examined in this study can be used to eliminate the quality roughage deficit.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandra Marín ◽  
Jérôme Bindelle ◽  
Ángel S. Zubieta ◽  
Guillermo Correa ◽  
Jacobo Arango ◽  
...  

Highly digestible forages are associated with an in vitro low-methane (CH4) rumen fermentation profile and thus the possibility of reducing CH4 emissions from forage-based systems. We aimed to assess the in vitro ruminal fermentation profile, including CH4 production, of the top stratum of Kikuyu grass (Cenchrus clandestinus - Hochst. ex Chiov) harvested at different sward heights (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 cm). Herbage samples (incubating substrate) were analyzed for their chemical composition, in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), and morphological components. In vitro incubations were performed under a randomized complete block design with four independent runs of each treatment. Gas production (GP), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), CH4 production, total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration, and their acetate, propionate, and butyrate proportions were measured following 24 and 48 h of incubation. Herbage samples had similar contents of organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, and crude protein for all treatments. However, a higher acid detergent fiber (ADF) content in taller sward heights than in smaller sward heights and a tendency for metabolizable energy (ME) and IVOMD to decrease as sward height increased were found. Similarly, the stem + sheath mass tended to increase with increasing sward height. Amongst the nutrients, ME (r = −0.65) and IVDMD (r = −0.64) were negatively correlated with sward height (p &lt; 0.001) and ADF was positively correlated with sward height (r = 0.73, p &lt; 0.001). Both the GP and IVDMD were negatively related to the sward height at both incubation times. Sward heights of Kikuyu grass below 30 cm display an in vitro profile of VFAs high in propionate and low in acetate, with a trend toward lower methane production of CH4 per unit of IVDMD. These findings are important to aid decision-making on the optimal sward height of Kikuyu grass and manage animal grazing with the opportunity to reduce CH4 production.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Kim Margarette C. Nogoy ◽  
Jia Yu ◽  
Young Gyu Song ◽  
Shida Li ◽  
Jong-Wook Chung ◽  
...  

The amaranth plants showed high potential feed value as forage for ruminants. An in-depth study of this plant, particularly in cattle, will help extend its utilization as an alternative protein and fiber feed source in cattle feeding. In this study, the nutrient compositions of three different species of amaranth, Amaranthus caudatus L., Amaranthus cruentus L., and Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.—two varieties for each species, A.ca 74, A.ca 91, A.cu 62, A.cu 66, A. hy 30, and A. hy 48—were evaluated. The in vitro technique was used to evaluate the fermentation characteristics such as total gas production, total volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration, pH, and ammonia concentration of the rumen fluid. Moreover, the effective degradabilities of dry matter (EDDM) and crude protein (EDCP) of the amaranth forages were determined through in situ bag technique. The amaranth forages: A. caudatus, A. cruentus, and A. hypochondriacus showed better nutritive value than the locally produced forages in Chungcheong province of Korea. The CP of the amaranth ranged from 11.95% to 14.19%, and the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents ranged from 45.53% to 70.88% and 34.17% to 49.83%, respectively. Among the amaranth varieties, A. hypochondriacus 48 showed the most excellent ruminant feed nutrient quality (CP, 14.19%; NDF, 45.53%; and ADF, 34.17%). The effective degradabilities of dry matter (EDDM; 33–56%) and crude protein EDCP (27–59%) of the amaranth were lower compared to other studies, which could be due to the maturity stage at which the forages were harvested. Nonetheless, A. hypochondriacus 48 showed the highest EDDM (56.73%) and EDCP (59.09%). The different amaranth species did not differ greatly in terms of total VFA concentration or molar proportions, total gas production, or ammonia-N concentration. The high nutrient composition, and highly effective degradability of dry matter and crude protein, coupled with the favorable fermentation characteristics, suggest that the amaranth forages showed good to excellent feed quality for cattle.


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