Evaluation of the effect of Cymbopogon citratus on consumption, digestibility, methane emission and energy partition in growing cattle
Methane (CH4) produced by enteric fermentation in cattle is of utmost importance as it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. This gas is a product of the fermentation that feed undergoes in the rumen, resulting in an energy loss for the animal. So, reducing CH4 production would lead to a more efficient use of the gross energy ingested, which could be used to transform it into meat or milk and would also reduce CH4 emissions into the environment. There are several CH4 mitigation strategies, such as the addition of plants with a high concentration of secondary metabolites, like Cymbopogon citratus (CC). Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate increasing levels of CC on dry matter intake (DM), nutrient digestibility (DIG), CH4 production and partition of gross energy intake in growing cattle fed a high forage diet (68.6% forage: 31.4% concentrate). Four heifers (¾ Holstein × ¼ Charolais) with an average initial live weight of 225 ± 64 kg distributed in a 4×4 Latin square design was used. The experimental treatments were: 1) control diet (CO); 2) CO + 30 g CC DM/d; 3) CO + 60 g CC DM/d and 4) CO + 90 g CC DM/d. A 22.4 % and 21.2 % reduction in CH4 yield (CH4 g/kg DMI) and Ym factor respectively was observed with the 30 CC treatment compared to CO (P ≤ 0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed for means related with DMI, DIG and partition of gross energy intake (P > 0.05). It is concluded that supplementation with 30 g CC DM/d reduces CH4 yield without affecting animal performance.
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | spa |
| Published: |
Asociacion Latinoamericana de Produccion Animal
2023
|
| Online Access: | https://ojs.alpa.uy/index.php/ojs_files/article/view/3222 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|