Methane emissions and estimates of ruminal fermentation parameters in beef cattle fed different dietary concentrate levels

• Autor(a) principal: Pedreira, Márcio dos Santos
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Outros Autores: de Oliveira, Simone Gisele, Primavesi, Odo, de Lima, Magda Aparecida, Frighetto, Rosa Toyoko Shiraishi, Berchielli, Telma Teresinha [UNESP]
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1516-35982013000800009; http://hdl.handle.net/11449/76189
• topic: Global greenhouse gases; Nutritional value; Rumen fermentation; SF6

Using sorghum silage, the effect of roughage/concentrate ratios was evaluated on nutrient intake, digestibility, ruminal parameters and methane production by beef cattle. Three treatments (0, 30 and 60% of concentrate in DM of the diet) were distributed in three Latin squares, with nine animals and three periods. Dry matter intake increased as the grain concentration in diet increased; pH showed opposite behavior. Methane emissions were lower for animals fed the diet exclusively with sorghum silage as compared with those fed 30% of concentrate, but was similar to that of animals receiving 60% of concentrate. Losses of ingested gross energy as methane were reduced by 33% when grain concentration was increased in the diet. Concentrations of propionic and butyric acids were greater in diets with grain concentrate; acetic acid concentration was not affected. Concentrate in diet increases available energy for the metabolism, measured by lower losses of ingested gross energy as ruminal methane. © 2013 Sociedade Brasileira de Zootecnia.