How do animal performance and methane emissions vary with forage management intensification and supplementation?

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (9) ◽  
pp. 1201 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. W. Koscheck ◽  
E. P. Romanzini ◽  
R. P. Barbero ◽  
L. M. Delevatti ◽  
A. C. Ferrari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Methane Emission ◽  
Production System ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Nutrient Digestibility ◽  
Animal Performance ◽  
Beef Production ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Sward Height ◽  
Enteric Methane ◽  
Enteric Methane Emissions

Context Yields from Brazilian beef-production systems do not always match the expected potential of a forage-based beef-production system. This efficiency is dependent on adjustments of grazing intensity and supplement utilisation to achieve higher bodyweight gain and lower methane emission. Therefore, more studies are necessary to evaluate the association between pasture management and supplement doses. Aims The aim of the present study was to determine nutrient intake, nutrient digestibility, animal performance, carcass characteristics and enteric methane emissions of young Nellore bulls grazing Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu pastures. Methods One hundred and forty-eight yearling bulls (230 ± 17 kg) were randomly assigned to a grazing-by-supplementation strategy that was designed to allocate three different sward heights with differing levels of supplementation during the wet season. Treatment combinations were (1) low sward height with high supplementation (LH-HS, 15-cm sward height and supplementation at 0.6% of bodyweight (BW)); (2) low height with moderate supplementation (LH-MS, 15 cm and 0.3% BW); (3) moderate height with moderate supplementation (MH-MS, 25 cm and 0.3% BW); (4) moderate height with low supplementation (MH-LS, 25 cm and 0.1% BW); (5) high height with low supplementation (HH-LS, 35 cm and 0.1% BW); and (6) high height with no supplementation (HH-WS, 35 cm). Key results Bulls in the HH groups had a greater herbage intake than did those in the LH groups (P < 0.01). Bulls in the LH-HS treatment resulted in a greater (P < 0.01) carcass average daily gain than that obtained with LH-MS, MH-LS or HH-WS treatment. Higher stocking rate with the LH treatment resulted in greater gains per hectare in terms of both BW and carcass (P < 0.01). Carcass yield was greater for bulls maintained with the LH-HS treatment (54.3% BW). Higher enteric methane emissions were observed from bulls under the HH treatments (P < 0.01). Conclusions Comparing carcass gains per hectare and low methane emissions, the present study indicated that pasture management towards a low sward height combined with 0.3% or 0.6% BW supplementation can result in a greater nutrient utilisation efficiency of bulls. Implications Results provided information to obtain better gains per animals and area, also decreasing methane emission of beef cattle production system.

Mitigation of enteric methane emissions through pasture management in integrated crop-livestock systems: Trade-offs between animal performance and environmental impacts

2019 ◽  
Vol 213 ◽  
pp. 968-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
William de Souza Filho ◽  
Pedro Arthur de Albuquerque Nunes ◽  
Raquel Santiago Barro ◽  
Taíse Robinson Kunrath ◽  
Gleice Menezes de Almeida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Animal Performance ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Enteric Methane ◽  
Livestock Systems ◽  
Enteric Methane Emissions

Effect of pasture management on enteric methane emissions from goats

2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi Cristina Meister ◽  
Abmael da Silva Cardoso ◽  
Fernando Oliveira Alari ◽  
Nailson Lima Santos Lemos ◽  
Rosa Toyoko Shiraishi Frighetto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Enteric Methane ◽  
Enteric Methane Emissions

scholarly journals Could the breed composition improve performance and change the enteric methane emissions from beef cattle in a tropical intensive production system?

PLoS ONE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. e0220247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabella Cristina de Faria Maciel ◽  
Fabiano Alvim Barbosa ◽  
Thierry Ribeiro Tomich ◽  
Luiz Gustavo Pereira Ribeiro ◽  
Ramon Costa Alvarenga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Production System ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Improve Performance ◽  
Intensive Production ◽  
Enteric Methane ◽  
Enteric Methane Emissions

scholarly journals Enteric Methane Emission Estimates for the Zimbabwean Sanga Cattle Breeds of Tuli and Mashona

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Showman Gwatibaya ◽  
Chrispen Murungweni ◽  
Irvine Mpofu ◽  
Raphael Jingura ◽  
Accadius Tinarwo Tigere ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Methane Emission ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Tier 2 ◽  
Cattle Breeds ◽  
Tier 1 ◽  
Enteric Methane ◽  
Gross Energy ◽  
Sanga Cattle ◽  
Enteric Methane Emissions

Abstract The effectiveness of methane mitigation in ruminant livestock production systems depends on the accuracy of estimating methane emission factors and providing accurate emission inventories. Following the Paris Climate agreement, it is recommended that countries adopt the Tier-2 approach for estimating enteric methane emissions from ruminants instead of the Tier-1 approach currently used by most countries. This study sought to provide base line enteric methane emission estimates for the Tuli and Mashona Sanga cattle breeds in Zimbabwe using the IPCC Tier-2 model. Using animal characterization data collected from 412 cattle from Grasslands Research Institute and 406 cattle from Makoholi Research Institute, net energy requirements were estimated. From this and the estimate for digestibility, gross energy intake and dry matter intake were estimated. Gross energy intakes and the estimated methane conversion factor were used to estimate enteric methane emissions. Mean emission factors for Tuli were 45.1, 56, 28.5, 28.4, 20.6kg CH4/head/year for cows, bulls, heifers, steers and calves respectively. For Mashona, they were 47.8, 51.9, 29, 29.1 and 20.7kgCH4/head/year for cows, bulls, heifers, steers and calves respectively. Generally, estimated Tier-2 emission factors were significantly different from the IPCC Tier-1 default emission factors. This study concluded that enteric methane emission factors estimated using the IPCC Tier-2 model offer insights into the controversial use of the default IPCC Tier-1 emission factors.

scholarly journals Impact of Forage Diversity on Forage Productivity, Nutritive Value, Beef Cattle Performance and Enteric Methane Emissions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
L R Thompson ◽  
I C F Maciel ◽  
P D R Rodrigues ◽  
K A Cassida ◽  
J E Rowntree
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Emission Intensity ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Animal Performance ◽  
Study Objective ◽  
Enteric Methane ◽  
Forage Diversity ◽  
Enteric Methane Emissions

Abstract Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from the beef industry is largely attributed to the grazing sector, specifically from beef cattle enteric methane emissions. Therefore, the study objective was to examine how forage diversity impacts forage productivity, nutritive value, animal performance and enteric methane emissions. This study occurred over three consecutive grazing seasons (2018 to 2020) and compared two common Midwest grazing mixtures: 1) a simple, 50:50 alfalfa:orchardgrass mixture (SIMP) and 2) a botanically diverse, cool-season species mixture (COMP). Fifty-six steers and heifers were adapted to an Automated Head Chamber System each year (AHCS; C-Lock Inc., Rapid City, SD) and stratified into treatment groups based on acclimation visitation. Each treatment consisted of four pastures, three 3.2-ha and one 1.6-ha, with 8 and 4 animals each, respectively. Forage production was measured bi-weekly in pre-and post-grazed paddocks, and forage nutritive value was analyzed using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). Shrunk body weights were taken monthly to determine animal performance. Forage availability did not differ between treatments (P = 0.69) but tended lower in 2018 (P = 0.06; 2.40 t dry matter ha -1) than 2019 (2.92 t dry matter ha -1) and 2020 (P = 0.10; 2.81 t dry matter ha -1). Crude protein was significantly lower for COMP in 2018 compared to SIMP. Forage acid detergent fiber content was significantly lower for the COMP mixture (P = 0.02). The COMP treatment resulted higher dry matter digestibility (IVDMD48) in 2018 and 2019 compared to the SIMP treatment (P < 0.01). Animal performance did not differ between treatments (P > 0.50). There was a tendency for the COMP treatment to have lower enteric CH4 production on a g d -1 basis (P = 0.06), but no difference was observed on an emission intensity basis (g CH4 kg -1 gain; P = 0.56). These results would indicate that adoption of the complex forage mixture would not result in improved forage productivity, animal performance, or reduced emission intensity compared to the simple forage mixture.

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