Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2021
Enteric and Fecal Methane Emissions from Dairy Cows Fed Grass or Corn Silage Diets Supplemented with Rapeseed Oil
Ramin, Mohammad; Chagas, Juana C.; Smidt, Hauke; Exposito, Ruth Gomez; Krizsan, Sophie J.Abstract
This study evaluated potential trade-offs between enteric methane (CH4) emissions and CH4 emissions from feces of dairy cows fed grass silage or partial replacement of grass silage with corn silage, both with and without supplementation of rapeseed oil. Measured data for eight dairy cows (two blocks) included in a production trial were analyzed. Dietary treatments were grass silage (GS), GS supplemented with rapeseed oil (GS-RSO), GS plus corn silage (GSCS), and GSCS supplemented with rapeseed oil (GSCS-RSO). Feces samples were collected after each period and incubated for nine weeks to estimate fecal CH4 emissions. Including RSO (0.5 kg/d) in the diet decreased dry matter intake (DMI) by 1.75 kg/d. Enteric CH4 emissions were reduced by inclusion of RSO in the diet (on average 473 vs. 607 L/d). In 9-week incubations, there was a trend for lower CH4 emissions from feces of cows fed diets supplemented with RSO (on average 3.45 L/kg DM) than cows with diets not supplemented with RSO (3.84 L/kg DM). Total CH4 emissions (enteric + feces, L/d) were significantly lower for the cows fed diets supplemented with RSO. Total fecal CH4 emissions were similar between treatments, indicating no trade-offs between enteric and fecal CH4 emissions.Keywords
corn silage; dairy cows; fermentation; grass silage; methane emissions; rapeseed oilPublished in
Animals2021, volume: 11, number: 5, article number: 1322
Publisher: MDPI
Authors' information
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden
Smidt, Hauke
Wageningen University and Research
Exposito, Ruth Gomez
Wageningen University and Research
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden
UKÄ Subject classification
Environmental Sciences
Animal and Dairy Science
Publication Identifiers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051322
URI (permanent link to this page)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/112070