Effect of cyclodextrin diallyl maleate on methane production, ruminal fermentation and microbes in vitro and in vivo

Effects of β‐cyclodextrin diallyl maleate (CD‐M) on methane production, ruminal fermentation and digestibility were studied both in vitro and in vivo. In in vitro study, diluted ruminal fluid (30 mL) was incubated anaerobically at 38°C for 6 and 24 h with or without CD‐M using hay plus concentrate (1.5:1) as a substrate. The CD‐M was added at different concentrations (0, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 g/L). The pH of the medium and numbers of protozoa were not affected by the addition of CD‐M. Total volatile fatty acids were increased and ammonia‐N was decreased, molar proportion of acetate was decreased and propionate was increased (P < 0.05) by CD‐M. Methane was inhibited (P < 0.05) by 14–76%. The effect of CD‐M on methane production and ruminal fermentation was further investigated in vivo using four Holstein steers in a cross‐over design. The steers were fed Sudangrass hay and concentrate mixture (1.5:1) with or without CD‐M (2% of feed dry matter) as a supplement. Ruminal proportion of acetate tended to decrease and that of propionate was increased (P < 0.05) 2 h after CD‐M dosing. Total viable counts, cellulolytic, sulfate reducing, acetogenic bacteria and protozoa were unaffected while methanogenic bacteria were decreased (P < 0.05) by CD‐M. The plasma concentration of glucose was increased, whereas that of urea‐N was decreased (P < 0.05). Methane was inhibited (P < 0.05) from 36.4 to 30.1 L/kg dry matter intake by the addition of CD‐M. Apparent digestibilities of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber were not affected while that of crude protein was increased (P < 0.05) in the medicated steers. These data suggested that dietary supplementation of CD‐M decreased methane production and improved nutrient use.     

Effects of cyclodextrin-iodopropane complex on methane production, ruminal fermentation and microbes, digestibility and blood metabolites in steers

The effects when adding cyclodextrin‐iodopropane complex (CD‐IP) to a diet, on ruminal fermentation and microbes, digestibility, blood metabolites and methane production, were evaluated using four Holstein steers in a cross‐over design. The steers were fed Sudangrass hay plus concentrate mixture at a ratio 1.5:1, and CD‐IP (1% of dry matter) was given twice daily by mixing with concentrate mixture. Rumen and blood samples were collected at 0, 2, and 5 h after morning dosing. Ruminal pH and numbers of protozoa were unaffected by CD‐IP treatment. Ruminal molar proportion of acetate was decreased (P < 0.05), and propionate was increased (P < 0.01) at 2 h after CD‐IP dosing. Proportion of butyrate was increased (P < 0.05) and ammonia‐N was decreased (P < 0.05) at 2 and 5 h after CD‐IP dosing. Adding CD‐IP had no effect on the feed intake and digestion of nutrients. Plasma glucose was increased and urea‐N was decreased (P < 0.05) at 2 and 5 h after CD‐IP dosing. Methane production was decreased (P < 0.05) by approximately 18% in the treatment steers. Numbers of methanogenic bacteria were decreased (P < 0.05), while total viable counts, cellulolytic, sulfate reducing and acetogenic bacteria were unaffected. The present results are the first to show that CD‐IP can partially inhibit in vivo ruminal methanogenesis without adverse effects on digestion of nutrients.     

Effects of three short-term pasture allocation methods on milk production,methane emission and grazing behaviour by dairy cows

Two short-term grazing experiments were conducted with Norwegian Red cows. In Exp 1, 24 cows were randomly assigned to one of the following three pasture allocation methods (PAM): weekly pasture allowance (7RG), grazing 1/7 of 7RG each day (1SG), or grazing as 1SG but had access to grazed part of the paddock within one week (1FG). In Exp 2, 7RG was shortened to 5 days (5RG). We hypothesized that PAM will affect sward quality, quantity, intake and production differently. Pasture chemical composition changed with advancing grazing days but were not different between treatments. Pasture intake, milk yield, and methane emission were not affected by PAM. In Exp 1, 7RG cows spent less time on grazing, whereas in Exp 2, 1FG cows spent longer on grazing than others. Patterns observed in sward quality, and behavioural and physiological adaptations of cows to short-term changes in nutrient supply may explain the observed effects.     

More evidence that anaerobic oxidation of methane is prevalent in soils: Is it time to upgrade our biogeochemical models?

Estimating future fluxes of CH₄ between land and atmosphere requires well-conceived process-based biogeochemical models. Current models do not represent the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) in land surface soils, in spite of increasing evidence that this process is widespread. Our objective was to determine whether AOM, or potential AOM, commonly occurs in 20 hydromorphic soils spanning a wide range of chemical properties. Bulk soil samples were collected under shallow water near the shoreline of 15 recently drained fish ponds in southern Bohemia (Czech Republic), as well as from below the water table at 3 peatland locations in northeast Scotland and 2 acid sulfate soils on the southern coast of Finland. Each soil slurry was incubated under both oxic and anoxic conditions, with or without the addition of alternative electron acceptors (SO₄²⁻ and NO₃⁻) or H₂PO₄⁻. Here, “oxic” and “anoxic” conditions refer to anoxic soil respectively incubated in a headspace containing air or argon. Using the isotope dilution method, we determined the gross production and oxidation rates of CH₄ after 2 days incubation under oxic headspace conditions, and after 2, 21 and 60 days incubation under anoxic conditions. Large differences in net CH₄ fluxes were observed between soil types and between incubation conditions. AOM was detected in each of the 20 bulk soil samples, which spanned >6 pH units and 2 orders of magnitude in organic C content. Significant positive relationships were found between AOM and gross CH₄ production rates under anoxic conditions, resulting in AOM rates that were sometimes higher than CH₄ oxidation rates under oxic headspace conditions. There was no relationship between net and gross CH₄ production rates, such that 2 soil types could display similar low net rates, yet conceal very large differences in gross rates. The effects of alternative electron acceptors on AOM were idiosyncratic and resulted in no net trend. We did find, however, a negative effect of SO₄²⁻ and H₂PO₄⁻ on gross CH₄ production rates under anoxic and oxic conditions respectively. Under oxic headspace conditions, CH₄ oxidation was related to soil organic C content. Taken collectively, our results suggest that AOM, or potential AOM, is prevalent over a wide range of soil types, that AOM may contribute substantially to CH₄ oxidation in soils, and that AOM in soils should be integrated to current process-based CH₄ cycling models.     

白洋淀湖心岛分散式鸭养殖污染控制技术研究

白洋淀分散鸭养殖产生的污染物是导致其水体污染的主要来源之一。依据“减量化、就地处置资源化、养分循环”思路,提出湖心岛分散鸭养殖污染控制模式,主要包括：鸭粪收集系统（收集网、径流和冲洗水收集沟）、鸭粪沼气发酵与利用系统、沼液湿地净化和沼渣利用系统。选择安新县安新镇王家寨村占地5 000 m2养殖1 500只鸭的湖心岛建立综合控制示范工程。2010年4~11月,示范工程在典型降雨日和非降雨日排水的COD、总氮、总磷分别为351 mg/L、74.2 mg/L、7.1 mg/L和214 mg/L、42.1 mg/L、5.3 mg/L,水质符合《畜禽养殖业污染物排放标准》（GB 18596-2001）；这是由于源头收集系统收集了陆上活动区40%的鸭粪,同时末端处理系统（沉淀池+人工湿地）对养鸭废水污染物的高效削减。沼气池产生的沼气和剩余的沼液沼渣可以作为能源和肥料加以利用。本文集成湖心岛分散鸭养殖污染控制模式简便、适用,具有推广价值。     

Chemical and nutritional characteristics of Cannabis sativa L. co-products

Cannabis sativa L. is an annual herbaceous plant. It was used for centuries to obtain different products. In the last century, hemp cultivation was forbidden due to the psychoactive effects of tetrahydrocannabinol acid (THCA). In the last years, new strains, characterized by high cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and low THCA level, were developed renewing the interest in hemp cultivation to obtain food or to extract essential oils from flowers. All these processes produce many residues with different chemical–physical characteristics. In order to evaluate their potential use also in animal nutrition, some hemp co-products were evaluated. Two different co-products of seed processes (flour and oil) and two co-products obtained trimming the flowers, differing in granulometry were used. The samples were analysed for chemical composition and evaluated in vitro using the gas production technique with buffaloes' ruminal inoculum. All hemp co-products showed interesting nutritional characteristics, such as crude protein content always higher than 20% on a dry matter basis, and high neutral detergent fibre concentration partially lignified. The in vitro gas production parameters at 120 h of incubation showed quite low fermentability testified by the low organic matter degradability and cumulative gas volume (OMD from 28.09 to 45.64% and OMCV from 110 to 164 ml/g, respectively). Also, the methane produced after 24 h of incubation was particularly low (from 1.78 to 11.73 ml/g dOM). These results could be due to the high lipid and ash amounts or to the CBDA content that probably affected the CH₄ formation processes. According to preliminary results obtained by this study, it is possible to hypothesize that these co-products could be useful to mitigate the methane production into the rumen. Further studies are necessary in order to evaluate the correct inclusion into the diet for ruminants.     

添加亚油酸条件下不同剂量硝酸钠对水牛瘤胃体外发酵脂肪酸组成及相关微生物数量的影响

为了探究添加亚油酸条件下不同剂量硝酸钠对水牛瘤胃体外发酵脂肪酸组成及相关微生物数量的影响,本试验选用3头装有永久性瘤胃瘘管的母水牛,以精粗比40∶60为底物进行瘤胃液体外发酵试验。试验组硝酸钠的浓度分别为1、2、3 mg·mL^-1,对照组不加硝酸钠,每组均添加0.25 mg·mL^-1的亚油酸,每组各5个重复。在体外培养3、6、9、12、24 h时测定产气量和甲烷产量,24 h结束培养,测定瘤胃体外发酵参数、脂肪酸含量及瘤胃微生物数量。结果表明：1）添加硝酸钠显著降低了总产气量和甲烷产量（P<0.05）;2）添加硝酸钠pH值和氨态氮（NH₃-N）含量显著升高（P<0.05）,异丁酸和异戊酸含量显著降低（P<0.05）,而对总挥发性脂肪酸（TVFA）含量无显著性影响（P>0.05）;3）添加1 mg·mL^-1硝酸钠,C18：2cis-9,trans-11、C18：2trans-10,cis-12含量和不饱和脂肪酸/饱和脂肪酸（UFA/SFA）显著高于其他组（P<0.05）,且C20：5n3 （EPA）含量显著高于添加3 mg·mL^-1硝酸钠组（P<0.05）,添加2 mg·mL^-1硝酸钠C22：6n3 （DHA）含量显著高于其他组（P<0.05）;4）添加硝酸钠组原虫数量显著低于对照组（P<0.05）,添加2、3 mg·mL^-1硝酸钠产甲烷菌数量显著低于添加1 mg·mL^-1硝酸钠组（P<0.05）,添加1 mg·mL^-1硝酸钠总细菌、真菌、溶纤维丁酸弧菌、蛋白分解丁酸弧菌、非典型丁酸弧菌、亨氏丁酸弧菌数量显著高于其他组（P<0.05）。由此可得,体外法添加1~3 mg·mL^-1硝酸钠和0.25 mg·mL^-1亚油酸在维持水牛TVFA含量不变的情况下显著降低了甲烷含量,且1 mg·mL^-1硝酸钠能促进亚油酸生成共轭亚油酸（CLA）,优化脂肪酸组成,并能增加大多数瘤胃微生物的数量。     

Cashew nut shell liquid potentially mitigates methane emission from the feces of Thai native ruminant livestock by modifying fecal microbiota

The methane-mitigating potency of cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL) was evaluated by investigating gas production from batch cultures using feces from Thai native ruminants that had been incubated for different periods. Feces was obtained from four Thai native cattle and four swamp buffaloes reared under practical feeding conditions at the Kasetsart University farm, Thailand. Fecal slurry from the same farm was also included in the analysis. CNSL addition successfully suppressed the methane production potential of feces from both ruminants by shifting short chain fatty acid profiles towards propionate production. Methane mitigation continued for almost 150 days, although the degree of mitigation was more apparent from Day 0 to Day 30. Bacterial and archaeal community shifts with CNSL addition were observed in feces from both ruminants; specifically, Bacteroides increased, whereas Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae decreased in feces to which CNSL was added. Fecal slurry did not show marked changes in gas production with CNSL addition. The findings showed that the addition of CNSL to the feces of ruminants native to the Southeast Asian region can suppress methane emission. Because CNSL can be easily obtained as a byproduct of the local cashew industry in this region, its on-site application might be ideal.     

Comparison of emission estimates for non‐CO2 greenhouse gases from livestock and poultry in Korea from 1990 to 2010

It has often been claimed that non‐carbon dioxide greenhouse gases (NCGGs), such as methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated greenhouse gases, are significant contributors to climate change. Here we nvestigate emission estimates of methane and nitrous oxide from livestock and poultry production, which is recognized as a major source of those NCGGs, in Korea over the period of 1990 through 2010. Based on the data on livestock and poultry populations, emission estimates of methane and nitrous oxide are first derived based on the Tier 1 approach. Then, the Tier 2 approach is adopted to obtain emission estimates of methane and nitrous oxide from cattle, which are known to be the largest sources of these NCGGs and account for about 70% of emissions from livestock and poultry in Korea. The result indicates that the Tier 2 estimates of methane and nitrous oxide emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management are significantly different from the Tier 1 estimates over the analysis period.