Cited by 78Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive PhysiologyAgriculture Sustainability and Environmental ImpactAnimal Nutrition and Physiology

Review: Strategies for enteric methane mitigation in cattle fed tropical forages

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Ku-Vera, J.C., Castelán-Ortega, O.A., Galindo-Maldonado, F.A., Arango, J., Chirinda, N., Jiménez-Ocampo, R., Valencia-Salazar, S.S., Flores-Santiago, E.J. +7 more·2020·animal

Abstract

Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas (GHG) produced and released by eructation to the atmosphere in large volumes by ruminants. Enteric CH4 contributes significantly to global GHG emissions arising from animal agriculture. It has been contended that tropical grasses produce higher emissions of enteric CH4 than temperate grasses, when they are fed to ruminants. A number of experiments have been performed in respiration chambers and head-boxes to assess the enteric CH4 mitigation potential of foliage and pods of tropical plants, as well as nitrates (NO3-) and vegetable oils in practical rations for cattle. On the basis of individual determinations of enteric CH4 carried out in respiration chambers, the average CH4 yield for cattle fed low-quality tropical grasses (>70% ration DM) was 17.0 g CH4/kg DM intake. Results showed that when foliage and ground pods of tropical trees and shrubs were incorporated in cattle rations, methane yield (g CH4/kg DM intake) was decreased by 10% to 25%, depending on plant species and level of intake of the ration. Incorporation of nitrates and vegetable oils in the ration decreased enteric CH4 yield by ∼6% to ∼20%, respectively. Condensed tannins, saponins and starch contained in foliages, pods and seeds of tropical trees and shrubs, as well as nitrates and vegetable oils, can be fed to cattle to mitigate enteric CH4 emissions under smallholder conditions. Strategies for enteric CH4 mitigation in cattle grazing low-quality tropical forages can effectively increase productivity while decreasing enteric CH4 emissions in absolute terms and per unit of product (e.g. meat, milk), thus reducing the contribution of ruminants to GHG emissions and therefore to climate change.

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Crossref · 10.1017/s1751731120001780

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  • Feeding temperate grasses produce less enteric CH4 than tropical grasses in ruminants.

    “Recently, it has been reported that feeding temperate grasses produce less enteric CH4 than tropical grasses in ruminants (118) as feeding low-quality tropical grasses emitted 17 g CH4/kg DM intake.”

    From Phytogenic Additives Can Modulate Rumen Microbiome to Mediate Fermentation Kinetics and Methanogenesis Through Exploiting Diet–Microbe Interaction (2020) · cites this paper as [118]

    In “Enteric methane production by cattle fed tropical grasses,” the review explicitly says its evidence does not support the contention that tropical grasses produce more enteric methane than temperate grasses. It does report a yield of 17.0 g CH₄/kg dry-matter intake for cattle fed low-quality tropical grasses, but that figure does not establish the claimed comparison. (LLM, conf=0.92)

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  • A 10-25% decrease in CH4 production has been observed when foliage and pods of trees and shrubs are included in the cattle diet.

    “However, a 10–25% decrease in CH4 production has been observed, when foliage and pods of trees and shrubs are included in the cattle diet (118).”

    From Phytogenic Additives Can Modulate Rumen Microbiome to Mediate Fermentation Kinetics and Methanogenesis Through Exploiting Diet–Microbe Interaction (2020) · cites this paper as [118]

    The Abstract reports a 10–25% decrease when foliage and ground pods of tropical trees and shrubs were added to cattle rations. It measures methane yield (CH₄ per kilogram of dry-matter intake), however, not a 10–25% decrease in total CH₄ production. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Addition of nitrates and vegetable oils in cattle diet can reduce CH4 emission up to 6-20%.

    “Recently, a meta-analysis showed that addition of nitrates and vegetable oils in cattle diet has the ability to reduce CH4 emission up to 6–20% (118).”

    From Phytogenic Additives Can Modulate Rumen Microbiome to Mediate Fermentation Kinetics and Methanogenesis Through Exploiting Diet–Microbe Interaction (2020) · cites this paper as [118]

    The Abstract (page not available) reports that adding nitrates and vegetable oils to cattle rations decreased enteric CH₄ yield by approximately 6% and 20%, respectively. The cited paper is a review, not a meta-analysis, and its figures concern methane yield in the context of cattle fed tropical forages rather than a general reduction in CH₄ emissions. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. Castelán Ortega OA, Ku Vera JC, Ángeles-Hernández JC, Hernández-Pineda GS, Benaouda M, Molina LT, Ramírez-Cancino L, Castelán-Jaime SV, Praga-Ayala AR, Lazos-Balbuena F, Montelongo-Pérez H, González-Ronquillo M, Vázquez-Carrillo MF, Cardoso-Gutiérrez E, Aranda-Aguirre E, Villegas-Estrada D, Guadarrama-L ópez AP and Apodaca-Martínez G 2019. Ganadería. In Estado del Ciclo del Carbono: agenda Azul y Verde, Programa Mexicano del Carbono, pp. 492-528. Texcoco, Estado de México, México.
  2. Lazos Balbuena FJ 2015. Uso del fruto de Enterolobium cyclocarpum como fuente de saponinas esteroidales para reducir la producci ón de metano entérico en bovinos. Tesis de Maestría thesis. Universidad Aut ónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán.
  3. Mayo-Eusebio R 2013. Ganancia de peso de bovino en crecimiento en un sistema silvopastoril intensivo y en un sistema en confinamiento en Michoacán, México. MSc thesis in agricultural science thesis. University of Yucatan, Yucatan, Mexico.
  4. Ku-Vera et al. s462 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731120001780 Published online by Cambridge University Press
  5. Valencia Salazar SS 2017. Efecto del consumo de frutos de Samanea saman sobre la digestibilidad, patr ón de fermentaci ón y producci ón de metano entérico en novillas. Master in science thesis, Universidad Aut ónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán.

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Authors
Ku-Vera, J. C., Castelán-Ortega, O. A., Galindo-Maldonado, F. A., Arango, J., Chirinda, N., Jiménez-Ocampo, R., Valencia-Salazar, S. S., Flores-Santiago, E. J., Montoya-Flores, M. D., Molina-Botero, I. C., Piñeiro-Vázquez, A. T., Arceo-Castillo, J. I., Aguilar-Pérez, C. F., Ramírez-Avilés, L., & Solorio-Sánchez, F. J.
Affiliations
  • Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (MX)
  • International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CO)
  • El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (MX)
  • Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agrícolas y Pecuarias (MX)
  • Autonomous University of Yucatán (MX)
Venue
animal
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020
Volume
14
Issue
S3
Pages
s453-s463
ISSN
1751-7311 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3068593171
Cited by
78
References
83
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 3
FWCI
1.28
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • animal (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers
  • Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Nutrition and Physiology
Keywords
enteric methane mitigation, cattle, tropical forages, greenhouse gas emissions, ruminants, tropical grasses, nitrate, vegetable oils, proanthocyanidins, saponins, methane yield, smallholder livestock, climate change mitigation
MeSH terms
Greenhouse Gases, Animals, Animal Feed, Cattle, Diet, Poaceae, Methane, Milk, Rumen, Ruminants

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