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Cited by 1,414Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive PhysiologyAgriculture Sustainability and Environmental ImpactAnaerobic Digestion and Biogas Production

Methane production by ruminants: its contribution to global warming

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Moss, Angela R., Jouany, Jean-Pierre, Newbold, John·2000·Annales de Zootechnie
DOI 10.1051/animres:2000119
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Abstract

The aim of this paper is to review the role of methane in the global warming scenario and to examine the contribution to atmospheric methane made by enteric fermentation, mainly by ruminants.Agricultural emissions of methane in the EU-15 have recently been estimated at 10.2 million tonnes per year and represent the greatest source.Of these, approximately two-thirds come from enteric fermentation and one-third from livestock manure.Fermentation of feeds in the rumen is the largest source of methane from enteric fermentation and this paper considers in detail the reasons for, and the consequences of, the fact that the molar percentage of the different volatile fatty acids produced during fermentation influences the production of methane in the rumen.Acetate and butyrate promote methane production while propionate formation can be considered as a competitive pathway for hydrogen use in the rumen.The many alternative approaches to reducing methane are considered, both in terms of reduction per animal and reduction per unit of animal product.It was concluded that the most promising areas for future research for reducing methanogenesis are the development of new products/delivery systems for anti-methanogenic compounds or alternative electron acceptors in the rumen and reduction in protozoal numbers in the rumen.It is also stressed that the reason ruminants are so important to mankind is that much of the world's biomass is rich in fibre.They can convert this into high quality protein sources (i.e.meat and milk) for human consumption and this will need to be balanced against the concomitant production of methane. methane / ruminants / global warning / reduction strategiesRésumé -Production de méthane par les ruminants : sa contribution au réchauffement de la planète.Cet article examine le rôle du méthane dans le processus de réchauffement de la planète et évalue la contribution au méthane atmosphérique des gaz d'origine digestive issus principalement des ruminants.Les émissions annuelles de méthane d'origine agricole dans l'Europe des quinze ont été estimées récemment à 10,2 millions de tonnes et représentent la principale source des entrées Ann.Zootech.

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  • Most chemical additives either are noxious to host animals or present a temporary impact on methanogenesis.

    “However, most chemical additives either are noxious to host animals or present a temporary impact on methanogenesis (24, 25).”

    From Phytogenic Additives Can Modulate Rumen Microbiome to Mediate Fermentation Kinetics and Methanogenesis Through Exploiting Diet–Microbe Interaction (2020) · cites this paper as [24]

    Section 3.1.1 (Direct inhibition; page unavailable) reports that chloral hydrate caused liver damage and death in sheep, while several other methane inhibitors had effects that declined or were transient. It does not establish that most chemical additives overall are harmful to host animals or have only temporary effects; it also describes an inhibitor combination that may suppress emissions over a prolonged period. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Research works printed but not linked: 15

  1. Bolle H.J., Seiler W., Bolin B., Other green- house gases & aerosols. Trace gases in the atmo- spheres, in: Bolin B., Döös B.O.R., Jäger J., Warrick R.A. (Eds.), The Greenhouse Effect, Climatic Change & Ecosystems (SCOPE 29), Chichester: Wiley & Sons, 1986, pp.157-203.
  2. Chalupa W., Manipulation of rumen fermenta- tion, in: Haresign W., Cole D.J.A. (Eds.), Recent Developments in Ruminant Nutrition 2, Butter- worths, London, 1988, pp. 1-18.
  3. Crutzen P.J., The role of methane in atmospheric chemistry and climate, in: Engelhardt W.V., Leonhard-Marek S., Breves G., Giesecke D. (Eds.), Ruminant physiology: Digestion, metabolism, growth and reproduction, Pro- ceedings of the Eighth International Symposium on Ruminant Physiology, Ferdinand Enke Ver- lag , Stuttgart, 1995, pp. 291-316.
  4. Hanson S., Distribution in nature of reduced one carbon compounds and microbes that utilize them, in: Murrell J.C., Dalton H. (Eds.), Methane and Methanol Utilizers, Plenum Press, New York, 1992, pp. 1-22.
  5. IPCC, Climate Change: The Supplementary Report to the Scientific Assessment [Houghton J.T., Callander B.A., Varney S.K. (editors)], Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1992.
  6. Drake H.L., Introduction to acetogenis, in: Drake H.L. (Ed.), Acetogenis, Chapman & Hall, New York, London, 1994, pp. 3-60.
  7. Erfle J.D., Sauer F.D., Mahadevan S., Energy metabolism in rumen microbes, in: Milligan L.P., Grovum W.L., Dobson A. (Eds.), Control of Digestion and Metabolism in Ruminants, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1986, pp. 81-99.
  8. Fahey G.C., Berger L.L., Carbohydrate nutri- tion in ruminants, in: Church D.C. (Ed.), The ruminant animal: Digestive Physiology and Nutrition, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1988, pp. 269-297.
  9. Johnson D.E., Hill T.M., Carmean B.R., Lodman D.W., Ward G.M., New perspectives on rumi- nant methane emissions, in: Wenk C., Boessinger M. (Eds.), Energy Metabolism of Farm Animals, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, 1991, pp. 376-379.
  10. Julliand V., Microbiology of the equine hindgut, in: Proceedings of the 1st European Conference on the Nutrition of Horse, Hanover, 1992, pp. 42-47.
  11. Machmuller A., Kreuzer M., Methane suppres- sion by coconut oil & associated effects on nutri- ent & energy balance in sheep, Proc. Soc. Nutr. Physiol. 6 (1997) 65-72.
  12. Moss A.R., Methane production by ruminants - Literature review of I. Dietary manipulation to reduce methane production and II. Laboratory procedures for estimating methane potential of diets, Nutr. Abstr. Rev. Ser. B 64 (1994) 786-806.
  13. Owens F.N., Goetsch A.L., Digesta passage and microbial protein synthesis, in: Milligan L.P., Grovum W.L., Dobson A. (Eds.), Control of Digestion and Metabolism in Ruminants, Pren- tice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA, 1986, pp. 196-226.
  14. Sundstøl F., Methods for treatment of low-qual- ity rouhages, in: Kategile J.A., Sundstøl F. (Eds.), Utilization of low-quality roughages in Africa, Agric. University of Norway, As-NLH, Norway, 1981, pp. 61-80.
  15. Wolin M.J., Miller T.L., Microbe-microbe inter- actions, in: Hobson P.N. (Ed.), The Rumen Microbial Ecosystem, Elsevier Science Pub- lishers ltd, Essex, UK, 1988, pp. 343-459

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Authors
Moss, A. R., Jouany, J.-P., & Newbold, J.
Affiliations
  • Agricultural Development Advisory Service (United Kingdom) (GB)
  • Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR)
  • University of Aberdeen (GB)
ORCID
Newbold, John
Venue
Annales de Zootechnie
Publisher
EDP Sciences
Published
2000-05
Volume
49
Issue
3
Pages
231-253
ISSN
  • 0003-424X (ISSN-L)
  • 1297-9651
DOI
10.1051/animres:2000119
OpenAlex
W2123373906
Cited by
1,414
References
139
Citations by year
2026: 74 · 2025: 77 · 2024: 95 · 2023: 76 · 2022: 107 · 2021: 105 · 2020: 96 · 2019: 79 · 2018: 76 · 2017: 69 · 2016: 80 · 2015: 73 · 2014: 68 · 2013: 51 · 2012: 67
FWCI
16.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Annales de Zootechnie (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
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
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Building and Construction › Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Production
Keywords
methane emissions, ruminants, enteric fermentation, global warming, volatile fatty acids, rumen methanogenesis, acetate, butyrate, propionate, hydrogen consumption, alternative electron acceptors, rumen protozoa, livestock manure, agricultural greenhouse gas emissions

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