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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Linseed and glycerol in forage diets effect methane production and rumen fermentation parameters in a Rusitec semi-continuos system

Constanza Gutierrez-Gomez A , Nelson Vera A , Rodrigo Allende A , Pamela Williams B , Rita Astudillo A and Jorge Ávila-Stagno A C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Universidad de Concepción, Vicente Méndez 595, Chillán, Chile.

B Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agronomy, Universidad de Concepción, Vicente Méndez 595, Chillán, Chile.

C Corresponding author. Email: jorgeavila@udec.cl

Animal Production Science 60(7) 923-929 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN18710
Submitted: 1 January 2019  Accepted: 12 October 2019   Published: 19 March 2020

Abstract

Context: The use of oilseeds as a feed ingredient has been proposed to improve fatty acid profiles and reduce methane (CH4) emissions. Glycerol has been used as a common additive in ruminant feeding systems with variable effects on CH4 production. The effects of the combination of these ingredients remain unknown.

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of feeding linseed and increasing concentrations of glycerol in forage diets supplemented with corn grain on nutrient disappearance, CH4 production and rumen fermentation parameters.

Methods: Experimental diets were: control (70:30% hay : corn); linseed (70 : 15  : 15% hay : corn : linseed); 5% glycerol (70 : 10 : 15 : 5% hay : corn : linseed : glycerol); 10% glycerol (70 : 5 : 15 : 10% hay : corn : linseed : glycerol). Diets were incubated in a completely randomised design with four replicates per treatment in a Rusitec apparatus for 15 days (10 days adaptation, 5 days sampling).

Key results: Total VFA production (VFA, mmol/day) was quadratically increased due to glycerol concentration in the diets (P = 0.009). Acetate : propionate (A : P) decreased by the inclusion of linseed (P < 0.001) and glycerol into the diets (P < 0.001). Linseed inclusion in the diet reduced CH4 production, mg/DM disappeared (P = 0.004) by up to 36%. These effects were not altered by the addition of glycerol into the diets. Ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) production increased 2-fold in the linseed-added diets, but this effect was partially reverted by increasing glycerol concentrations in the diets (P < 0.001). Crude protein (CP) disappearance increased (P < 0.001) in the linseed added diets, with no effect of glycerol addition. Neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom; P = 0.005) disappearance was increased by the addition of linseed to the diet.

Conclusions: The use of linseed in ruminant diets reduces CH4 emissions but increases NH3-N production in a Rusitec system. This latter effect is partially reverted by glycerol inclusion in the diet. Propionate production increases with the inclusion of glycerol, but does not alter CH4 production. Including linseed increases the in vitro CP disappearance without affecting DM total disappearance.

Implications: Care should be taken with the use of oilseeds in ruminant diets as it can reduce CH4 emissions but may cause important increases in NH3 emissions. Inclusion of glycerol may partially overcome this latter issue.

Additional keywords: ammonia nitrogen, greenhouse gases, in vitro techniques, rumen, volatile fatty acids.


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