An initial investigation on rumen fermentation pattern and methane emission of sheep offered diets containing urea or nitrate as the nitrogen source

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Contents Vol 52(7)

doi:10.1071/AN11254

Food, Fibre and Pharmaceuticals from Animals

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An initial investigation on rumen fermentation pattern and methane emission of sheep offered diets containing urea or nitrate as the nitrogen source

L. Li ^A, J. Davis ^B, J. Nolan ^A and R. Hegarty ^A ^C

^A School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
^B Milne AgriGroup, 103–105 Welshpool Road, Welshpool, WA 6106, Australia.
^C Corresponding author. Email: roger.hegarty@une.edu.au

Animal Production Science 52(7) 653-658 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/AN11254
Submitted: 24 October 2011 Accepted: 12 January 2012 Published: 20 March 2012





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Abstract

The effects of dietary nitrate and of urea on rumen fermentation pattern and enteric methane production were investigated using 4-month-old ewe lambs. Ten lambs were allocated into two groups (n = 5) and each group was offered one of two isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets containing either 1.5% urea (T1) or 3% calcium nitrate (T2). Methane production was estimated using open-circuit respiration chambers after 6 weeks of feeding. No difference in nitrogen (N) balance, apparent digestibility of N or microbial N outflow existed between treatments (P > 0.05). Animals offered the T2 diet lost less energy through methane than did those fed the T1 diet (P < 0.05). Total volatile fatty acid concentration, molar proportion of propionate, and the molar ratio of acetate to propionate in rumen fluid were not affected by dietary N source. Compared with urea inclusion, nitrate inclusion caused a significantly higher acetate and lower butyrate percentage in rumen volatile fatty acid. Nitrate supplementation tended to lower methane production by ~7.7 L/day relative to urea supplementation (P = 0.06). Methane yield (L/kg DM intake) was reduced (P < 0.05) by 35.4% when 1.5% urea was replaced by 3% calcium nitrate in the diet. Emission intensity (L methane/kg liveweight gain) was ~17.3% lower in the nitrate-supplemented sheep when compared with urea-fed sheep; however, the reduction was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). This study confirms that the presence of nitrate in the diet inhibits enteric methane production. As no clinical symptoms of nitrite toxicity were observed and sheep receiving nitrate-supplemented diet had similar growth to those consuming urea-supplemented diet, it is concluded that 3% calcium nitrate can replace 1.5% urea as a means of meeting ruminal N requirements and of reducing enteric methane emissions from sheep, provided animals are acclimated to nitrate gradually.

Additional keywords: feed intake, liveweight gain, methaemoglobin, rumen volatile fatty acid concentration.

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