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Carrillo-Hernández S, López-González F, Estrada-Flores JG, Arriaga-Jordán CM. Milk production and estimated enteric methane emission from cows grazing ryegrass pastures in small-scale dairy systems in Mexico. Trop Anim Health Prod 2020; 52:3609-3619. [PMID: 32940855 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-020-02398-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The work assessed the productive response and estimated enteric methane (CH4) emissions of dairy cows grazing in small-scale dairy systems. Treatments were grazing annual pasture (AP) mainly of annual ryegrass and perennial pasture (PP) mainly of perennial ryegrass, complemented daily with 3.72 kg DM/cow of commercial concentrate. Eight Holstein cows were used in a double cross-over design with three 14-day-each experimental periods for animal variables and CH4 emissions. Pasture variables were analysed with a split-plot design. AP showed higher sward height (P < 0.05) with no differences (P > 0.05) in net herbage accumulation or in herbage chemical composition. Cows on AP yielded 24.6% more milk (P < 0.001) than grazing PP, but there were no differences in milk fat and protein content. There were differences (P ≤ 0.05) among periods for milk yields, but no differences among periods for milk fat and protein. Milk urea nitrogen was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in PP than in AP with no differences among periods. There was higher (P < 0.001) DMI for AP than PP with a significant decline (P < 0.05) as periods progressed. There was a trend (P = 0.08) for higher daily CH4/cow in AP, but significantly lower emissions (7.2%) in AP/kg DMI, and 20.1% lower emission intensity of g CH4/kg milk. The proportion of gross energy lost as CH4 for AP was lower (P < 0.01). Higher milk yields in AP resulted in a 26% higher margin over feed costs than for PP. Results show that grazing annual pastures with moderate concentrate supplementation results in higher milk yields, higher incomes, and reduces the intensity of CH4 emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirley Carrillo-Hernández
- Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Rurales (ICAR), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Campus UAEM El Cerrillo, El Cerrillo Piedras Blancas, 50090, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Felipe López-González
- Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Rurales (ICAR), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Campus UAEM El Cerrillo, El Cerrillo Piedras Blancas, 50090, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Julieta Gertrudis Estrada-Flores
- Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Rurales (ICAR), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Campus UAEM El Cerrillo, El Cerrillo Piedras Blancas, 50090, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Carlos Manuel Arriaga-Jordán
- Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Rurales (ICAR), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Campus UAEM El Cerrillo, El Cerrillo Piedras Blancas, 50090, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico.
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Gilbert RA, Townsend EM, Crew KS, Hitch TCA, Friedersdorff JCA, Creevey CJ, Pope PB, Ouwerkerk D, Jameson E. Rumen Virus Populations: Technological Advances Enhancing Current Understanding. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:450. [PMID: 32273870 PMCID: PMC7113391 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The rumen contains a multi-kingdom, commensal microbiome, including protozoa, bacteria, archaea, fungi and viruses, which enables ruminant herbivores to ferment and utilize plant feedstuffs that would be otherwise indigestible. Within the rumen, virus populations are diverse and highly abundant, often out-numbering the microbial populations that they both predate on and co-exist with. To date the research effort devoted to understanding rumen-associated viral populations has been considerably less than that given to the other microbial populations, yet their contribution to maintaining microbial population balance, intra-ruminal microbial lysis, fiber breakdown, nutrient cycling and genetic transfer may be highly significant. This review follows the technological advances which have contributed to our current understanding of rumen viruses and drawing on knowledge from other environmental and animal-associated microbiomes, describes the known and potential roles and impacts viruses have on rumen function and speculates on the future directions of rumen viral research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalind A. Gilbert
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Eleanor M. Townsend
- Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Kathleen S. Crew
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Thomas C. A. Hitch
- Functional Microbiome Research Group, Institute of Medical Microbiology, RWTH University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jessica C. A. Friedersdorff
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher J. Creevey
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Phillip B. Pope
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
- Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Diane Ouwerkerk
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Eleanor Jameson
- Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
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Brandt P, Yesuf G, Herold M, Rufino MC. Intensification of dairy production can increase the GHG mitigation potential of the land use sector in East Africa. Glob Chang Biol 2020; 26:568-585. [PMID: 31617288 PMCID: PMC7027483 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) could face food shortages in the future because of its growing population. Agricultural expansion causes forest degradation in SSA through livestock grazing, reducing forest carbon (C) sinks and increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, intensification should produce more food while reducing pressure on forests. This study assessed the potential for the dairy sector in Kenya to contribute to low-emissions development by exploring three feeding scenarios. The analyses used empirical spatially explicit data, and a simulation model to quantify milk production, agricultural emissions and forest C loss due to grazing. The scenarios explored improvements in forage quality (Fo), feed conservation (Fe) and concentrate supplementation (Co): FoCo fed high-quality Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum), FeCo supplemented maize silage and FoFeCo a combination of Napier, silage and concentrates. Land shortages and forest C loss due to grazing were quantified with land requirements and feed availability around forests. All scenarios increased milk yields by 44%-51%, FoCo reduced GHG emission intensity from 2.4 ± 0.1 to 1.6 ± 0.1 kg CO2 eq per kg milk, FeCo reduced it to 2.2 ± 0.1, whereas FoFeCo increased it to 2.7 ± 0.2 kg CO2 eq per kg milk because of land use change emissions. Closing the yield gap of maize by increasing N fertilizer use reduced emission intensities by 17% due to reduced emissions from conversion of grazing land. FoCo was the only scenario that mitigated agricultural and forest emissions by reducing emission intensity by 33% and overall emissions by 2.5% showing that intensification of dairy in a low-income country can increase milk yields without increasing emissions. There are, however, risks of C leakage if agricultural and forest policies are not aligned leading to loss of forest to produce concentrates. This approach will aid the assessment of the climate-smartness of livestock production practices at the national level in East Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patric Brandt
- Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)NairobiKenya
- Laboratory of Geo‐Information Science and Remote SensingWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Gabriel Yesuf
- Lancaster Environment CentreLancaster UniversityLancasterUK
| | - Martin Herold
- Laboratory of Geo‐Information Science and Remote SensingWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Mariana C. Rufino
- Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)NairobiKenya
- Lancaster Environment CentreLancaster UniversityLancasterUK
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