Abstract

In New Zealand, methane (CH4) accounts for approximately 38% of greenhouse gas emissions. The majority of this methane, approximately 98%, is from ruminants (Waghorn & Woodward, 2006). New Zealand’s ruminant production industry relies heavily on a pasture-based system and depends on efficient utilisation of pasture. Variation between plant species in their nutritional and chemical composition provides an opportunity to manipulate rumen fermentation patterns and increase the utilization of pastures, while potentially reducing ruminant livestock CH4emissions. Preliminary findings are reported from a pilot study which investigated the effects of nutritional composition of a range of forage species on the short-term in vitro production of CH4.

FJ, Roca, PG Hutton, SJ Pain, PR Kenyon, and ST Morris

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 70, Palmerston North, 77-79, 2010