Green medicated supplement (Green MS) can reduce enteric methane emission from forage-based ruminant rations: In vitro study

Abstract

About 25% of the anthropogenic methane emissions are due to ruminal fermentation from ruminant livestock. Green medicated supplement (Green MS) is a prototype herb and slow-release urea-based supplement to reduce methane emissions from livestock. This experiment aimed to evaluate the methane emission and digestibility of forage-based rations supplemented with Green MS. This study examines six forages (palm oil leaves, rice straw, Napier grass, sugarcane leaves, native grass and maize straw). That six forages were supplemented with Green MS. The total treatments were 12, with four replications. A completely randomized design was applied in this study. Besides native grass, Green MS can reduce in vitro enteric methane by 0.23 - 3.05 ml/200 mg DM (P < 0.05). However, Green MS did not change the value of all forage’s optimum gas production (a+b). It is interesting to note that gas production from non-soluble fibre (GPNSF) could be enhanced with Green MS in maize straw and native grass (P < 0.05). The response to supplements varies depending on the utilization of the feed substrate in incubation. In conclusion, without affecting feed digestibility, Green MS supplementation could lower enteric methane emissions.