Abstract
Eight different grasses collected from pastures of the Kermanshah province (Kermanshah, Iran), at mid-vegetative stage were used to study the relationships between their chemical compositions, kinetic parameters of in vitro gas production and rumen methane production. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.62, p < 0.05) between crude protein (CP) content of grasses and total gas production (A) at 96h incubation. Negative correlations were also observed between acid detergent fiber (ADF) content and total gas production (r = -0.60, p < 0.05). Amongst the nutrients, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and ADF were positively correlated with methane concentration, (r = 0.75 and 0.77, p < 0.01). The methane reduction potential (MRP) was negative for Trachyspermum copticum indicating higher methane production than the control hay for this grass. The MRP of Chamaemelum nobile was more than 25%, indicating plants that reduce methane production more than 20 percent methane in comparison with control actually have ingredients to reduce methane.
Highlights
Pastures are the main component of ruminants’ diet, especially in tropical regions, where, except in areas with high population density, and when properly managed livestock becomes more lucrative
The aim of this study was to investigate chemical composition and kinetics of fermentation from eight common grass species found in the pastures of the province of Kermanshah, Iran, and to determine the relationships between chemical composition with in vitro rumen methane production due to the identification of plants with anti-methanogenic properties
Chamaemelum nobile, Trachyspermum copticum, Descurania Sophia, Urtica dioica, Falcaria vulgaris, Tragopogon collinus, Gundelia tournefortii and Taraxacum officinale were collected at mid-vegetative stage from natural pastures in Kermanshah province
Summary
Pastures are the main component of ruminants’ diet, especially in tropical regions, where, except in areas with high population density, and when properly managed livestock becomes more lucrative. Research on Iranian rangelands and pastures has been undertaken in Iran on range management and ecology This new area merits investigation because the amount of forage available, as determined in dry matter per hectare, by itself is not a sufficient measure of forage adequacy for animal use. Pasture plants may act in many ways against mammals, including as toxins or digestibility reducers, modifying their food quality and their foraging behavior (Bodas et al, 2012; Iason, 2005). They may in some cases be beneficial to mammals (Athanasiadou & Kyriazakis, 2004), including with decreased methane
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