Reduction of methane production from ongole crossbreed cattle in Indonesia by increasing the concentrate feeding frequency

Abstract

More than half the livestock population in the world is raised in the tropics. They ingest a low quality of feed due to the high lignifications of forages. Therefore, livestock in the tropics has been pointed to produce higher methane per unit of dry matter intake. Optimizing the reduction of methane conversion ratio (MCR) in the tropics by feeding management, such as increased feeding frequency, has been suggested to improve rumen microbial synthesis. This chapter focuses on a study in which Ongole Crossbreed young bulls were used to study the effect of feeding frequency of concentrate on the reduction of methane. The bulls in the study were allowed a diet of Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum sp) and concentrate feed at a 40:60 ratio to meet the dry matter (DM) intake of 3.5% of liveweight. The cattle were separated into two groups: one given the concentrate once a day and the other given the concentrate twice a day. The grass to both groups was given twice a day. The parameters of collected data were daily intake of dry matter (DMI), gross energy intake (GEI), methane production, and liveweight gain. These data showed that the feeding management, such as increasing feeding frequency of concentrate, could reduce methane production (MCR), provide better feed utilization (FCR), and increase the animal productivity (liveweight gain). Thus, the study suggests that the method could be adopted to mitigate methane production in the tropics.