Assessing the combination efficiency of some unconventional feed resources with concentrates and Chloris gayana grass in mitigating ruminal methane production in vitro

Abstract

In a preliminary in vitro study, leaves of Acacia nilotica, Prosopis juliflora, Cajanus cajan, Leucaena leucocephala and seed kernel of Mangifera indica were identified as potential candidates in mitigating ruminal methane (CH₄) production. The objective of the current study was to investigate the combination efficiency of these unconventional feeds with concentrate mix (CM) or Chloris gayana grass in CH₄ reduction. Two feed combinations in different proportions were incubated in vitro with buffered rumen fluid at Hohenheim Gas test. In combination 1, C. gayana and CM were included as basal substrates, while in combination 2, A. nilotica, P. juliflora, C. cajan, L. leucocephala or M. indica seed kernel were included as CH₄ reducing supplements at different proportions. The CH₄ reducing potentials of feed combinations were presented as the ratio of CH₄ to net gas production and expressed as percentage (pCH₄). The pCH₄ for CM and C. gayana was 16.7% and 16.9%, respectively, while it ranged from 3.18% in A. nilotica to 13.1% in C. cajan. The pCH₄ was reduced (p < 0.05) from 14.6% to 9.39% when A. nilotica was combined with CM. In combination of L. leucocephala or C. cajan with CM, the pCH₄ (p < 0.05) was reduced from 16.5% and 16.6% with the lowest proportion to 15.1% and 15.2% with the highest inclusion rate respectively. The combination of C. gayana with L. leucocephala or C. cajan reduced (p < 0.05) the pCH₄ from 16.3% and 16.4% to 15.1% and 14.9% respectively. The pCH₄ was reduced (p < 0.05) from 13.4% to 7.60% when A. nilotica was combined with C. gayana. Estimated digestible organic matter (dOM) and metabolizable energy (ME) increased (p < 0.05) with increasing proportions of M. indica seed kernel with CM or C. gayana. In conclusion, the combination of the basal substrates with unconventional supplements resulted in CH₄ reduction without affecting the dOM and ME at lower inclusion rates. Animal-based experiments await to validate in vitro findings.

Keywords: Chloris gayana grass; combination; concentrate mix; in vitro; methane; unconventional feeds.