THE EFFECT OF ALKALI TREATMENT OF CEREAL STRAWS ON DIGESTIBILITY AND METHANE PRODUCTION BY SHEEP

Citation
Ar. Moss et al., THE EFFECT OF ALKALI TREATMENT OF CEREAL STRAWS ON DIGESTIBILITY AND METHANE PRODUCTION BY SHEEP, Animal feed science and technology, 49(3-4), 1994, pp. 245-259
Citations number
36
Categorie Soggetti
Agriculture Dairy & AnumalScience
ISSN journal
03778401
Volume
49
Issue
3-4
Year of publication
1994
Pages
245 - 259
Database
ISI
SICI code
0377-8401(1994)49:3-4<245:TEOATO>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
The effects of treating cereal straws with NaOH and ammonia on methane production by sheep are reported. One oat, two wheat and two barley s traws were either untreated or treated with NaOH (45 kg t-1 dry matter (DM)) and ammonia (35 kg t-1 DM). The straws were supplemented with u rea and sodium sulphate as appropriate to provide a dietary N/S ratio of 14.4:1 and given ad libitum to mature wether sheep. Methane product ion was measured in open circuit respiration chambers following a 20 d ay period on each diet. The digestibility of various feed fractions wa s measured both in vitro and in vivo. Methane production as a proporti on of gross energy intake (range 0.047-0.067) was not significantly af fected by treatment, although the volume of methane produced per anima l was significantly (P < 0.001) increased (Control, 17.8; NH3, 26.2; N aOH 30.11 per animal per day). However, when methane production was ex pressed relative to intake of digestible organic matter, treatment sig nificantly (P < 0.001) reduced production (Control, 55.0; NH3, 43.7; N aOH, 48.11 kg-1 organic matter apparently digested). The significance of these findings in relation to reducing methane emissions to the atm osphere is discussed.