Effect of pasture management on enteric methane emissions from goats

Author(s)

Meister, Naomi Cristina ^[1] ; Cardoso, Abmael da Silva ^[1] ; Alari, Fernando Oliveira ^[2] ; Santos Lemos, Nailson Lima ^[3] ; Shiraishi Frighetto, Rosa Toyoko ^[4] ; Malheiros, Euclides Braga ^[5] ; Reis, Ricardo Andrade ^[1] ; Ruggieri, Ana Claudia ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] UNESP Univ Estadual Paulista, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet, Dept Zootecnia, BR-14884900 Jaboticabal, SP - Brazil

^[2] Ctr Univ Araras Dr Edmundo Ulson, BR-13603112 Araras, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Fed Sergipe, BR-49680000 Nossa Senhora Da Gloria, SE - Brazil

^[4] Empresa Brasileira Pesquisa Agr, Embrapa Meio Ambiente, BR-13820000 Jaguariuna, SP - Brazil

^[5] UNESP Univ Estadual Paulista, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet, Dept Ciencias Exatas, BR-14884900 Jaboticabal, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: TROPICAL ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTION; v. 53, n. 1 DEC 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

The effect of pasture management on CH4 emissions was investigated from goats in a tropical climate. Two experiments were conducted in a ``Tanzania Guinea grass{''} (Panicum maximum Jacq.) pasture to assess enteric CH4 production in a completely randomized design. Emissions from light, moderate, and heavy grazing intensities were analyzed in the first experiment, and variations between grazing days were explored in the second experiment. Grazing intensity was defined as 2.4, 1.6, and 0.8 post-grazing leaf area index. Pasture management employed intermittent grazing with variable stocking rate using Anglo Nubian female adult goats. SF6 tracer gas technique was used to measure CH4 production. Grazing intensity was not found to affect CH4 emissions per animal, dry matter forage intake (DMI), and gross energy (GE) intake. However, the second experiment showed that CH4 production was influenced by the grazing day. CH4 emissions were 18.1 g day(-1), and the variables were 0.88 g kg(-1) of metabolic weight, 17.45 g kg(-1) of DMI, and 5.5% of GE. CH4 production increased linearly with the grazing day, possibly reflecting a reduction in forage quality. These findings suggest that the day of occupation in intermittent grazing has a greater effect on CH4 emissions than that by grazing intensity and that a single day grazing of Tanzania Guinea grass could mitigate CH4 emissions. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/13961-3 - Performance of Anglo-Nubian goats in pastures of Tanzania grass under different indexes of residual leaf area in rotational stocking
• Grantee: Ana Cláudia Ruggieri
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants