Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #149910
Title: RUMEN MICROBIOLOGY

Author
item Callaway, Todd
item MARTIN, SCOTT - INIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item Edrington, Thomas
item Genovese, Kenneth - Ken
item Anderson, Robin
item Nisbet, David

Submitted to: Encyclopedia of Animal Science
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/2003
Publication Date: 12/22/2004
Citation: Callaway, T.R., Martin, S.A., Edrington, T.S., Genovese, K.J., Anderson, R.C., Nisbet, D.J. 2004. Rumen microbiology. In: Bell, A.W., Pond, W.G., editors. Encyclopedia of Animal Science. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker, Inc. p. 773-776.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The ruminant animal is able to digest feeds due to a mutually beneficial relationship with microorganisms in the rumen. These diverse microorganisms degrade and ferment feedstuffs and in turn provide the animal with usable nutrients. The ruminal fermentation is important to the success of ruminant animals, but is inefficient. Therefore, strategies have been sought to improve the efficiency of the ruminal fermentation. The microbiology of the ruminal ecosystem is described in this chapter.