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ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Livestock Nutrient Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #310313
Title: Using greenfeed to measure GHG emissions and energy losses by cattle

Author
item SHRECK, ADAM - Orise Fellow
item Cole, Noel
item BAILEY, ERIC - West Texas A & M University

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/21/2014
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Data and experiences will be presented from research conducted with GreenFeed technology. Four experiments are completed, in progress, or planned. In Exp. 1, 23 steers were utilizied to evaluate effects on protein supplementation on steer carbon dioxide and methane emissions. GreenFeed was able to detect a 13.2% difference (P <0.01) in steer daily methane emissions as a results of protein supplementation. Coefficients of variation (CV) of 16.1 and 11.2% were observed in Exp. 1 for methane and carbon dixoide, respectively. In Exp. 2, 10 steers were utilized in a trial to evaulate level of protein supplementation on methane and carbon dioxide emissions. In Exp. 3, 29 bred heifers were utilized to effect of rumensin supplementation on gaseous emissions while grazing native rangeland. In Exp. 4, 27 steers were used to evaluate effect of condensed tannins on methane and carbon dioixde emissions from steers fed a high-concentrate diet. Overall conclusions and recommendations suggest that use of GreenFeed technology appear to provide accurate and precise estimates of carbon dioxide and methane emissions from cattle. Future research plans include validation with indirect calorimetry and measurements with cattle grazing high-quality forages.