Feeding Strategies on Farms to Improve Livestock Productivity and Reduce Methane Production

Abstract

Feed resources, feed processing and feeding technology are essentially key factors to the efficient and successful ruminant production especially in the tropics. Diversity and distribution of roughage resources both quantity and quality will impact on the performance of livestock. Numerous agricultural crop-residues such as rice straw can be treated with urea
(U) and lime (L) (1.5+1.5% U-lime) to enrich its nutritive value. Furthermore, fodder trees and shrubs including Leucaena leucocephala and Flemingia macrophylla, as well as whole cassava crop can be ensilaged (cassava top silage) to produce high quality protein roughages for ruminant feeding. Feeding of these roughage can result in efficient rumen fermentation and improve meat, milk yield, and milk quality, whilst rumen methane was reduced. These feeding interventions can be employed on farms for establishment (E), development (D), utilization (U), and sustainability (S) (EDU-S) of livestock production.

 Agricultural  production  system  including  animal  production  has  been  shown  to impact on global warming especially from methane enteric fermentation of ruminants. Many approaches  have  been  reported  to  mitigate  rumen  methane  production,  however,  dietary plants  containing  plant  secondary  compounds  (condensed  tannins,  saponins)  have  impacted on  rumen  microorganisms,  hence  can  reduce  rumen  methane  production.  Nevertheless practical  feeding  implementations  on-farms  need  to  be  employed  and  expanded  among farmers/producers, not only to reduce global warming but for the economical advantage of the animal production and improvement of livelihoods.

 Under this presentation, details of rumen ecology and fermentation, feed preparation and  processing  and  onwards  to  utilization  by  ruminants  will  be  fully  illustrated  and recommended for possible on-farm implementations.