title: Methane emission by Nellore cattle subjected to different nutritional plans.
abstract: The objective was to evaluate the emission of enteric methane by Nellore cattle subjected to different nutritional plans, as well as the intake and digestibility of nutrients from the diets supplied. Forty-seven animals in a confinement system (feedlot) were fed a corn silage-based diet for 35 days. Afterwards, these animals were evaluated in a grazing system during the rainy periods, in Urochloa brizantha cv Marandu paddocks, for 44 days. Chromic oxide was used as external marker to estimate the fecal production of animals. Samples of feces, ingredients, and pasture were collected and sampled for subsequent chemical analyses. The SF6 tracer gas technique was adopted to quantify the methane gas emitted by the animals. The experimental design was completely randomized, using procedure GLM of software SAS (9.2), including the fixed effects of sex and nutritional plan and the linear effect of the co-variable weights. Means were analyzed by Tukey's test at 5 % probability. The intakes of total dry matter and organic matter were greater for the animals subjected to the feedlot diet (P < 0.05). In this treatment, the animals showed greater dry matter digestibility, whereas the organic matter digestibility was lower (P < 0.05). The digestibility of the dry matter was higher in confinement, whereas the digestibility of the organic matter was lower in this treatment (P < 0.05). Emission of CH4/day (104.01 g) by the animals fed the feedlot diet (P < 0.05) was greater, but the loss of consumed energy for methane production (CH4/CEB) and methane emission per dry matter consumed were lower in relation to the grazing treatment (3.75 vs 4.23 % and 11.67 vs 15.71 g/kg). The better quality of the diet in the feedlot promoted lower energy losses as methane.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri-UFVJM, campus JK, Alto do Jacuba, Rodovia MGT 367, KM587, 5000, Diamantina, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Olinta Leone
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Cota
authors.forename: Darcilene Maria
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: de Figueiredo
authors.forename: Renata Helena
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Branco
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Magnani
authors.forename: Cleisy Ferreira
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: do Nascimento
authors.forename: Luiza Freitas
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Maria Eugênia Zerlotti
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Mercadante
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D002417:Cattle / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004063:Digestion / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008697:Methane / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D006109:Poaceae; D012820:Silage; D003313:Zea mays
chemical_list: D008697:Methane