REDUCTION OF METHANE PRODUCTION FROM ONGOLE CROSSBREED CATTLE EN INDONESIA BY INCREASING THE CONCENTRATE FEEDING FREQUENCY

摘要

Eight Ongole Crossbreed young bulls (aged 6 months; weighed 90 kg) were used for studying the effect of feeding frequency of concentrate on reduction of methane. They were kept in individual pens and allowed a diet of Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum sp) and concentrate feed at a 40:60 ratio to meet the dry matter (DM) intake of 3.5% of liveweight. The cattle were separated into two groups: one given concentrate once a day (N-C1X group), the other given concentrate twice a day (N-C2X group). The grass for both groups was given twice a day at 09:00 and 17:00h. The parameters of collected data were daily intake of dry matter (DMI), gross energy intake (GEI), methane production, and liveweight gain. The methane production was measured by facemask method equipped with airflow meter and a methane analyzer that continuously recorded and was connected to an IBM PC.rnResults indicated that the methane conversion rate (MCR; CH4MJ/100 MJGEI) of the bulls given N-C2X (7.76) were significantly lower (P < 0.01) than those of the bulls given N-C1X (9.35), as was the methane production (32.76 vs. 36.33 g/kg DMI), though the DMI was of similar levels in the two groups (3.27 vs. 3.25 kg/d). The cattle in the N-C2X group had a higher daily gain than those in the N-C1X group (0.44 vs. 0.38 kg), and the methane production per kg liveweight gain of N-C2X cattle (160.5 gCH4/kg) was therefore significantly lower (P < 0.05) than that of the N-C1X cattle (224.9 gCH4/kg). Increasing feeding frequency of concentrate resulted in a better feed utilization as shown by the finding that feed conversion rate (FCR) for N-C2X (7.69) was lower than that of NC-1X (8.98). These data showed that feeding management such as feeding frequency of concentrate could reduce methane production (MCR), give a better feed utilization (FCR), and increase animal productivity (liveweight gain), which suggests that this method could be adopted as a method to mitigate methane production in the tropics.