Methane emissions from young and mature dairy cattle
C. A. Ramírez-Restrepo A B D , H. Clark A C and S. Muetzel A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Ruminant Nutrition, Climate, Land and Environment, AgResearch Ltd, Grasslands Research Centre, Tennent Drive, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
B CSIRO Agriculture Flagship Food Systems and Global Change, ATSIP, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia.
C The New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre, Tennent Drive, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
D Corresponding author. Email: carlos.ramirez@csiro.au
Animal Production Science 56(11) 1897-1905 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN15102
Submitted: 25 February 2015 Accepted: 15 May 2015 Published: 7 July 2015
Abstract
Daily methane (CH4) emissions (g) and CH4 yield (g/kg dry matter intake) were measured from 10 dairy heifers (<1 year old) and nine rumen-fistulated cows (>6 years old) fed ryegrass (Lolium perenne) chaffage indoors. The CH4 emissions were estimated using the sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique in four ~5-day periods beginning in June 2008 and repeated 4, 6 and 7 months later. Respiratory chambers were used in four ~13-day periods beginning in November 2008 and repeated 2, 5 and 6 months later. Third and fourth sulfur hexafluoride tracer periods overlapped with the first and second chamber measurement periods, respectively. Averaged over the four measurement periods the CH4 yields determined using both techniques were similar for heifers and cows. The mean CH4 yield estimated by the sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique was 25.3 ± 0.52 for heifers and 24.1 ± 0.55 for mature cows, whereas the mean CH4 yield measured in respiratory chambers was 23.7 ± 0.66 for heifers and 23.6 ± 0.66 for mature cows. Averaged over the eight measurements irrespective of technique, CH4 yields for heifers (24.5 ± 0.42) and cows (23.8 ± 0.43) were similar. There was also no difference between CH4 methods for assessing CH4 yield during the overlapping measurement periods. It was concluded that no consistent differences in CH4 yield existed between heifers and mature cows. Therefore, we do not recommend adoption of an age-related emission factor for cattle in the national inventory calculations for New Zealand.
Additional keywords: methanogenesis, ruminants.
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