Methane and carbon dioxide emissions from lactating dairy cows grazing mature ryegrass/white clover or a diverse pasture comprising ryegrass, legumes and herbs
Arjan Jonker A F , Lydia Farrell B E , David Scobie B , Robyn Dynes B , Grant Edwards C , Helen Hague C , Russel McAuliffe B , Anna Taylor B , Trevor Knight B and Garry Waghorn D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A AGrasslands Research Centre, AgResearch Ltd, Tennent Drive, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
B BLincoln Research Centre, AgResearch Ltd, Private Bag 4749, Lincoln, New Zealand.
C CFaculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Lincoln University, PO Box 85084, Lincoln, New Zealand.
D D6 Berkley Avenue, Hamilton 3216, New Zealand.
E EPresent address: Institute of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
F FCorresponding author. Email: arjan.jonker@agresearch.co.nz
Animal Production Science 59(6) 1063-1069 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN18019
Submitted: 8 January 2018 Accepted: 6 May 2018 Published: 29 June 2018
Abstract
There is a growing interest in forage mixtures (Diverse pasture; e.g. containing grasses, legumes and herbs), especially those with a greater tolerance of dry conditions and a decreased nitrogen (N) content (reducing N losses), compared with ryegrass (Lolium perenne L and Lolium multiflorum L)/white clover (Trifolium repens L) pastures (RyeWC), which dominate New Zealand pastoral systems for dairy production. However, the effect of alternative forages on enteric methane (CH4) emissions is not known. The objective of the present trial was to compare CH4 emissions and milk production from dairy cows grazing either mature RyeWC or mature Diverse pasture (both approximately with pasture mass of 5600 kg DM/ha). The Diverse mixture comprised ryegrass, white clover, lucerne (Medicago sativa L), chicory (Cichorium intybus L) and plantain (Plantago lanceolata L). Milk production, measured from cows commencing at ~162 days of lactation, was less when cows grazed RyeWC than Diverse pastures (15.4 vs 16.7 kg/day; P < 0.001), whereas CH4 production (g/day) was similar for the respective treatments (411 g/day; P = 0.16). Milk composition was not affected by diet and CH4 intensity was similar for both diets (22 g/kg fat- and protein-corrected milk; P = 0.31). Methane yield [g/kg predicted dry matter intake (DMI)] averaged 22.6 and 24.9 for cows grazing RyeWC and Diverse pastures, respectively (P = 0.006). In conclusion, although the CH4 yield was greater when Diverse pasture was grazed, relative to RyeWC, there were no differences in emissions intensity or total CH4 emissions.
Additional keywords: cattle, chicory, circadian emissions, C-Lock GreenFeed, enteric methane, mature pasture, plantain.
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