Abstract #W174
Section: Ruminant Nutrition (posters)
Session: Ruminant Nutrition: Ruminal Fermentation and Gas Production
Format: Poster
Day/Time: Wednesday 7:30 AM–9:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall A
Session: Ruminant Nutrition: Ruminal Fermentation and Gas Production
Format: Poster
Day/Time: Wednesday 7:30 AM–9:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall A
# W174
Evaluating strategies to reduce ruminal protozoa and their impacts on nutrient utilization and animal performance in ruminants: A meta-analysis.
X. Dai*1, A. Faciola1, 1Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
Key Words: methane, plant extract, lipid
Evaluating strategies to reduce ruminal protozoa and their impacts on nutrient utilization and animal performance in ruminants: A meta-analysis.
X. Dai*1, A. Faciola1, 1Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
This study was to evaluate the effects of 2 strategies (complete or partial ruminal protozoa (RP) elimination) on nutrient utilization and animal performance in the past 20 years. This study compared 66 published articles (Nstudy = 15 for complete and Nstudy = 51 for partial RP elimination) that used supplemental phytochemicals and lipids to reduce RP in vivo. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED in SAS. Significance levels for fixed and random effects were P ≤ 0.05. Compared with control, both complete and partial RP elimination had no effect on ruminal methanogens and bacteria. Supplemental phytochemicals and lipids decreased RP 6.25% (P < 0.01) and 12.2% (P = 0.01), respectively. Compared with control, complete RP elimination decreased methane production 18.3% (P < 0.01), and supplemental phytochemicals and lipids decreased 17.9% (P = 0.02) and 16.7% (P < 0.01), respectively. Compared with control, complete RP elimination increased molar proportion of acetate 2.68% (P = 0.03) while decreased butyrate 25.7% (P < 0.01); supplemental phytochemicals and lipids decreased molar proportion of acetate 2% (P < 0.01) and 1.59% (P = 0.03) while increased propionate 5.39% (P < 0.01) and 4.76% (P < 0.01), respectively. Compared with control, complete RP elimination decreased total-tract digestibility of OM 3.77% (P < 0.01) and NDF 9.87% (P < 0.01); supplemental phytochemicals and lipids decreased total-tract digestibility of DM 14.3% (P = 0.05) and 3.7% (P = 0.04), respectively. Supplemental lipids also decreased total-tract digestibility OM 3.06% (P < 0.01) and DMI 7.2% (P < 0.01). Positive linear relationships were found among RP and methane production, NDF, total VFA, molar proportion of acetate, NH3-N, and DMI; negative linear relationships were found with pH and molar proportion of propionate. In conclusion, RP plays important roles on methane production regardless of diets, and partial elimination RP would be beneficial to ruminants in terms of energy and the environment, but supplemental lipids may have a negative effect on DMI.
Key Words: methane, plant extract, lipid
