Can freshwater plants and algae act as an effective feed supplement to reduce methane emissions from ruminant livestock?
March 01, 2024 | Science of The Total Environment |
Introduction: Livestock contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, with methane production being a major concern. The marine red algae, Asparagopsis taxiformis, has shown promise in inhibiting methane production in livestock as feed additives, but challenges in scaling up production exist. In this study, researchers from Deakin University explore Australian freshwater plants and algae as potential feed supplement with methane-inhibiting properties.
Key findings: Three algal mixes and one plant species (Montia australasica) demonstrated the potential to reduce methane emission in in vitro batch assays. The algal mixes, particularly one dominated by Spirogyra maxima, and M. australasica showed promising results, suggesting an optimum dose for methane reduction. Fatty acids in Algal mix 1 and flavonoids like apigenin and kaempferol in M. australasica were identified as potential contributors to methane reduction. Importantly, the mineral composition of these samples indicated their safety for livestock consumption at a 20% inclusion rate.
Read more
Fig. | Graphical Abstract.
Viewed Articles
March 01, 2024 | Science of The Total Environment |Â Â Introduction: Livestock contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, with methane production being a major concern. The marine red
Read More
January 3, 2024 | Nature Communications | Source |Â Introduction: Conventional intensive farming boosts yields but also drives GHG emissions, soil degradation, and climate vulnerability, especially in
May 1, 2024 | Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment | Source | Â Introduction: Rice cultivation in Punjab, India, has increased by 56% over the last three decades, severely depleting groundwater reserv
May 5, 2022 | JGR Biogeosciences | Source | Â Introduction: Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), a technique that involves intermittently drying fields to maintain a shallow soil water table, has emerge
February 28, 2024 | Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment | Source |Â Introduction: Southeast Asia (SEA) produces 28% of global rice. As flooded rice fields account for nearly half of global crop-relat
January, 2023 | Heliyon | Source | Â Introduction: Azolla, an aquatic fern with nitrogen-fixing capabilities through its symbiotic association with Aenabana azollae, has the potential to serve as an ec
