Increasing the Sustainability of Maize Grain Production by Using Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Does Not Affect the Rumen of Dairy Cattle (Bos taurus) and Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

Abstract

New approaches are needed to improve the sustainability of feed production and utilization by ruminants. Promising approaches include increased use of buffaloes for more sustainable milk production, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to reduce crop production input needs. However, studies assessing the effect of crops grown in the presence of AMF on rumen microbial utilization are limited. Based on current knowledge, we hypothesized that maize grain grown on AMF-inoculated soil affected ruminal fermentation and microbiota, and that this effect differed between buffalo and cattle. A dietary cross-over study (four weeks per diet) was conducted using rumen-cannulated cattle (n = 5) and buffalo (n = 6) to assess the effect of maize grain (3.9% (w/v) of diet) grown on soil with or without AMF (15 kg/ha) on ruminal fermentation and microbiota. Production of maize on AMF-treated soil did not affect any of the assessed ruminal fermentation parameters, microbial concentrations, or prokaryotic community composition (using prokaryotic 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis). In contrast, host type had numerous effects. Protozoal counts, lactate, total VFA and isobutyrate, were significantly higher in buffaloes compared to cattle. Conversely, butyrate was significantly lower in buffaloes than in cattle. Host type explained 9.3% of the total variation in prokaryotic community composition, and relative abundance of nine amplicon sequence variants significantly differed between host types. These findings indicate that AMF treatment of maize crops has no detrimental impact on the value of the resulting maize grains as a ruminant feed, and provides additional insight into rumen-based differences between cattle and buffalo.

Comparison of nutrient intake and digestibility, rumen fermentation along with body weight gain in cattle and buffalo fed maintenance diet

“…Similarly, non-significant difference in rumen pH (6.5 vs. 6.4) and ammonia (28.9 vs. 31.6 mg/dl) between dairy cattle (Bos taurus) and buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), and significantly higher TVFA (151.8 vs.88.7 mM) concentration in buffaloes than cattle was reported by Chiariotti et al (2020) In contrast, Sousa et al (2000) showed higher (P<0.01) ruminal pH in buffaloes (pH=6.78) compared to cattle (pH=6.58) fed diets containing different proportions of neutral detergent fibre. Zanetti et al (1995) found higher ruminal ammonia nitrogen (17.18 mg/dl) in buffaloes compared to the cattle (11.93 mg/dl) at 2 h post feeding on diet composed of coast cross hay, ground corn and cottonseed meal.…”

Characterization of the fecal microbiota of Pampa Rocha pigs, a genetic resource endemic to eastern Uruguay

“…However, the studies and samples where this group has been significantly abundant could give a clue about its role. The p-251-o5 family has been among the most abundant families in the fecal microbiome of horses [ 22 , 23 ] and the rumen of cows and buffalos [ 24 ]. Moreover, a study that compared the fecal microbiome of 18 carnivores and 13 herbivores species from a zoo found that p-251-o5 was associated to animal of the Perissodacyla order, specially to Grévy's zebra ( Equus grevyi ) a congener of horses [ 25 ].…”

Integrated rumen microbiome and serum metabolome analysis responses to feed type that contribution to meat quality in lambs

“…F082 were also decreased in the grass group compared to the concentrate group. These results illustrate that within this genus and uncultured family significant ecological diversity exists to the host and feed type, however, the ruminal role of the Bacteroidetes unclassified family F082 is still unclear [ 50 ]. The genus Succinivibrio , two short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria [ 51 , 52 ], was significantly decreased in the concentrate group.…”