Morphological characteristics, nutritive quality, and methane production of tropical grasses in Brazil

Abstract

-The objective of this work was to evaluate three tropical forage species for their in vitro methane (CH 4 ) production and organic matter degradability, in order to determine the relationships between forage grass nutritive quality and CH 4 production. Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus), palisade grass (Urochloa brizantha), and signal grass (Urochloa decumbens) were evaluated. Palisade grass showed the highest organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin, and lower-crude protein content. Signal grass had the highest values for hemicellulose and neutral detergent fiber-nitrogen, and the lowest-cellulose content. Guinea grass and signal grass showed a higher-total gas production than palisade grass. Besides, Guinea grass showed an increased CH 4 production, and palisade grass showed lower value for truly degraded organic matter, and reduced partitioning factor, in comparison to signal grass. An increased CH 4 production was observed in cases of lower hemicellulose and paratitioning factor. The nutritive value and CH 4 production of forages may be employed as parameters, aiming at the sustainability of ruminant production.Index terms: Brachiaria, Megathyrsus maximus, Urochloa, livestock, methane production. Características morfológicas, qualidade nutritiva e produção de metano de gramíneas tropicais no BrasilResumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar três espécies de gramíneas tropicais quanto à produção de metano (CH 4 ) in vitro e à degradabilidade da matéria orgânica, para determinar as relações entre a qualidade nutritiva das gramíneas e a produção de CH 4 . O capim-colonião (Megathyrsus maximus), o capim-braquiarão (Urochloa brizantha) e o capim-decumbens (Urochloa decumbens) foram avaliados. O capim-braquiarão apresentou os maiores teores de matéria orgânica, fibra em detergente neutro, fibra em detergente ácido e lignina, e o menor teor de proteína bruta. O capim-decumbens apresentou os maiores teores de hemicelulose e de nitrogênio em fibra de detergente neutro, além do menor teor de celulose. O capim-colonião e o capimdecumbens apresentaram maior produção total de gases do que o braquiarão. Além disso, o capim-colonião apresentou maior produção de CH 4 , e o capim-braquiarão, menor degradabilidade verdadeira da matéria orgânica e reduzido fator de partição, em comparação ao capim-decumbens. Maior produção de CH 4 foi verificada em casos em que os valores de hemicelulose e fator de partição foram menores. A qualidade nutricional e a produção de CH 4 das forragens avaliadas podem ser utilizadas como parâmetros a serem empregados, que visem a sustentabilidade da produção de ruminantes.Termos para indexação: Brachiaria, Megathyrsus maximus, Urochloa, pecuária, produção de metano.

CO2 fertilization does not affect biomass production and nutritive value of a C4 tropical grass in short timeframe

“…Lower fibre (ADFom, Lignin sa) and higher soluble carbohydrate contents are also desirable characteristics, which, besides improving animal productivity, may also contribute to mitigation of enteric CH 4 emissions in the atmosphere (Beauchemin, Kreuzer, O’Mara, & McAllister, ; Hristov et al, ). Also without significant effect of the increased concentration of atmospheric CO 2 , both treatments showed mean values of CP and TDOM higher and aNDFom, ADFom, Lignin sa, CH 4 production (ml/g MOVD) and PF lower than those observed by Lima et al () evaluating the same grass ( B. brizantha ).…”

Grazing Intensity Impacts on Herbage Mass, Sward Structure, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Animal Performance: Analysis of Brachiaria Pastureland

“…However, it requires significant quantities of natural resources and may negatively impact the environment through greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [1][2][3]. Beef cattle production is pasture-based in tropical regions, but tropical grasses usually have low crude protein (CP), and high neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) concentrations, which lead to lower animal performance and greater enteric methane (CH 4 ) emissions [2,4].…”

Crude protein contents in hybrids of Paspalum evaluated in the Pampa Biome of Southern Brazil

“…Echevarria et al (2016) evaluated Urochloa interspecific hybrid BRS RB331 Ipyporã and observed a CP content of 13.8%. Evaluating species of Megathyrsus maximus, Urochloa brizantha and Urochloa decumbens, Lima et al (2018) reported CP contents of 10.2, 4.1 and 10.8% respectively. In a study with acessions of Paspalum atratum Swallen and Paspalum lenticulare Kunth, Marcon et al (2018) observed CP content of 10.1 and 10.8% respectively.…”