IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i20p9135-d1503539.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Addition of Tannin-Containing Legumes to Native Grasslands: Effects on Enteric Methane Emissions, Nitrogen Losses and Animal Performance of Beef Cattle

Author

Listed:
  • Fabiano Barbosa Alecrim

    (Departamento de Geoquímica, Universidad de Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói 24020-141, RJ, Brazil
    Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Montevideo 11500, Uruguay)

  • Thais Devincenzi

    (Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Montevideo 11500, Uruguay)

  • Rafael Reyno

    (Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Montevideo 11500, Uruguay)

  • América Mederos

    (Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Montevideo 11500, Uruguay)

  • Claudia Simón Zinno

    (Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Montevideo 11500, Uruguay)

  • Julieta Mariotta

    (Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Montevideo 11500, Uruguay)

  • Fernando A. Lattanzi

    (Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Montevideo 11500, Uruguay)

  • Gabriel Nuto Nóbrega

    (Departamento de Geoquímica, Universidad de Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói 24020-141, RJ, Brazil)

  • Daniel Santander

    (Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Montevideo 11500, Uruguay)

  • José Ignacio Gere

    (Engineering Research and Development Division, National Technological University (UTN), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1179, Argentina)

  • Lívia Irigoyen

    (Programa de Pós Graduação em Zootecnica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90010-150, RG, Brazil)

  • Verónica S. Ciganda

    (Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Montevideo 11500, Uruguay)

Abstract

Extensive cattle production on native grasslands is vital to the sustainability of the South American Pampas, and the inclusion of tannin-containing legumes can increase farm profitability, improve nitrogen (N) use and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study quantified the effects of adding tannin-containing legumes to native grasslands on enteric methane (CH 4 ) emissions, animal performance and N balance in cattle. A crossover design trial was conducted with 22 beef heifers under two treatments: native grassland (NG) and native grassland with the addition of Lotus uliginosus and L. angustissimus (NG+L). The results showed that forage mass disappearance was similar between treatments; however, 54% of the forage disappearance in the NG+L corresponded with legumes, indicating that the heifers in this treatment consumed a better-quality diet. While individual CH 4 emissions were similar between treatments, heifers grazing the NG+L showed a higher average daily gain (ADG) and lower emissions intensity than heifers grazing NGs (0.25 vs. 0.58 g CH 4 /g ADG, p < 0.05). Additionally, they also ingested 20% more N and were more efficient in its utilization. Incorporating tannin-containing legumes into native grasslands can improve animal productivity and N use efficiency while reducing the intensity of enteric CH 4 emissions.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabiano Barbosa Alecrim & Thais Devincenzi & Rafael Reyno & América Mederos & Claudia Simón Zinno & Julieta Mariotta & Fernando A. Lattanzi & Gabriel Nuto Nóbrega & Daniel Santander & José Ignacio Ger, 2024. "Addition of Tannin-Containing Legumes to Native Grasslands: Effects on Enteric Methane Emissions, Nitrogen Losses and Animal Performance of Beef Cattle," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-15, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:20:p:9135-:d:1503539
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/20/9135/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/20/9135/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Supriya Verma & Friedhelm Taube & Carsten S. Malisch, 2021. "Examining the Variables Leading to Apparent Incongruity between Antimethanogenic Potential of Tannins and Their Observed Effects in Ruminants—A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-23, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rajeev Bhat & Jorgelina Di Pasquale & Ferenc Istvan Bánkuti & Tiago Teixeira da Silva Siqueira & Philip Shine & Michael D. Murphy, 2022. "Global Dairy Sector: Trends, Prospects, and Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-7, April.
    2. Daniel Petrič & Michaela Komáromyová & Dominika Batťányi & Martyna Kozłowska & Weronika Filipiak & Anna Łukomska & Sylwester Ślusarczyk & Malgorzata Szumacher-Strabel & Adam Cieślak & Marián Várady & , 2022. "Effect of Sainfoin ( Onobrychis viciifolia ) Pellets on Rumen Microbiome and Histopathology in Lambs Exposed to Gastrointestinal Nematodes," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-14, February.
    3. Udaya Subedi & Kazi Kader & Kethmi N. Jayawardhane & Hari Poudel & Guanqun Chen & Surya Acharya & Luiz S. A. Camargo & Daniela Matias de C. Bittencourt & Stacy D. Singer, 2022. "The Potential of Novel Gene Editing-Based Approaches in Forages and Rumen Archaea for Reducing Livestock Methane Emissions," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-21, October.
    4. José Felipe Orzuna-Orzuna & Griselda Dorantes-Iturbide & Alejandro Lara-Bueno & Germán David Mendoza-Martínez & Luis Alberto Miranda-Romero & Pedro Abel Hernández-García, 2021. "Effects of Dietary Tannins’ Supplementation on Growth Performance, Rumen Fermentation, and Enteric Methane Emissions in Beef Cattle: A Meta-Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-27, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:20:p:9135-:d:1503539. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.