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TECHNICAL REPORTS
Plant and Environment Interactions

Methane Emissions of Beef Cattle on Forages

Efficiency of Grazing Management Systems

^a Dep. of Renewable Resources, Univ. of Louisiana-Lafayette, POB 44650, Lafayette, LA 70504
^b Math Department, Univ. of Louisiana-Lafayette, POB 44650, Lafayette, LA 70504

* Corresponding author (had2299{at}louisiana.edu)

Received for publication December 13, 2001. Fermentation in the rumen of cattle produces methane (CH₄). Methane may play a role in global warming scenarios. The linking of grazing management strategies to more efficient beef production while reducing the CH₄ emitted by beef cattle is important. The sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) tracer technique was used to determine the effects of best management practices (BMP) grazing compared with continuous grazing on CH₄ production in several Louisiana forages during 1996–1998. Cows and heifers (Bos taurus) grazed common bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.], bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge), and ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) pastures and were wintered on bahiagrass hay with supplements of protein molasses blocks (PMB), cottonseed meal and corn (CSMC), urea and corn (URC), or limited ryegrass grazing (LRG). Daily CH₄ emissions were between 89 and 180 g d^-1 for young growing heifers and 165 to 294 g d^-1 for mature Simbrah cows. Heifers on "ad lib" ryegrass in March and April produced only one-tenth the CH₄ per kg of gain as heifers on LRG of 1 h. Using BMP significantly reduced the emission of CH₄ per unit of animal weight gain. Management-intensive grazing (MIG) is a BMP that offers the potential for more efficient utilization of grazed forage crops via controlled rotational grazing and more efficient conversion of forage into meat and milk. Projected CH₄ annual emissions in cows reflect a 22% reduction from BMP when compared with continuous grazing in this study. With the BMP application of MIG, less methane was produced per kilogram of beef gain.

Abbreviations: ADG, average daily gain • BMPs, best management practice • CSMC, cottonseed meal and corn • CP, crude protein • DM, dry matter • LRG, limited ryegrass grazing • MIG, management-intensive grazing • MW, metabolic weight • PMB, protein molasses block • URC, urea and corn

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