Thesis
The effect of malic acid supplementation on diet digestibility and methane production by beef cattle fed a forage diet
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
05/2009
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000006458
Abstract
This project was conducted to determine the effect of malic acid (MA) supplementation to a forage diet on ruminal fermentation and methane (CH4) production by beef cattle. Four ruminally fistulated animals were fed at maintenance a 75% bluegrass straw and 25% alfalfa hay basal diet at 0700 and 1900 h. Malic acid treatment levels were 0, 196.6, 409.5, and 607.7 g/d and were supplemented via the rumen fistula in two equal portions. Ruminal fluid samples were collected at 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 h after feeding and immediately analyzed for pH. Bluegrass straw and alfalfa hay dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and organic matter (OM) in situ digestibilities were determined at 0, 8, 16, 24, and 48 h after feeding. Methane emissions were determined twice daily.
The mean ruminal fluid pH level was 6.4 ± 0.04 and was unaffected by MA treatment. Bluegrass straw in situ NDF, ADF, and ash disappearance were unaffected by MA treatment, though there was a trend towards reduced DM and OM disappearance with increasing MA supplementation. An effect of time on disappearance was observed for BGS DM, NDF, ADF, and OM disappearance. An interaction between treatment and time was observed for all BGS disappearance measurements. These interactions indicate a suppression of BGS DM, NDF, ADF, and OM disappearance over time as MA treatment level increases. An effect of time on disappearance was observed for alfalfa hay DM, NDF, ADF, and OM disappearance. However, alfalfa hay DM, NDF, ADF, and OM disappearance was unaffected by MA treatment. Methane emissions averaged 299.1 ± 0.11 g/d and were not affected by treatment. In addition, CH4 loss as a percent of gross energy intake was not affected by treatment and averaged 7.6% across all treatments. Consequently, MA treatments added directly to ruminal contents at these levels was ineffective at reducing CH4 emissions.
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Details
- Title
- The effect of malic acid supplementation on diet digestibility and methane production by beef cattle fed a forage diet
- Creators
- Stacey Marie Cobb
- Contributors
- Kristen Ann Johnson (Chair) - Washington State University, Department of Animal SciencesRonald Lee Kincaid (Committee Member)Charles T Gaskins (Committee Member) - Washington State University, Department of Animal Sciences
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Animal Sciences
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 97
- Identifiers
- 99901102224801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis