Effects of cornstarch in elephant grass diets on greenhouse gas emissions, digestibility and protein accumulation rate of Sind crossbred beef cattle
This experiments (Exp) was implemented at Can Tho University to evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions, feed utilization, rumen parameters and nitrogen retention of beef cattle. Four male Lai Sind cattle (277 ± 12.3 kg) were allowcated in a 4x4 Latin square design. The treatments were B0, B15, B30, B45 corresponding to the 0, 15, 30 and 45 % of ground maize (DM) supplementing to the basal diet of elephant grass. The results indicated that when the ground maize supplementation from 0 - 45% in cattle diets, the CH4 and CO2 emissions (L/day, L/kg DMI, L/kg DDM and L/kg KL) were not significantly different among the treatments (P>0.05), however there was a significant reduction of greenhouse gas production (L/kg DWG) was found (P<0.05) because of the improvement of daily weight gain for the maize suppementation treatment with level of 45%. The increase of rumen propionic acid concentration was gradually found from the B0 to B45 treatment, however no improverment of microbial nitrogen synthesis in rumen and nitrogen retention of the cattle was found. In conclusion that increasing from 0 to 45% maize supplementation to basal diet of elephent grass, no reduction of greenhouse gases of beef cattle was found.
