Measuring Methane Production from Ruminants

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XI

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2. Analysis of Methane

   • S. Lopez, C.J. Newbold

   Pages 1-13

3. Measuring Methane Emission of Ruminants by In Vitro and In Vivo Techniques

   • C.R. Soliva, H.D. Hess

   Pages 15-31

4. The SF6 Tracer Technique: Methane Measurement From Ruminants

   • K.A. Johnson, H.H. Westberg, J.J. Michal, M.W. Cossalman

   Pages 33-67

5. Estimation of Ruminal Methane Production From Measurement of Volatile Fatty Acid Production

   • R.S. Hegarty, J.V. Nolan

   Pages 69-92

6. Measurement of Methane Production Rate In the Rumen Using Isotopic Tracers

   • R.S. Hegarty, R.A Leng, J.V. Nolan

   Pages 93-103

7. Measurement of Methane from Grazing Animals - the Tunnel Method

   • P.J. Murray, D.C. Chadwick, C.J. Newbold, D.R. Lockyer

   Pages 105-109

8. A Protocol for the Operation of Open-Circuit Chambers for Measuring Methane Output in Sheep

   • Y.J. Williams, L. Klein, A.-D.G. Wright

   Pages 111-123

9. Construction and Operation of Ventilated Hood-Type Respiration Calorimeters for In Vivo Measurement of Methane Production and Energy Partition in Ruminants

   • T. Suzuki, G.J. McCrabb, T. Nishida, S. Indramanee, M. Kurihara

   Pages 125-135

10. Back Matter

    Pages 137-138

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The world’s livestock sector is amidst a major transformation, fuelled by high demand for meat and milk, which is likely to double over the next two decades in developing countries. The major driving force behind this demand for livestock products is a combination of population growth, urbanization and income growth, especially in developing countries. The challenge is to enhance animal productivity without adversely affecting the environment. A key to this is reducing methane emissions from ruminants. The major limitation to ruminant production in many tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America, where a large proportion of the global ruminant population is located, is poor nutrition. The productivity of animals is restricted by the low nitrogen and high fibre content of the native grasses and crop residues, which form the basis of the diets in these regions. Animals on these types of diets emit more methane than animals fed better quality temperate forages. These methane emissions represent a loss of digestible energy to the animal (up to 15%) as well as a threat to the environment. Reducing methane production by ruminants could improve their productivity, provided the efficiency of ruminal metabolism is not compromised, and reduce their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. The challenge is to devise nutritional strategies and identify dietary components, particularly from locally available plant resources, that reduce methane emissions.

• Grazing
• emission
• emissions
• environment
• production
• respiration
• air pollution and air quality

• Animal Production and Health Section Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria

  Harinder P.S. Makkar

• School of Animal Biology Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia

  Philip E. Vercoe

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