Whole Cottonseed as an Effective Strategy to Mitigate Enteric Methane Emissions in Cattle Fed Low-Quality Forages

This study evaluated enteric methane (CH₄) emissions, dry matter intake (DMI), and performance in rearing beef heifers fed either a Guinea-grass-only diet (0WCS) or Guinea grass supplemented with whole cottonseed (WCS) at 0.5% of body weight (BW). Twenty-four Braford heifers were randomly allocated...

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Main Authors: Hernandez, Olegario, Lopez, Agustin, Ceron Cucchi, Maria Esperanza, Alabi, Cham Donald AdégbéÏga, Loza, Cecilia, Juárez Sequeira, Ana Verónica, Fissolo, Hector Miguel, García, Elisa Mariana, Gere, José Ignacio
Format: Artículo
Language:Inglés
Published: MDPI 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/21693
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/6/819
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15060819
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author Hernandez, Olegario
Lopez, Agustin
Ceron Cucchi, Maria Esperanza
Alabi, Cham Donald AdégbéÏga
Loza, Cecilia
Juárez Sequeira, Ana Verónica
Fissolo, Hector Miguel
García, Elisa Mariana
Gere, José Ignacio
author_browse Alabi, Cham Donald AdégbéÏga
Ceron Cucchi, Maria Esperanza
Fissolo, Hector Miguel
García, Elisa Mariana
Gere, José Ignacio
Hernandez, Olegario
Juárez Sequeira, Ana Verónica
Lopez, Agustin
Loza, Cecilia
author_facet Hernandez, Olegario
Lopez, Agustin
Ceron Cucchi, Maria Esperanza
Alabi, Cham Donald AdégbéÏga
Loza, Cecilia
Juárez Sequeira, Ana Verónica
Fissolo, Hector Miguel
García, Elisa Mariana
Gere, José Ignacio
author_sort Hernandez, Olegario
collection INTA Digital
description This study evaluated enteric methane (CH₄) emissions, dry matter intake (DMI), and performance in rearing beef heifers fed either a Guinea-grass-only diet (0WCS) or Guinea grass supplemented with whole cottonseed (WCS) at 0.5% of body weight (BW). Twenty-four Braford heifers were randomly allocated into four pens (three animals per pen) per treatment over two experimental periods. Methane emissions were measured using the SF₆ tracer technique. Heifers receiving WCS supplementation produced 29% less CH₄ (120.64 vs. 169.54 g/day for 0.5WCS and 0WCS, respectively; p = 0.02) and showed a 22% reduction in CH₄ yield (7.30% vs. 9.41% of gross energy intake; p = 0.02). Methane intensity was 33% lower in supplemented heifers (0.37 vs. 0.55 g CH₄/kg BW; p = 0.01). However, WCS supplementation significantly reduced total DMI and forage DMI (p = 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively). In terms of performance, heifers in the 0.5WCS group gained 0.28 kg/day, while those in the 0WCS group lost 0.10 kg/day. These results indicate that WCS supplementation mitigates CH₄ emissions while improving weight gain in beef heifers fed low-quality forage diets, making it a promising strategy for enhancing the sustainability of beef cattle production systems.
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institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
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spelling INTA216932025-07-30T12:28:12Z Whole Cottonseed as an Effective Strategy to Mitigate Enteric Methane Emissions in Cattle Fed Low-Quality Forages Hernandez, Olegario Lopez, Agustin Ceron Cucchi, Maria Esperanza Alabi, Cham Donald AdégbéÏga Loza, Cecilia Juárez Sequeira, Ana Verónica Fissolo, Hector Miguel García, Elisa Mariana Gere, José Ignacio Forrajes Alimentación de los Animales Ganado Bovino Semilla de Algodón Emisiones de Metano Emisiones de Gases de Efecto Invernadero Forage Animal Feeding Cattle Cottonseed Methane Emission Greenhouse Gas Emissions This study evaluated enteric methane (CH₄) emissions, dry matter intake (DMI), and performance in rearing beef heifers fed either a Guinea-grass-only diet (0WCS) or Guinea grass supplemented with whole cottonseed (WCS) at 0.5% of body weight (BW). Twenty-four Braford heifers were randomly allocated into four pens (three animals per pen) per treatment over two experimental periods. Methane emissions were measured using the SF₆ tracer technique. Heifers receiving WCS supplementation produced 29% less CH₄ (120.64 vs. 169.54 g/day for 0.5WCS and 0WCS, respectively; p = 0.02) and showed a 22% reduction in CH₄ yield (7.30% vs. 9.41% of gross energy intake; p = 0.02). Methane intensity was 33% lower in supplemented heifers (0.37 vs. 0.55 g CH₄/kg BW; p = 0.01). However, WCS supplementation significantly reduced total DMI and forage DMI (p = 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively). In terms of performance, heifers in the 0.5WCS group gained 0.28 kg/day, while those in the 0WCS group lost 0.10 kg/day. These results indicate that WCS supplementation mitigates CH₄ emissions while improving weight gain in beef heifers fed low-quality forage diets, making it a promising strategy for enhancing the sustainability of beef cattle production systems. EEA Santiago del Estero Fil: Hernandez, Olegario. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santiago del Estero; Argentina Fil: Hernandez, Olegario. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Facultad de Agronomía y Agroindustrias; Argentina Fil: López, Agustín. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santiago del Estero; Argentina. Fil: López, Agustín. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Facultad de Agronomía y Agroindustrias; Argentina. Fil: López, Agustín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Ceron Cucchi, Maria Esperanza. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Ceron Cucchi, Maria Esperanza. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria; Argentina Fil: Ceron Cucchi, Maria Esperanza. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Buenos Aires. Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo de las Ingenierías; Argentina Fil: Alabi, Cham Donald AdégbéÏga. University of Parakou. Faculty of Agronomy. Laboratory of Ecology, Health and Animal Production (LESPA); Benín Fil: Loza, Cecilia. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Buenos Aires. Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo de las Ingenierías; Argentina Fil: Loza, Cecilia. Universidad de la República. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Producción Animal y Pasturas; Uruguay Fil: Juárez Sequeira, A.V. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Facultad de Agronomía y Agroindustrias; Argentina. Fil: Fissolo, Hector Miguel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santiago del Estero; Argentina Fil: García, Elisa Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: García, Elisa Mariana. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Facultad de Agronomía y Agroindustrias. Instituto de Ciencias Químicas; Argentina Fil: Gere, Jose Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Gere, Jose Ignacio. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Buenos Aires. Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo de las Ingenierías; Argentina 2025-03-18T12:37:46Z 2025-03-18T12:37:46Z 2025-03 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/21693 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/6/819 2076-2615 https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15060819 eng info:eu-repograntAgreement/INTA/2019-PD-E3-I058-001, Emisiones (GEI) en los sistemas agropecuarios y forestales. Medidas de mitigación info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) application/pdf MDPI Animals 15 (6) : 819. (March 2025)
spellingShingle Forrajes
Alimentación de los Animales
Ganado Bovino
Semilla de Algodón
Emisiones de Metano
Emisiones de Gases de Efecto Invernadero
Forage
Animal Feeding
Cattle
Cottonseed
Methane Emission
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Hernandez, Olegario
Lopez, Agustin
Ceron Cucchi, Maria Esperanza
Alabi, Cham Donald AdégbéÏga
Loza, Cecilia
Juárez Sequeira, Ana Verónica
Fissolo, Hector Miguel
García, Elisa Mariana
Gere, José Ignacio
Whole Cottonseed as an Effective Strategy to Mitigate Enteric Methane Emissions in Cattle Fed Low-Quality Forages
title Whole Cottonseed as an Effective Strategy to Mitigate Enteric Methane Emissions in Cattle Fed Low-Quality Forages
title_full Whole Cottonseed as an Effective Strategy to Mitigate Enteric Methane Emissions in Cattle Fed Low-Quality Forages
title_fullStr Whole Cottonseed as an Effective Strategy to Mitigate Enteric Methane Emissions in Cattle Fed Low-Quality Forages
title_full_unstemmed Whole Cottonseed as an Effective Strategy to Mitigate Enteric Methane Emissions in Cattle Fed Low-Quality Forages
title_short Whole Cottonseed as an Effective Strategy to Mitigate Enteric Methane Emissions in Cattle Fed Low-Quality Forages
title_sort whole cottonseed as an effective strategy to mitigate enteric methane emissions in cattle fed low quality forages
topic Forrajes
Alimentación de los Animales
Ganado Bovino
Semilla de Algodón
Emisiones de Metano
Emisiones de Gases de Efecto Invernadero
Forage
Animal Feeding
Cattle
Cottonseed
Methane Emission
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/21693
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/6/819
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15060819
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