Whole Cottonseed as an Alternative to Mitigate In Vitro Methane Emissions on Low-Quality Forage-Based Diets

Enteric methane (CH4) emissions from ruminants are one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from agriculture. We hypothesized that increasing levels of whole cottonseed (WCS) in diets decreases CH4 production in ruminants fed low-quality forages without compromising feed diges...

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Main Authors: Hernandez, Olegario, Juárez Sequeira, Ana Verónica, García, Elisa Mariana, Zarate García, Natalia, Uñates Pellene, Francisco Augusto, Fissolo, Hector Miguel, Coria, María Sumampa, Lopez, Agustin
Format: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Language:Inglés
Published: MDPI 2026
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/24857
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/12/12/459
https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12120459
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author Hernandez, Olegario
Juárez Sequeira, Ana Verónica
García, Elisa Mariana
Zarate García, Natalia
Uñates Pellene, Francisco Augusto
Fissolo, Hector Miguel
Coria, María Sumampa
Lopez, Agustin
author_browse Coria, María Sumampa
Fissolo, Hector Miguel
García, Elisa Mariana
Hernandez, Olegario
Juárez Sequeira, Ana Verónica
Lopez, Agustin
Uñates Pellene, Francisco Augusto
Zarate García, Natalia
author_facet Hernandez, Olegario
Juárez Sequeira, Ana Verónica
García, Elisa Mariana
Zarate García, Natalia
Uñates Pellene, Francisco Augusto
Fissolo, Hector Miguel
Coria, María Sumampa
Lopez, Agustin
author_sort Hernandez, Olegario
collection INTA Digital
description Enteric methane (CH4) emissions from ruminants are one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from agriculture. We hypothesized that increasing levels of whole cottonseed (WCS) in diets decreases CH4 production in ruminants fed low-quality forages without compromising feed digestibility. Dietary lipid supplementation, particularly with oilseeds such as WCS, has the potential to reduce enteric CH4 production by altering rumen fermentation pathways. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of WCS inclusion in a tropical forage-based diet on in vitro gas and CH4 production, fermentation characteristics, and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). Five treatments were tested using guinea grass hay (GG) supplemented with 0, 12.5, 25, 37.5, and 50% of WCS (DM basis). Results after 48 h of incubation showed a quadratic response of total gas production with increasing WCS inclusion (p < 0.01), with the highest values observed at 12.5% and 25% WCS. Methane production from digested DM significantly reduced at 50% WCS inclusion (−10.66% respect to control; p = 0.02), suggesting a mitigation effect without detrimental impacts on IVDMD (p = 0.16), which remained unaffected across all treatments. No effects were found in initial or final pH (p = 0.98 and p = 0.89, respectively) or total protozoa count among treatments (p = 0.99). However, levels of 50% WCS inclusion exceed the recommended limit of fat in ruminant diets (>6% DM). Further in vivo validation trials are recommended to confirm these in vitro results and evaluate long-term impacts on animal performance and CH4 emissions. This article is a revised and expanded version of Whole cottonseed as an alternative to mitigate in vitro methane emissions on low-quality forage-based diets. Presented at the International Research Symposium on Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Mitigation. From Research to Implementation. 21–24 October 2024, Berlin, Germany.
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spelling INTA248572026-01-02T15:17:06Z Whole Cottonseed as an Alternative to Mitigate In Vitro Methane Emissions on Low-Quality Forage-Based Diets Hernandez, Olegario Juárez Sequeira, Ana Verónica García, Elisa Mariana Zarate García, Natalia Uñates Pellene, Francisco Augusto Fissolo, Hector Miguel Coria, María Sumampa Lopez, Agustin Semilla de Algodón Experimentación In Vitro Emisión de Metano Forrajes Gases de Efecto Invernadero Cottonseed In Vitro Experimentation Methane Emission Forage Greenhouse Gas Emissions Enteric methane (CH4) emissions from ruminants are one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from agriculture. We hypothesized that increasing levels of whole cottonseed (WCS) in diets decreases CH4 production in ruminants fed low-quality forages without compromising feed digestibility. Dietary lipid supplementation, particularly with oilseeds such as WCS, has the potential to reduce enteric CH4 production by altering rumen fermentation pathways. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of WCS inclusion in a tropical forage-based diet on in vitro gas and CH4 production, fermentation characteristics, and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). Five treatments were tested using guinea grass hay (GG) supplemented with 0, 12.5, 25, 37.5, and 50% of WCS (DM basis). Results after 48 h of incubation showed a quadratic response of total gas production with increasing WCS inclusion (p < 0.01), with the highest values observed at 12.5% and 25% WCS. Methane production from digested DM significantly reduced at 50% WCS inclusion (−10.66% respect to control; p = 0.02), suggesting a mitigation effect without detrimental impacts on IVDMD (p = 0.16), which remained unaffected across all treatments. No effects were found in initial or final pH (p = 0.98 and p = 0.89, respectively) or total protozoa count among treatments (p = 0.99). However, levels of 50% WCS inclusion exceed the recommended limit of fat in ruminant diets (>6% DM). Further in vivo validation trials are recommended to confirm these in vitro results and evaluate long-term impacts on animal performance and CH4 emissions. This article is a revised and expanded version of Whole cottonseed as an alternative to mitigate in vitro methane emissions on low-quality forage-based diets. Presented at the International Research Symposium on Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Mitigation. From Research to Implementation. 21–24 October 2024, Berlin, Germany. 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: Juárez Sequeira, A.V. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Facultad de Agronomía y Agroindustrias; Argentina. Fil: Juárez Sequeira, A.V. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Bionanotecnología del NOA; Argentina Fil: Juárez Sequeira, A.V. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Instituto de Bionanotecnología del NOA; Argentina Fil: García, Elisa Mariana. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Facultad de Agronomía y Agroindustrias; 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. Laboratorio de Antioxidantes y Procesos Oxidativos; Argentina Fil: Zarate García, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Facultad de Agronomía y Agroindustrias; Argentina Fil: Uñates Pellene, Francisco Augusto. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Facultad de Agronomía y Agroindustrias; Argentina Fil: Fissolo, Héctor Miguel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santiago del Estero; Argentina Fil: Coria, María Sumampa. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Facultad de Agronomía y Agroindustrias; Argentina. Fil: Coria, María Sumampa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Bionanotecnología del NOA; Argentina Fil: Coria, María Sumampa. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Instituto de Bionanotecnología del NOA; Argentina Fil: Coria, María Sumampa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; 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 2026-01-02T15:12:16Z 2026-01-02T15:12:16Z 2025-12 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/24857 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/12/12/459 2076-3298 https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12120459 eng 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 Environments 12 (12) : 459. (December 2025)
spellingShingle Semilla de Algodón
Experimentación In Vitro
Emisión de Metano
Forrajes
Gases de Efecto Invernadero
Cottonseed
In Vitro Experimentation
Methane Emission
Forage
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Hernandez, Olegario
Juárez Sequeira, Ana Verónica
García, Elisa Mariana
Zarate García, Natalia
Uñates Pellene, Francisco Augusto
Fissolo, Hector Miguel
Coria, María Sumampa
Lopez, Agustin
Whole Cottonseed as an Alternative to Mitigate In Vitro Methane Emissions on Low-Quality Forage-Based Diets
title Whole Cottonseed as an Alternative to Mitigate In Vitro Methane Emissions on Low-Quality Forage-Based Diets
title_full Whole Cottonseed as an Alternative to Mitigate In Vitro Methane Emissions on Low-Quality Forage-Based Diets
title_fullStr Whole Cottonseed as an Alternative to Mitigate In Vitro Methane Emissions on Low-Quality Forage-Based Diets
title_full_unstemmed Whole Cottonseed as an Alternative to Mitigate In Vitro Methane Emissions on Low-Quality Forage-Based Diets
title_short Whole Cottonseed as an Alternative to Mitigate In Vitro Methane Emissions on Low-Quality Forage-Based Diets
title_sort whole cottonseed as an alternative to mitigate in vitro methane emissions on low quality forage based diets
topic Semilla de Algodón
Experimentación In Vitro
Emisión de Metano
Forrajes
Gases de Efecto Invernadero
Cottonseed
In Vitro Experimentation
Methane Emission
Forage
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/24857
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/12/12/459
https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12120459
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