potential during ration formulation that will reduce the methane mitigation from
those animals.
2. Frequency of feeding also affects the methane production in the ruminants.
Feeding the animals more times will cause less methane release as passage rate
is increased. But it is having labour intensive and cost related limitations.
3. Alternate hydrogen sinks:
A. Fumaric acid is having the potential to alter the production of volatile fatty
acids. When fed, fumaric acid increases total VFA concentration, with
increase in propionate proportion and decreased acetate: propionate ratio
(Beauchemin and McGinn 2006) and thus reduces methane production. To
inhibit methanogenesis, higher doses of fumaric acid is needed which may
cause a fall, if ruminal pH and thus hamper the normal rumen ecosystem.
B. Use of nitrate can reduce the quantity of the methane production in ruminants (Sakthivel et al. 2010). Selenomonas ruminantium, and Wolinella
succinogenes are nitrate-reducing bacteria found in the goat rumen (Stewart
et al. 1997). These bacteria may act as alternate hydrogen sink in the rumen
as they can convert nitrate to ammonia and nitrite is an intermediate. The
demerit of this method is that reduction of nitrate is 2–3 times faster than
nitrite. So nitrite may accumulate in rumen. Therefore, reduction of nitrite in
the rumen should be enhanced to avoid the toxic effects of nitrite in rumen.
4. Plants and their parts may reduce the methane production in rumen due to the
presence of some secondary metabolites like tannin and saponin for an instance;
some of the saponin rich plants includes Glycine max, Cicer arietinum L,
Medicago sativa, Lupinus Species, Sapindus mukorossi (Fenwick and Oakenfull
1983) whereas Terminalia chebula, Populus deltoides, Mangifera indica, and
Psidium guajava leaves are rich sources of tannin.
5. Feeding balanced ration, dietary energy and protein could be utilized in a more
efficient manner in lactating ruminants (Kannan et al. 2010) which will reduce
the methane production in the animals. Again proving, low fibrous and
ingestible feeds may also reduce the rumen methane production. More fibrous
feeds and imbalanced feeds lead to change rumen fermentation pattern and
produce more acetate and butyrate which in turn leads to production of more
hydrogen and carbon dioxide and thus produces more methane.
6. Ionophores like monensin are found effective in reducing the rumen methane
production. This selectively reduces gram positive ruminococci which increases
the propionate production in the rumen and thus resulting in the decrease in the
CH 4 production (Newbold et al. 1988).
7. Vegetable oil addition to the ration can also reduce the methane production by
the ruminants as they are energy rich source and also acts as rumen modifier.
Some of the components of oils have antimicrobial activity and antifibrolytic
activity. Oil if incorporated more than 7 % of the diet will hamper the fibre
degradation and dry matter degradability will be greatly reduced. Beauchemin
94
P.S. Swain et al.
those animals.
2. Frequency of feeding also affects the methane production in the ruminants.
Feeding the animals more times will cause less methane release as passage rate
is increased. But it is having labour intensive and cost related limitations.
3. Alternate hydrogen sinks:
A. Fumaric acid is having the potential to alter the production of volatile fatty
acids. When fed, fumaric acid increases total VFA concentration, with
increase in propionate proportion and decreased acetate: propionate ratio
(Beauchemin and McGinn 2006) and thus reduces methane production. To
inhibit methanogenesis, higher doses of fumaric acid is needed which may
cause a fall, if ruminal pH and thus hamper the normal rumen ecosystem.
B. Use of nitrate can reduce the quantity of the methane production in ruminants (Sakthivel et al. 2010). Selenomonas ruminantium, and Wolinella
succinogenes are nitrate-reducing bacteria found in the goat rumen (Stewart
et al. 1997). These bacteria may act as alternate hydrogen sink in the rumen
as they can convert nitrate to ammonia and nitrite is an intermediate. The
demerit of this method is that reduction of nitrate is 2–3 times faster than
nitrite. So nitrite may accumulate in rumen. Therefore, reduction of nitrite in
the rumen should be enhanced to avoid the toxic effects of nitrite in rumen.
4. Plants and their parts may reduce the methane production in rumen due to the
presence of some secondary metabolites like tannin and saponin for an instance;
some of the saponin rich plants includes Glycine max, Cicer arietinum L,
Medicago sativa, Lupinus Species, Sapindus mukorossi (Fenwick and Oakenfull
1983) whereas Terminalia chebula, Populus deltoides, Mangifera indica, and
Psidium guajava leaves are rich sources of tannin.
5. Feeding balanced ration, dietary energy and protein could be utilized in a more
efficient manner in lactating ruminants (Kannan et al. 2010) which will reduce
the methane production in the animals. Again proving, low fibrous and
ingestible feeds may also reduce the rumen methane production. More fibrous
feeds and imbalanced feeds lead to change rumen fermentation pattern and
produce more acetate and butyrate which in turn leads to production of more
hydrogen and carbon dioxide and thus produces more methane.
6. Ionophores like monensin are found effective in reducing the rumen methane
production. This selectively reduces gram positive ruminococci which increases
the propionate production in the rumen and thus resulting in the decrease in the
CH 4 production (Newbold et al. 1988).
7. Vegetable oil addition to the ration can also reduce the methane production by
the ruminants as they are energy rich source and also acts as rumen modifier.
Some of the components of oils have antimicrobial activity and antifibrolytic
activity. Oil if incorporated more than 7 % of the diet will hamper the fibre
degradation and dry matter degradability will be greatly reduced. Beauchemin
94
P.S. Swain et al.