Feeding strategies to increase nitrogen retention and improve rumen fermentation and rumen microbial population in beef steers fed with tropical forages

The effect of the inclusion of Leucaena leucocephala and Tithonia diversifolia in Zebu steers receiving a diet based on improved pastures such as Brachiaria decumbens and Brachiaria hybrid cv Cayman on nitrogen (N) excretion, urinary volume and rumen microbial population was evaluated. To determine the dry matter intake and nutrient excretion, eight steers were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design consisting of four periods and four diets. Four of them were cannulated for ruminal fluid extraction and quantification of ruminal microorganisms in three times of grazing (T0, T7 and T15). Forage intake was calculated through the external marker titanium dioxide. Diet including forages with superior protein content generated an increase in the gene copy numbers of Prevotella ruminicola and total bacteria on 15 sampling day (p < 0.001). Animals receiving diets with the dietary inclusion of Leucaena and Tithonia had daily N intakes of 228 and 113.5g N intake d−1, of which they excreted 42% and 61%, respectively. Inclusion of both protein forages increased daily urinary volume (9% and 7% d−1), with respect to the pasture-based diet. This study revealed that the inclusion of 18% Leucaena in a pasture-based diet improves the dry matter intake and N retention in Zebu steers under tropical conditions

EFECTO DEL PROPILENGLICOL SOBRE LA UREMIA, GLICEMIA Y LA PRODUCCIÓN DE COMPONENTES DE LA LECHE EFFECT OF PROPYLENEGLYCOL ON URAEMIA, GLYCAEMIA AND MILK COMPONENTS PRODUCTION

Con el objetivo de determinar el efecto de la inclusión de propilenglicol (PG) sobre las concentraciones plasmáticas de urea y glucosa y sobre la cantidad de leche producida y su concentración de sólidos, se analizó un grupo de 10 vacas entre su segunda y quinta lactancia. Los animales recibieron al día 45 posparto PG y durante 3 días consecutivos, éste se suministró diariamente en dosis de 250 g durante cada ordeño con la ración de suplemento comercial. Los animales fueron muestreados antes y después de suministrar el PG. Se estimaron balances de proteína degradable en rumen (PDR), proteína no degradable en rumen (PNDR) y energía neta de lactancia (ENL). El balance promedio de PDR antes y después de suministrar el PG fue de 53,17 (+/-7,32) y 59,79 (+/-12,7) como porcentaje de los requerimientos respectivamente. Se encontró una diferencia estadísticamente significativa para el balance de ENL. Respecto al contenido de sólidos en leche no hubo una diferencia significativa para los porcentajes de grasa y de proteína, sin embargo se evidenció una disminución en la cantidad total de grasa producida por vaca y un aumento en la cantidad total de proteína producida por vaca. Ni la producción de leche ni las concentraciones plasmáticas de glucosa y urea se afectaron con el suministro del PG.<br>In order to determine the effect of including propyleneglycol (PrGl) on plasmatic concentrations of urea and glucose as well as milk produced and solids concentration, a group of 10 cows was studied between second and fifth lactation. The animals received PrGl at 45 day postpartum during 3 consecutive days. The estimated variables were rumen degradable protein (RDP), undegradable rumen protein (URP), and net energy for lactation (NEL). The RDP average before and after administering PrGl, was 53.17 (±7.32) and 59.79 (±12.7) as a percentage of requirements, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference for the balance NEL. Regarding content solids in milk, there was no significant difference in the fat and protein percentage; however, a decrease in total amount of fat produced and a increased in the total amount protein per cow were registered. Milk production and plasmatic concentrations of glucose and urea were not affected with PrGl supply

Apparent nitrogen recovery in milk and early dry season nitrous oxide emission factors for urine deposited by dual-purpose cattle on different soil types

Pasture conditions influence the nutrients use efficiency and nitrogen (N) losses from deposited excreta. Part of the N is lost as nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas. The objective of this study was to characterize apparent N recovery in milk of dual-purpose cattle and to quantify N2O emissions from the urine they deposit following grazing on Megathyrsus maximus cv. Mombasa. The N content in the grass and the milk produced by the cattle and the milk urea N (MUN) content were quantified in two contrasting regions of Colombia (Casanare and Atlántico). Dry matter intake (DMI) by the cattle was estimated using the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System. We used a closed static chamber technique to measure N2O emissions from soils in areas with and without urine patches (21 days in Atlántico and 35 Days in Casanare). Estimated DMI values were 11.5 and 11.6 kg DM day-1, milk production was 6.5 and 5.9 L day-1, apparent N recovery in milk was 24 and 23%, and the MUN content was 4.4 and 17.2 mg N dl-1 in Casanare and Atlántico, respectively. N applied to soil in the form of urine corresponded at rates of 20 and 64 g N m-2 and net cumulative N2O emissions were 350 and 20 mg N2O-N m-2 in Casanare and Atlántico, respectively. Despite low digestibility of offered diet, N recovery in milk was above the values reported at dairy cattle in tropical conditions. High urine-N inputs at Atlántico site did not result in high N2O emissions suggesting that the default Tier 1 emission factor (EF) which is based on N inputs would have overestimated urine-based N2O emissions in Atlántico. Comparing previous studies conducted in Colombia, we observed inter-regional differences by urine-based N2O emissions. This observation suggests that to increase certainty in estimating urine-based N2O emissions, Colombia needs to move towards more region-specific Tier 2 EF and reduce its dependence on the default IPCC Tier 1 EF. In addition, the adoption of Tier 2 EF in the cattle sector will facilitate accounting for the effect of animal diets on N2O inventories