1. Use of Local Feed Resources to Improve Rumen Fermentation and Reduce Methane Production in Buffalo Production in Southeast Asia.
- Author
-
Wanapat, M., Kongmun, P., Chanthakhoun, V., Cherdthong, A., and Pilajun, R.
- Subjects
WATER buffalo ,AGRICULTURAL productivity ,CROP residues ,RUMEN microbiology ,AGRICULTURE ,METHANE ,ANIMAL nutrition - Abstract
In Southeast Asia swamp buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) are raised by smallholder integrated farmers for multipurposes in agricultural production. They are used for many multi-purposes namely transportation, the use of byproducts; manure, horn and hide, meat and as a saving bank etc. Several feeding methods have been practiced by the farmers including those of grazing, cut-and-carry, and tethering where seasonal grasses, crop-residues and tree fodders have been offered to the animals. Agricultural crop-residues and industrial by-products are abundantly available as onfarm feed resources, and used well by the buffaloes, as farmers still engage in crop-livestock production systems. Seasonal feed resources and of prime importance for swamp buffaloes to support the efficient production under the prevailing smallholder farming systems. Their contributions to dry season feeding are utmost important since conventional feed resources are generally scarce. However, improvement and efficient feeding methods either through treatments and/or supplementation need to be taken into account. Moreover, the uses of these resources to improve rumen ecology would be efficient means to reduce rumen methane production via the use of secondary compounds in tropical plants and herbs (condensed tannins, sapponins etc.) and/or with vegetable oils to enhance the rumen efficiency and buffalo productivity. Development of simple and practical feeding and the use of concentrate mixtures based on on-farm resources (homemade concentrates, HMC) in order to reduce production costs and enhance profitability and sustainability of the buffalo production. Currently, developments of food-feed systems (FFS) have been successfully implemented and hence, should be widely disseminated for use by smallholder farmers. Furthermore, application of rumen molecular techniques such as the use of PCR-DGGE and real-time PCR can offer very useful information with respects to rumen microorganism diversity and their possible functional roles in the rumen of swamp buffaloes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010