Nutritive value and condensed tannins of tree legumes in silvopasture systems.

Introducing legumes into C4-dominated tropical pastures, may enhance their sustainability but has some pasture management constraints. One potential alternative is using arboreal legumes, but several of these species have relatively high condensed tannin (CT) concentrations, which negatively impact forage quality. There is limited knowledge, however, on how arboreal legume leaf CT content varies over the year and how this might impact forage quality.

Essential Oils in Nellore Beef Cattle: In Vivo Impact on Rumen Emissions.

Essential oils (EOs), as rumen additives, decreased CH emissions in in vitro trials but results from in vivo studies are still limited. We investigated the effects of (OEO) and (TEO) EOs on in vivo methane emissions from Nellore beef cattle. Six adult rumen-cannulated Nellore cattle were used in a double 3 × 3 Latin square design.

Dairy Effluent-Saturated Biochar's Short-Term Effects on and Performance and Soil Properties.

We compared the effects of wood-, manure-, and blend-derived biochar (BC) saturated/unsaturated with dairy effluents on and performance and soil characteristics in a greenhouse pot study. Plant samples were assayed for herbage and root dry weight and N and C percentages. Soil samples were assayed for nutrients, pH, and conductivity.

Biochar and Dairy Manure Amendment Effects on Performance and Soil Properties.

Studies have determined the separate effects of biochar (BC) and manure application on forage species and soil, but few examined the effects of BCs made from different feedstock applied along with dairy manure. We compared the effect of wood- and manure-derived feedstock BC as well as dairy manure amendment application on performance and soil properties in sandy loam and clay loam soils in a greenhouse pot study. Plant samples were assayed for herbage and root dry weight as well as herbage and root N and C percent and yield.

Essential Oils as In Vitro Ruminal Fermentation Manipulators to Mitigate Methane Emission by Beef Cattle Grazing Tropical Grasses.

There is increasing pressure to identify natural feed additives to mitigate methane emissions from livestock systems. Our objective was to investigate the effects of essential oils (EO) extracts star anise (), citronella (), clove bud (), staigeriana eucalyptus (), globulus eucalyptus (), ginger (), ho wood (), melaleuca (), oregano () and white thyme () on in vitro methane emissions from four rumen-cannulated Nellore cattle grazing a tropical grass pasture as inoculum donors. The semi-automated gas production technique was used to assess total gas production, dry matter degradability, partitioning factor, ammoniacal nitrogen, short-chain fatty acids and methane production.

Nutritive Value Variation of Paunch Manure as an Alternative Feed Ingredient.

Ruminants, which have multi-compartmented stomachs, are adapted to digest cellulosic materials, which constitute the primary expense on ranches and dairies. Industrial byproducts can be repurposed for livestock diets to decrease these costs. Therefore, finding alternative feedstuffs may benefit the economics of livestock production.

Nutritive Value Variation and In Vitro Digestibility of Hempseed Meal.

Hempseed meal (HSM) is left after oil extraction of hemp and may act as a protein source in livestock. The first phase of this research evaluated variation in nutritive value and dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of HSM from various sources in North America; the second phase utilized IVDMD to evaluate the efficacy of hempseed meal as an ingredient in ruminant feed. In phase one, the source had no contribution to variance for neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), or crude protein (CP) ( ≥ 0.

Effect of concentrate supplement to ewes on nutritive value of ingested Caatinga native forage nutritive value as affected by season.

The objective of this study was to identify by microhistological technique the reference chemical components for use as indicators of the nutritive value of Caatinga plants forage grazed by sheep throughout the year. A flock of twenty mixed-race meat ewes, multiparous, in production, with an average 34.84 ± 1.

Dwarf and Tall Elephantgrass Genotypes under Irrigation as Forage Sources for Ruminants: Herbage Accumulation and Nutritive Value.

This two-year study evaluated the effect of genotypes under rainfed or irrigated conditions, during the dry and rainy seasons, on herbage, leaf, and stem dry matter (DM) accumulation rates, nutritive value, and carbohydrate and protein fractionation. Treatments were tall (Iri 381 and Elefante B) or dwarf (Mott and Taiwan A-146 2.37) genotypes under rainfed or irrigated conditions.

Influence of tropical upright pasture structural and chemical characteristics on lamb grazing time.

Tropical pasture canopy characteristics can alter lamb ingestive behavior. Our study evaluated the ingestive behavior of young lambs in different tropical pastures to identify which variables interfere in their grazing activity. Two years of study were carried out with 54 weaned lambs distributed in three different pasture canopies: 1) monoculture of an upright grass, guinea grass (Panicum maximum; GG); 2) monoculture of a shrubby legume pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan; PP) and 3) contiguous paddock with half GG and half PP (GP).

The influence of extended supplementation of quebracho extract to beef steers consuming a hay diet on digestion, ruminal, and blood parameters.

The addition of natural plant secondary compounds to ruminant feed has been extensively studied because of their ability to modify digestive and metabolic functions, resulting in a potential reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, among other benefits. Condensed tannin (CT) supplementation may alter ruminal fermentation and mitigate methane (CH4) emissions. This study's objective was to determine the effect of quebracho CT extract [QT; Schinopsis quebracho-colorado (Schltdl.

Nutritional Aspects of Ecologically Relevant Phytochemicals in Ruminant Production.

This review provides an update of ecologically relevant phytochemicals for ruminant production, focusing on their contribution to advancing nutrition. Phytochemicals embody a broad spectrum of chemical components that influence resource competence and biological advantage in determining plant species' distribution and density in different ecosystems. These natural compounds also often act as plant defensive chemicals against predatorial microbes, insects, and herbivores.

Effect of copaíba essential oil (Copaifera officinalis L.) as a natural preservative on the oxidation and shelf life of sheep burgers.

We evaluated the effects of the inclusion of copaíba (Copaifera officinalis L.) essential oil at 0.05 and 0.

Quebracho tannins aid in the control of Eimeria spp. and gastrointestinal nematodes in lambs and goat kids.

The objective was to examine the effects of supplementary quebracho on control of coccidiosis and gastrointestinal nematodes in lambs and kids. In Exp. 1, naturally infected lambs weaned (87.

Management Strategies for Lamb Production on Pasture-Based Systems in Subtropical Regions: A Review.

Sheep production on pasture plays an important role in subtropical climates around the world, with great economic and environmental relevance to those regions. However, this production is much lower than its true potential in subtropical regions, largely due to lack of knowledge of how to feed grazing lambs, and mitigate gastrointestinal parasite infections. Due to weather instability and the high growth rate of tropical grasses, it is difficult to adjust the quality and quantity of feed consumed by lambs.

Influence of nutrient restriction on finishing Morada Nova lambs.

Our objective was to evaluate the effect of 15% crude protein (CP) and total digestible nutrient (TDN) restriction vis-á-vis that recommended by NRC (2007) on feed intake, digestibility, and average daily gain (ADG) of confined Morada Nova lambs. Twenty lambs with 18.8 ± 2.

Tannin as a natural rumen modifier to control methanogenesis in beef cattle in tropical systems: Friend or foe to biogas energy production?

The grazing of Zebu cattle in poor-quality tropical pastures during the dry season has an increased environmental impact and cost of production. The use of condensed tannins (CT) as a natural feed additive to modulate ruminal archaea can mitigate the methane emissions from cattle in tropical systems. We investigated the effects of CT on in vivo methane emissions and rumen microbiota ecology in beef cattle.

The Role of Condensed Tannins in the In Vitro Rumen Fermentation Kinetics in Ruminant Species: Feeding Type Involved?

Animal feeding behavior and diet composition determine rumen fermentation responses and its microbial characteristics. This study aimed to evaluate the rumen fermentation kinetics of domestic ruminants feeding diets with or without condensed tannins (CT). Holstein dairy cows, Nelore beef cattle, Mediterranean water buffalo, Santa Inês sheep and Saanen goats were used as inoculum donors (three animals of each species).

Inclusion of quebracho tannin extract in a high-roughage cattle diet alters digestibility, nitrogen balance, and energy partitioning.

Condensed tannins (CT) might improve animal and system-level efficiency due to enhanced protein efficiency and reduced CH4. This study evaluated the impact of quebracho tannin (QT) extract fed at 0%, 1.5%, 3%, and 4.

Terpenes May Serve as Feeding Deterrents and Foraging Cues for Mammalian Herbivores.

Terpenes, volatile plant secondary compounds produced by woody plants, have historically been thought to act as feeding deterrents for mammalian herbivores. However, three species of woodrats, Neotoma stephensi, N. lepida, and N.

Assessment of in situ techniques to determine indigestible components in the feed and feces of cattle receiving supplemental condensed tannins1.

Reliable assessments of indigestible dietary components are required when using internal markers to estimate diet digestibility and determine the potentially digestible portion of the fiber. The lack of a standardized methodology and understanding of how antinutritional factors influence indigestible residues can result in erroneous estimates with inconsistent variation across trials and among studies. Previous studies have detailed suitable bag porosity and sample size (SS) with incubation length (IL) varying from 96 to 504 h, with many assuming that 288-h IL yields truly indigestible components.

Exploring the biological activity of condensed tannins and nutritional value of tree and shrub leaves from native species of the Argentinean Dry Chaco.

Background: Tropical tree or shrub leaves are an important source of nutrients for ruminants and a potential source of biologically active compounds that may affect ruminal metabolism of nutrients. Therefore, eight woody species from the native flora of Argentinean Dry Chaco, rich in secondary compounds such as condensed tannins (CT), were assessed for their nutritional value, CT fractions and in vitro true digestibility of dry matter, as well as biological activity (BA).

Results: Differences among species were found in contents of total phenol, protein-precipitating phenols (PPP), bound proteins to PPP (BP) and BP/PPP (P < 0.

A comparative study of production performance and animal health practices in organic and conventional dairy systems.

Health and production management strategies influence environmental impacts of dairies. The objective of this paper was to measure risk factors on health and production parameters on six organic and conventional bovine, caprine, and ovine dairy herds in southeastern Brazil over six consecutive years (2006-2011). The organic operations had lower milk production per animal (P ≤ 0.

Condensed tannins inhibit house fly (Diptera: Muscidae) development in livestock manure.

Reducing chemical use for suppressing internal and external parasites of livestock is essential for protecting environmental health. Although plant condensed tannins are known to suppress gastro-intestinal parasites in small ruminants, no research on the effects of tannins on external arthropod populations such as the house fly, Musca domestica L., have been conducted.