Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
Published: August 2020
AI Article Synopsis
Article Abstract
The objective of this study was to develop a prediction equation for methane-related traits in beef cattle and evaluate this equation using datasets with different cattle breeds and roughage rates. Enteric methane emission (CH , l/day) was measured using open-circuit respiration chambers. Dry matter intake (DMI, kg/day), body weight (BW, kg), daily gain (DG, kg), total digestible nutrients (TDN, %DMI), and roughage rate (Rrate, %) were used as independent variables, and methane-related traits-CH , CH per DMI (CH /DMI, l/kg), and methane conversion factor (MCF, %)-were used as dependent variables. The best-fit equations to predict methane-related traits using a total of 76 records were CH = -676.7 + 0.04194 × BW + 29.88 × DMI + 7.883 × TDN + 4.367 × Rrate, CH /DMI = -52.24 - 1.193 × 10 × BW - 5.905 × DG + 1.077 × TDN + 0.5008 × Rrate, and MCF = -11.43 - 5.308 × 10 × BW - 1.223 × DG + 0.2336 × TDN + 0.1157 × Rrate. The predictive ability of the developed equations differed between roughage rates but not between breeds. For CH , the predictive ability of the developed equations was better compared with previously reported equations in the low roughage rate dataset, but not in the high roughage rate dataset. Our results suggest that the developed equations of methane-related traits can be applied in beef cattle fed with low roughage diets.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate whether the methane (CH4) to carbon dioxide (CO2) ratio (CH4/CO2) and methane-related traits obtained by the sniffer method can be used as indicators for genetic selection of Holstein cows with lower CH4 emissions.
Methods: The sniffer method was used to simultaneously measure the concentrations of CH4 and CO2 during milking in each milking box of the automatic milking system to obtain CH4/CO2. Methane-related traits, which included CH4 emissions, CH4 per energy-corrected milk, methane conversion factor (MCF), and residual CH4, were calculated.
The objectives of this study were to estimate genetic parameters and to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for predicted methane-related traits in Japanese Black steers. The methane production and yield traits were predicted using on-farm measurable traits, such as dry matter intake and average daily gain. A total of 4,578 Japanese Black steers, which were progenies of 362 sires genotyped with imputed 551,995 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), had phenotypes of predicted methane-related traits during the total fattening period (52 weeks).
The objective of this study was to develop a prediction equation for methane-related traits in beef cattle and evaluate this equation using datasets with different cattle breeds and roughage rates. Enteric methane emission (CH , l/day) was measured using open-circuit respiration chambers. Dry matter intake (DMI, kg/day), body weight (BW, kg), daily gain (DG, kg), total digestible nutrients (TDN, %DMI), and roughage rate (Rrate, %) were used as independent variables, and methane-related traits-CH , CH per DMI (CH /DMI, l/kg), and methane conversion factor (MCF, %)-were used as dependent variables.
