Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comparative evaluation of chemical composition, in vitro fermentation and methane production of selected tree forages

  • Published:
Agroforestry Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the nutritive value of leaves of six tree forage species [Acacia albida (Del.), Acacia nilotica (L.) Del., Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Del., Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit, Moringa stenopetala (Baker f.) Cufodontis and Morus alba (L.)] sampled from southwestern part of Ethiopian rift valley. The leaf samples were analyzed for chemical composition using official methods, and in vitro gas test was conducted to estimate their metabolizable energy content, organic matter digestibility (OMD), short-chain fatty acid (SCFA), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and gas production characteristics. Crude protein was highest in L. leucocephala (213.09 g kg−1 DM) and M. stenopetala (209.80 g kg−1 DM) and the lowest was in M. alba (101.63 g kg−1 DM). The fiber (NDF, ADF and ADL) fractions were highest in B. aegyptiaca and lowest in M. stenopetala. Condensed tannin concentration ranged from 10.76 g kg−1 DM in B. aegyptiaca to 81.89 g kg−1 DM in A. nilotica. The OMD, cumulative gas volume, SCFA and NH3-N production were highest (p < 0.05) in M. stenopetala and M. alba followed by the values measured for L. leucocephala, B. aegyptiaca and A. albida and lowest was for A. nilotica. Highest methane (CH4) production per gram of dry matter was noted for M. stenopetala and the lowest for A. nilotica though opposite situation was observed when CH4 production was expressed as a ratio to total gas produced. Overall, most of the studied browse plants are desirable candidate species for mitigation of enteric methane emission while supplying optimum level of nitrogen if used as a supplement to low-quality forages.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

ADF:

Acid detergent fiber

ADL:

Acid detergent lignin

CT:

Condensed tannin

CP:

Crude protein

DM:

Dry matter

DMI:

Dry matter intake

ME:

Metabolizable energy

aNDF:

Neutral detergent fiber assayed with a heat stable amylase and expressed inclusive of residual ash

NH3-N:

Ammonia nitrogen

OM:

Organic matter

OMD:

Organic matter digestibility

SCFA:

Short-chain fatty acid

References

  • AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists) (1995) Official methods of analysis, 15th edn. Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Bakshi MPS, Wadhw M (2004) Evaluation of forest tree leaves of semi-hilly arid region as livestock feed. Asian Aust J Anim Sci 17:777–783

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beauchemin KA, McGinn SM, Benchaar C, Holtshausen L (2009) Crushed sunflower, flax or canola seeds in lactating dairy cow diets: effects on methane production, rumen fermentation and milk production. J Dairy Sci 92:2118–2127. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2008-1903

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bediye S, Assefa G, Tedla A, Fekadu D (2001) Present status and future direction in feed resources and nutrition research targeted for wheat based crop livestock production system in Ethiopia: In Wall PC (ed) Wheat and weed: food and feed. Proceedings of two-stakeholder workshop. CIMMYT, Mexico City. Improving the productivity of crop livestock production in wheat based farming systems in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. 10–11 October 2000. pp 207–226

  • Bezabih M, Pellikaan WF, Tolera A, Khan NA, Hendriks WH (2013) Chemical composition and in vitro total gas and methane production of forage species from the Mid Rift Valley grasslands of Ethiopia. J Bri Grassl Soc 69:635–643

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhatta RYU, Tajima K, Takenaka A, Yabumoto Y, Nonaka I, Enishi O, Kurihara M (2009) Difference in the nature of tannins on in vitro ruminal methane and volatile fatty acid production and on methanogenic archaea and protozoal populations. J Dairy Sci 92:5512–5522

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bhatta ROE, Yabumoto Y, Nonaka I, Takusari N, Higuchi K, Tajima K, Takenaka A, Kurihara M (2012) Methane reduction and energy partitioning in goats fed two concentrations of tannin from Mimosa. J Agric Sci 151:119–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blummel M, Becker K (1997) The Degradability characteristics of fifty-four roughages and roughage neutral-detergent fibres as described by in vitro gas production and their relationship to voluntary feed intake. Br J Nutr 77:757–768

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bunglavan SJ, Dutta N (2013) Use of tannins as organic protectants of proteins in digestion of ruminants. J Livest Sci 4:67–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Fievez V, Babayemi OJ, Demeyer D (2005) Estimation of direct and indirect gas production in syringes: a tool to estimate short chain fatty acid production that requires minimal laboratory facilities. Anim Feed Sci Technol 123–124:197–210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frutos P, Hervás G, Giráldez FJ, Mantecón AR (2004) Tannins and ruminant nutrition. Review. Span J Agric Res 2:191–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Girma G, Makkar HPS, Becker K (1999) Stoichiometric relationship between short chain fatty acid and in vitro gas production in presence and absence of polyethylene glycol for tannin containing browses. In: EAAP satelite symposium on gas production: fermentation kinetics for feed evaluation and to assess microbial activity, 18–19 August. Wageningen, The Netherlands

  • Girma G, Makkar HPS, Becker K (2000) Tannins in tropical browses: effects on in vitro microbial fermentation and microbial protein synthesis in media containing different amounts of nitrogen. J Agric Food Chem 48:3581–3588

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Girma G, Makkar HPS, Becker K (2002) Tropical browses: contents of phenolic compounds, in vitro gas production and stoichiometric relationship between short chain fatty acid and in vitro gas production. J Agric Sci 139:131–352

    Google Scholar 

  • Girma G, Edward JD, Peter HR (2004) In vitro gas production provides effective method for assessing ruminant feeds. Calif Agric 58:54–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goel G, Makkar HPS (2012) Methane mitigation from ruminants using tannins and saponins. Trop Anim Health Prod 44:729–739

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hook SE, Wright ADG, McBride BW (2010) Methanogens: methane producers of the rumen and mitigation strategies. Hindawi Publishing Corporation, London, p 11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2010/945785

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson KA, Johnson DE (1995) Methane emissions from cattle. J Anim Sci 73:2483–2492

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khazaal K, Dentinho MT, Ribeiro JM, Ørskov ER (1995) Prediction of apparent digestibility and voluntary intake of hays fed to sheep: comparison between using fibre components, in vitro digestibility or characteristics of gas production or nylon bag degradation. Anim Sci 61:527–538

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar S, Puniya AK, Puniya M, Dagar SS, Sirohi SK, Singh K, Griffith GW (2009) Factors affecting rumen methanogens and methane mitigation strategies. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 54(1):85–87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-009-0041-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lascano CE, Cárdenas E (2010) Alternatives for methane emission mitigation in livestock systems. R Bras Zootec 39:175–182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Makkar HPS (2003) Quantification of tannins in tree and shrub foliage. A laboratory manual. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Amsterdam

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • McDonald P, Edwards RA, Greenhalgh JFD, Morgan CA, Sinclair LA, Wilkinson RG (2011) Animal Nutrition, 7th edn. Harlow, Pearson education, Prentice Hall

    Google Scholar 

  • Melesse A (2011) Comparative assessment on chemical compositions and feeding values of leaves of M. Stenopetala and M. Oleifera using in vitro gas production method. Ethiop J Appl Sci Technol 2:31–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Mengistu A (2006) Country pasture/forage resource profiles. Office of knowledge exchange, research and extension, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, Italy

  • Menke KH, Steingass H (1988) Estimation of the energetic feed value from chemical analyses and in vitro gas production using rumen fluid. Anim Res Dev 28:7–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Migwi PK, Bebe BO, Gachuiri CK, Godwin I, Nolan JV (2013) Options for efficient utilisation of high fibre feed resources in low input ruminant production systems in a changing climate: a review. Livest Res Rural Dev 25:87

    Google Scholar 

  • Moss AR, Jouany JP, Newbold J (2000) Methane production by ruminants: its contribution to global warming. Ann Zootech 49:231–253

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mueller-Harvey I (2006) Unraveling the Conundrum of tannins in animal nutrition and health. J Sci Food Agric 86:2010–2037

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Njidda AA, Nasiru A (2010) In Vitro gas production and dry mater digestibility of tannin containing forges of semi-arid region of north-eastern Nigeria. Pak J Nutr 9:60–66

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • NRC (National Research Council) (2000) Nutrient requirements of beef cattle, 7th edn. National Academic Press, Washington, p 246

    Google Scholar 

  • NRC (National Research Council) (2001) Nutrient Requirements of Sheep, 7th edn. National Academic Press, Washington, p 246

    Google Scholar 

  • Ørskov EK, McDonald I (1979) The estimation of protein degradability in the rumen from incubation measurements weighted according to rate of passage. J Agric Sci 92:499–503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Preston TR, Leng RA (1987) Matching livestock production systems with available resources in tropics and sub-tropics. Penambul Books, Armidale

    Google Scholar 

  • SAS (Statistical Analysis System) (2008) The statistical analysis system version 9.2. SAS Institute Inc, Cary

    Google Scholar 

  • Sejian V, Lakritz J, Ezeji T, Lal R (2011) Forage and flax seed impact on enteric methane emission in dairy cows. Res J Vet Sci 4:1–8

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Seresinhe T, Madushika SA, Seresinhe Y, Lal PK, Orskov ER (2012) Effects of tropical high tannin non legume and low tannin legume browse mixtures on fermentation parameters and methanogenesis using gas production technique. Asian Aust. J Anim Sci 25:1404–1410

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shenkute B, Hassen A, Assafa T, Amen N, Ebro A (2012) Identification and nutritive value of potential fodder trees and shrubs in the Mid Rift Valley of Ethiopia. J Anim Plant Sci 22(4):1126–1132

    Google Scholar 

  • Tolera A (2007) Feed resources for producing export quality meat and livestock in Ethiopia. Ethiopia sanitary and phytosanitary standards and livestock and meat marketing project (SPS-LMM). p 77

  • Van Soest PJ, Robertson JB (1985) Analysis of forages and fibrous foods. AS 613 Manual Department of Animal Science, Cornel University, Ithaca, New York

  • Weldemariam B, Gebremichael D (2015) Identification and determination of chemical composition of some potential browses as livestock fodder in the Central and North Western zones of Tigray, Ethiopia. Livest Res Rural Dev 27:75

    Google Scholar 

  • Yisehak K, Janssens GPJ (2013) Evaluation of nutritive value of leaves of tropical tanniferous trees and shrubs. Livest Res Rural Dev 25:28

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Resource of Ethiopia. Girma Tirfessa would like to thank School of Animal and Range Science of Hawassa University (Ethiopia), for unreserved laboratory facility supports and providing excellent working environment during his research work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alage Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training College, P.O.Box 77, Ziway, Ethiopia

    Girma Tirfessa

  2. School of Animal and Range Science, Hawassa University, P.O.Box 222, Hawassa, Ethiopia

    Adugna Tolera

Authors
  1. Girma Tirfessa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Adugna Tolera
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Girma Tirfessa.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tirfessa, G., Tolera, A. Comparative evaluation of chemical composition, in vitro fermentation and methane production of selected tree forages. Agroforest Syst 94, 1445–1454 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-019-00391-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-019-00391-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation