Effect of concentrate level on enteric methane emissions, production performance and rumen fermentation of Jersey cows grazing kikuyu-dominant pasture during summer

The effect of concentrate feeding level on enteric methane (CH4) emissions from cows grazing medium quality summer pasture is yet to be investigated. Sixty multiparous Jersey cows (9 rumen-cannulated) were used in a randomized complete block design study (with the cannulated cows in a 3 × 3 Latin square design) to investigate the effect of concentrate feeding level (0, 4, and 8 kg/cow per day; as fed basis) on enteric CH4 emissions, production performance and rumen fermentation of dairy cows grazing summer pasture (17 cows plus 3 cannulated cows per treatment). Enteric CH4 emissions were measured from 11 cows per treatment group during one 7-d measurement period using the sulfur hexafluoride tracer gas technique. Pasture dry matter intake (DMI) was determined parallel with the CH4 measurement period using TiO2 as external marker, while milk yield, milk composition, cow condition, and pasture pre- and post-grazing measurements were also recorded. Daily total DMI (11.2 to 15.6 kg/cow), milk yield (9.1 to 18.2 kg/cow), energy-corrected milk (ECM; 11.2 to 21.6 kg/cow), and milk lactose content (44.1 to 46.7 g/kg) increased linearly, while pasture DMI (11.2 to 8.4 kg/cow) decreased linearly with increasing concentrate feeding level. Daily CH4 production (323 to 378 g/d) increased linearly due to the increase in total DMI, while CH4 yield (29.1 to 25.1 g/kg of DMI) and CH4 intensity (35.5 to 21.1 g/kg of milk yield; and 28.8 to 17.6 g/kg of ECM) decreased linearly with increasing concentrate feeding level. Diurnal ruminal pH (6.45 to 6.32), and in sacco DM and neutral detergent fiber disappearance decreased linearly. Acetic and propionic acid were unaffected by treatment, while butyric acid (5.21 to 6.14 mM/L) increased linearly and quadratically with increasing concentrate feeding level. It was concluded that a high concentrate feeding level not only increases animal efficiency but is moreover a viable CH4 mitigation option for dairy cows grazing kikuyu-dominant pasture in late-summer when pasture is inherently fibrous.