Methanogenic Population and CH ₄ Production in Swedish Dairy Cows Fed Different Levels of Forage

Abstract

bMethanogenic community structure, methane production (CH 4 ), and volatile fatty acid (VFA) profiles were investigated in Swedish dairy cows fed a diet with a forage/concentrate ratio of 500/500 or 900/100 g/kg of dry matter (DM) of total DM intake (DMI). The rumen methanogenic population was evaluated using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis, 16S rRNA gene libraries, and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Mean CH 4 yields did not differ (P > 0.05) between diets, being 16.9 and 20.2 g/kg DMI for the 500/500 and 900/100 diets, respectively. The T-RFLP analysis revealed that populations differed between individual cows and that each individual population responded differently to the diets. The 16S rRNA gene libraries revealed that Methanobrevibacter spp. dominated for both diets. CH 4 production was positively correlated with a dominance of sequences representing T-RFs related to Methanobrevibacter thaueri, Methanobrevibacter millerae, and Methanobrevibacter smithii relative to Methanobrevibacter ruminantium and Methanobrevibacter olleyae. Total numbers of methanogens and total numbers of Methanobacteriales were significantly higher with the 500/500 diet (P < 0.0004 and P < 0.002, respectively). However, no relationship was found between CH 4 production and total number of methanogens. No differences were seen in total VFA, propionic acid, or acetic acid contents, but the molar proportion of butyric acid in the rumen was higher for the 500/500 diet than for the 900/100 diet (P < 0.05). Interestingly, the results also revealed that a division of the identified methanogenic species into two groups, suggested in the work of King et al.

Examination of the Rumen Bacteria and Methanogenic Archaea of Wild Impalas (Aepyceros melampus melampus) from Pongola, South Africa

“…Methanogen densities also agreed with those observed in Swedish dairy cattle, alpaca, and Brahman-cross cattle [16,25,26]. However, lower methanogen densities were observed in buffalo, Atlay sheep, and Svalbard reindeer [10,26,27].…”

The ruminal microbiome associated with methane emissions from ruminant livestock

“…However, some studies have shown no such correlation with their overall abundance while in others the correlation has been weak. Morgavi et al [37], Zhou et al [38], Danielsson et al [39] and Danielsson [40] found no correspondence between the numbers of methanogens and methane emissions from dairy cows when measured using metagenomics and qPCR techniques. Kittelmann et al [41] and Shi et al [42] formed a similar conclusion in sheep.…”

“…Zhou et al [38], Danielsson et al [39], Shi et al [42] and Danielsson [40] all found a positive correlation between the relative abundance of Methanobrevibacter SGMT clade and methane emissions. Danielsson [40] interpreted this correlation in terms of different affinities for H 2 in the two groups, with the SGMT clade possessing methyl coenzyme M reductase isozymes McrI and McrII [12], which enables the archaea to utilise H 2 at higher concentrations, against the RO clade that possess only McrI [3, 12].…”

Effects of fertilisation, temperature and water content on microbial properties and methane production and methane oxidation in subalpine soils

“…The sequencing results showed that M. woesei was abundant in four out of eight soil treatments at the end of the incubation period, notably in all fertilised soils. Methanogens related to the genus Methanobrevibacter are the most abundant archaea in the gut of herbivores [50,51]. Thus, it seems very likely that these methanogens may have originated from the manure and may have survived in the microcosms for six months, which emphasised the survival potential of methanogens even in subalpine upland soils.…”