Interpretive Summary: The essential oil blend Agolin Ruminant L reduces methane production in vitro and in vivo when included in the drinking water of cattle
By: Ryan J Batley, Eliéder P Romanzini, Kawane D da Silva, William L de Souza, Simon P Quigley, Karen J Harper, Mark G Trotter, Priscila A Bernardes, Mani Naiker, Diogo F A Costa
Most research conducted to reduce methane (CH4) emissions from cattle has focused on intensive feeding systems, such as dairy and feedlots, where feeding management is tightly controlled. The delivery of CH4 mitigants to ruminants grazing in extensive pasture-based systems requires attention. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the delivery of an essential oil blend called Agolin Ruminant L (Agolin) to beef cattle via drinking water to reduce CH4 emissions. The first experiment measured gas production and CH4 emissions when increasing quantities of Agolin were added to an aqueous solution and a medium-quality forage substrate in vitro. The second experiment delivered 2 different concentrations of Agolin to yearling steers fed the same forage as that used in the first experiment, with CH4 emissions, feed and water intake, live-weight gain (LWG), rumen fermentation parameters, and the blood biochemical profile measured. Both experiments demonstrated that CH4 production was reduced with the inclusion of Agolin in an aqueous solution, while feed and water intake, LWG, and rumen fermentation parameters were unaffected. The results demonstrated that drinking water presents a viable option for the delivery of Agolin to reduce enteric CH4 emissions from beef cattle.
Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.
