BMZ Greenhouse gases

Funding: BMZ

Duration: 2015 - 2018

This project aimed at establishing accurate estimates of emission factors and to validate nutrient and energy conversion efficiencies for tropical cattle. We quantified parameters of rumen fermentation, digesta passage and digestion of nutrients of typical roughage based diets. We determined the effects of carbohydrate and protein supplementation to low-quality roughages on feed intake, digesta passage and nutrient digestibility. This enabled us to understand the interdependencies between digesta passage parameters and rumen microbial growth as well as enteric methane emissions.

PhD:Asep Indra Munawar Ali

Ali A.I.M., Wassie S.E., Joergensen R.G., Korir D., Goopy J.P., Butterbach-Bahl K., Merbold L., Dickhoefer U., Schlecht E. 2021. Feed quality and feeding level effects on faecal composition in East African cattle farming systems. Animals 11(2), 564. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020564

Ali A.I.M, Wassie S.E., Korir D., Goopy J.P., Merbold L., Butterbach-Bahl K., Dickhoefer U., Schlecht E. 2019. Digesta passage and nutrient digestibility in Boran steers at low feed intake levels. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 103(5), 1325-1337. DOI 10.1111/jpn.13158

Ali A.I.M., Wassie S.E., Korir D., Merbold L., Goopy J.P., Butterbach-Bahl K., Dickhoefer U., Schlecht E. 2019. Supplementing tropical cattle for improved nutrient utilization and reduced enteric methane emissions. Animals 9(5), 210. DOI 10.3390/ani9050210

Goopy J., Korir D., Pelster D., Ali A., Wassie S., Schlecht E., Butterbach-Bahl K. 2020. Severe below-maintenance feed intake increases methane yield from enteric fermentation in cattle. British Journal of Nutrition, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114519003350

Wassie S.E., Ali A.I.M., Korir D., Butterbach-Bahl K., Goopy J., Merbold L., Schlecht E., Dickhoefer E. 2019. Effects of feed intake level on efficiency of microbial protein synthesis and nitrogen balance in Boran steers consuming tropical poor-quality forage. Archives of Animal Nutrition 73(2), 140-157. DOI 10.1080/1745039X.2019.1572343

International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya (Program: Livestock systems and environment)

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Germany

University of Hohenheim, Section of Animal Nutrition and Rangeland Management in the Tropics and Subtropics, Germany