Addition of Activated Carbon into a Cattle Diet to Mitigate GHG Emissions and Improve Production

Mohammed Al-Azzawi, Les Bowtell, Kerry Hancock and Sarah Preston
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Mohammed Al-Azzawi: Faculty of Health Engineering and Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, Australia
Les Bowtell: Faculty of Health Engineering and Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, Australia
Kerry Hancock: Centre of Research and Innovation, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, Australia
Sarah Preston: School of Health and Life Sciences, Federation University, Ballarat 3353, Australia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 15, 1-17

Abstract: Globally, the most problematic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of ruminant livestock is methane (CH 4 ), with a global warming potential 25 times that of carbon dioxide. This work considers the emissions and production effects of powdered activated carbon (PAC) at 0.5% by dry matter (DM) on methanogenic rumen flora as the major source of dairy cattle enteric methane emissions. In total, 180 dairy cattle located in Brymaroo, Queensland (QLD), Australia, were studied in a three-cycle repeated measures ANOVA format with a 4 week primary interval. Emissions eructated during milking and in faecal deposits were measured, and in addition, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed to determine the collective populations of prokaryotic bacteria and archaea as well methanogenic communities for each treatment. Moreover, 0.5% PAC addition reduced CH 4 emissions by 30–40% and CO 2 emissions by 10%, while improving daily milk production by 3.43%, milk protein by 2.63% and milk fat by 6.32%, on average for the herd ( p < 0.001 in all cases). rRNA gene sequencing showed populations of methanogenic flora decreased by 30% on average with a corresponding increase in the nonmethanogenic species. We strongly advocate further on-farm trials with the dietary addition of PAC in ruminant diets to mitigate emissions while maintaining or improving productivity.

Keywords: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; methane (CH 4 ); powdered activated carbon (PAC); ruminants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:15:p:8254-:d:600279

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