Rumen Bacterial Community, Fermentation and Methane Emissions

Dear Colleagues,

Livestock production systems are generally considered to have various negative environmental impacts, including nutrient leaching and a significant contribution to global warming. Ruminant production accounts for the greenhouse gas (GHG) livestock sector from rumen microbial methanogenesis. Ruminal methane (CH₄) production also represents a loss of energy (from 2 to 12% of gross energy intake), which could in principle otherwise be available for animal growth or milk production. Therefore, sustainable and immediate mitigation strategies are in high demand. In this respect, the reduction of gas emissions can be achieved through improved efficiency in animal nutrition. The rumen microbiota is composed of a vast array of ciliate protozoa, anaerobic fungi, anaerobic bacteria and archaea. Nutritional components such as carbohydrates, proteins and lipids in feedstuffs are degraded by rumen microorganisms and are converted into microbial cells, which include proteins and carbohydrates, volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and gasses (N2 and CH4). The development of molecular techniques, based mainly on rRNA gene and intergenic spacer sequence (for the fungi) analyses, opened new opportunities in rumen research. Dietary modification is linked to changes in the rumen fermentation pattern and types of end products. Changing the fermentation pattern is one of the most effective ways of methane abatement. Such strategies can contribute to improved animal production and health status. Studies have reported that feed additives such as nitrogen-containing compounds, probiotics, prebiotics, and plant extracts significantly reduce ruminant methane modifying the rumen microbiota.

The main objective of this issue 'Rumen Microbiota, Fermentation and Methane Emissions' is to obtain and share useful information to enable practices that can modulate the ruminal microbial population and consequently ruminal fermentations.

Dr. Alessandro Vastolo
Dr. Damiano Cavallini
Guest Editors

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• sustainable crop
• methane
• gas emissions
• former food
• aagro-industrial by-products
• agro-industrial co-products
• additive feed
• environmental impact
• sustainability
• rumen microbiota
• rumen protozoa