We use cookies on our website. Some are necessary for the operation of the website. You can also allow cookies for statistical purposes. You can adjust the data protection settings or agree to all cookies directly.
Data Protection Declaration
Imprint
Quantification of bovine methane emission using the fecal biomarker archaeol (MethanA)
Project
Project code: 2812NA126
Contract period: 01.11.2013
- 31.10.2016
Budget: 121,066 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Archaeol is a cell membranelipid of methanogenic Archaea, and an interesting biomarker for methanogenesis. The objective of MethanA is to measure archaeol concentration in bovine faeces and study the relationship between concentration of faecal archaeol and CH4 production in dairy cows. Subsequently, the use of faecal archaeol concentration as a selection criterion for future breeding programs aiming to reduce the environmental impact of milk production systems will be investigated. After establishing of archaeol analysis procedures in the lab, faecal samples from previous studies will be analysed. The phenotypic correlation between archaeol concentration and CH4 output will be estimated and the effect of both, lactation number and diet, on this relationship will be studied. Next, further faecal samples taken at the dairy research farm Karkendamm will be analysed and data will be used to explore variation in archaeol concentration across lactation. Factors influencing faecal archaeol concentration will be identified and the use of archaeol as a biomarker for CH4 production will be evaluated.
The greenhouse gas methane is naturally produced in the digestive tract of ruminants and is released by eructation. Enteric methane represents an energy loss of 8 % to 12 % and has a 27-times higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide. Therefore, methane mitigation strategies are envisaged for livestock production. The project MethanA aimed to investigate archaeol – a cell membrane lipid - as a potential biomarker for methane emission in dairy cattle. Relationships between archaeol in feces and methane production was investigated in respiration chambers. Individual variation in fecal archaeol concentration across lactation was analysed at a research farm Karkendamm.
Gas exchange was measured in respiration chambers for ten cows in two consecutive trials fed two different diets. The trial as a combined fixed effect of the stage of lactation (100 vs. 135 ± 3 days in milk) and of the diet (high starch vs. high fibre content), was significant. The relationship between fecal archaeol concentration and methane production was positive linear close to be significant (R2 = 0.16). Using methane production relative to dry matter intake, the relationship improved significantly (R2 = 0.53). In the subsequent study, fecal samples were taken at fixed time points from 31 cows during the phases transit, lactation and dry off. A high variation in the excretion of archaeol between the animals as well as for the different production phases was observed and ranged from 12 μg to 59.7 μg. The lactation day had a highly significant effect on the fecal archaeol concentration. The repeatability of archaeol concentration across all observed production phases was 32 %.
The result confirm the potential of archaeol but relationships are not sufficient to use archaeol as a stand-alone biomarker in the context of methane mitigating breeding approaches. However, the inclusion of archaeol in combination with further indicator traits might be promising strategies for the future.
Section overview
Subjects
- Animal Husbandry
- Climate Change
Framework programme
Federal Organic Farming Scheme and other forms of sustainable agriculture (BÖLN)
