Assessing forage-based feeding strategies for finishing beef cattle

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It is well established that enteric methane emissions from ruminant livestock negatively impact the environmental impact of beef production. Effective mitigation strategies require a deep rooted understanding of the biological processes involved in methane production. This program focuses on the role of dietary fat supplementation of forage based diets on feed digestion and other rumen parameters associated the production of this greenhouse gas. A long-term goal of my research program is to develop feed supplementation strategies for cattle producers that will reduce enteric methane production from beef production. In addition to the environmental benefits, mitigation will also decrease the loss of productive energy that methane represents. My research over the next few years will address a number of the current gaps in our knowledge including: a) the effects of fat on rumen digestion, metabolism and microbial populations for starch free, forages based diets and b) the persistency of methane response to long term fat supplementation. Through in vitro laboratory studies I will screen a large suite of pure fatty acids and oilseeds in combination with grass substrates that typically have low fat contents. The nature of in vitro studies permitting a large number of treatments to be evaluated with relative ease and low cost will allow for the identification of promising treatments to be validated in vivo. A metabolism study will be conducted to investigate fatty acid effects on a range of methane related digestive and microbial parameters. To follow, the relatively unknown persistency effects of fat supplementation on methane emissions will be assessed in a long term feeding trial to assess whether the rumen environment adapts to constant fat feeding and investigate the mechanisms involved. This trial will involve supplementation of fat through oilseed inclusion, one of the forms it occurs in nature. Another long term objective of this study is to develop forage specific enteric methane mitigation strategies that do not compromise animal well-being or productivity. My research will contribute to the national greenhouse gas abatement efforts and the validation of predictive greenhouse gas tools for beef systems. It will provide nutritionists in developed and developing regions with feeding strategies to reduce the environmental footprint of cattle production systems. Additionally, this program focuses on high quality training of undergraduate and post-graduate students, enabling them to broaden their knowledge of ruminant nutrition and its implications for environmental footprint of beef production systems.