Reducing the impact of Livestock Farming on the Environment in Morocco: A case of Enteric Methane

Abstract

The study aimed to test the effect of natural additives on enteric methane emissions and animal performances. Facial mask system was used to measure the methane emissions before and after adding additives to the animals feed. The results showed a small but significant (p<5%) effect on methane emission when using sunflower oil, with a reduction of 8.1 %. A product rich in thyme essential oils resulted in an average reduction of 21% in the amount of enteric methane emitted, showed highly significant results (p< 0.01) on live weight gain in fattening bulls, with means of 1.55 ± 0.058 kg for the control group vs 1.88 ± 0.177 kg for the group that received the additive. The same additive showed an increase in daily milk production in all cows receiving the additive compared to the control cows. The results of the average amounts of milk produced per litre per day were statistically significant (p< 0.05), with averages of 15.38±1.32 l/d for the control group and 19.17±1.96 l/d for the group with the additive. The trials undertaken during this study allowed us to verify the interest and the relevance of using the tested natural feed additives, not only for the decrease of enteric methane emission and the preservation of the environment but also for its beneficial effects on cattle production. More research should be conducted on natural feed additives to assess their effects on reducing enteric methane emissions while improving animals performances.