Harinder P.S. Makkar
Animal Production and Health Section, Joint FAO/IAEA Division, International Atomic Energy Agency, P.O. Box 100, Wagramerstr. 5, A-1400 Vienna, Austria; email: h.makkar@iaea.org
This paper highlights the potential of a novel approach using an in vitro rumen fermentation technique for evaluation of nutritional quality of feed resources. This technique enables selection of a feed or feed constituents for high efficiency of microbial protein synthesis in the rumen along with high dry matter digestibility, and provides a basis for development of feeding strategies to maximise substrate fixation into microbial cells. This could lead to increase in the supply of protein to intestine and reduce methane production from ruminants. In addition, this technique provides an easy tool to study the effects of various plant active moieties or synthetic compounds for their adverse or beneficial effects on partitioning of nutrients to fermentative gases, short chain fatty acids, and microbial mass.
SOME PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR FEED EVALUATION USING THE GAS METHOD