Biochar reduces enteric methane and improves growth and feed conversion in
local “Yellow” cattle fed cassava root chips and fresh cassava foliage (http://www.lrrd.org/public-lrrd/proofs/lrrd2411/leng24199.htm)
Abstract
Twelve local “Yellow” cattle with initial live weight ranging
from 80 to 100 kg were assigned in a completely randomized block design to a 2*2
factorial arrangement of four treatments with three replications. The factors
were: biochar at 0.6% of diet DM or none; and potassium nitrate at 6% of diet DM
or urea at 1.83% of diet DM. The basal diet was cassava root chips
fed ad libitum and fresh cassava foliage at 1%
of LW (DM basis). Sodium sulphate and sodium chloride were added to the
diet at the rate of 0.4% and 0.5% in the DM. The trial lasted 98 days following
a 21 day adaptation to the diets.
Live weight gain was increased 25% by adding biochar to the diet DM and tended to be decreased
when nitrate
replaced urea as the source of NPN. DM feed conversion was improved by biochar
and by urea replacing nitrate. DM feed intake was not affected by supplementation with biochar nor by the NPN
source. Both biochar and nitrate reduced methane production by 22 and 29%,
respectively, the
effects being additive (41% reduction) for the combination of biochar and nitrate.
R A Leng*, T R Preston** and Sangkhom Inthapanya
Faculty of Agriculture and Forest Resources, Souphanouvong University,
Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
inthapanyasangkhom@yahoo.com
*University of New England, Armidale NSW, Australia
**Finca Ecologica TOSOLY, AA48 Socorro, Colombia
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