@conference {41496,
	title = {Condensed tannins in birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) reduce methane emissions from dairy cows},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {64},
	year = {2004},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {160-164},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Hamilton},
	abstract = {Ruminant methane production contributes 34\% of New Zealand greenhouse gases, but emissions are affected by feed type. A trial conducted at Dexcel measured methane production by 32 Friesian dairy cows grazing either good quality perennial ryegrass pasture or birdsfoot trefoil (lotus, Lotus corniculatus), a legume with high nutritive value that contains condensed tannins (CT; 2.62 g CT/100 g DM). Half the cows on each diet were drenched with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to inactivate the CT and allow the effect of CT on methane production to be determined. Total methane production, measured using the SF6 tracer technique, was similar for the lotus and ryegrass cows (343.2 vs 360.6 g CH4/cow/d; ns), however, methane production per unit DMI was lower from cows fed lotus (19.9 vs. 24.2 g CH4/kg DM, P<0.001). The CT in lotus reduced methane production by 13\% relative to lotus when the CT had been inactivated by PEG, and was responsible for 66\% of the difference between lotus and ryegrass. Cows fed lotus produced 32\% less methane/kg milksolids compared to good quality ryegrass. The feasibility of feeding lotus as a methane mitigation option should now be assessed at a farm systems level to investigate effects on other greenhouse gases, productivity and profitability. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Woodward SL and Waghorn GC and Laboyrie PG}
}
@conference {41356,
	title = {Does feeding sulla (Hedysarum coronarium) reduce methane emissions from dairy cows?},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {62},
	year = {2002},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {227-230},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Palmerston North},
	abstract = {<p>Most of New Zealand\&rsquo;s methane is generated as a by-product of feed fermentation in the rumen of livestock and is released through the mouth and nose. An experiment conducted in late summer using Friesian and Jersey dairy cows investigated whether feeding sulla (Hedysarum coronarium), a condensed tannin (CT)-containing legume, reduced methane emissions without compromising milksolids production. Cows grazing sulla had higher intake (DMI; 13.1 vs. 10.7 kg DM/cow/d, P\&lt;0.001) and milksolids production (1.07 vs. 0.81 kg MS/cow/d, P\&lt;0.001) than cows grazing perennial ryegrass pasture. Total daily methane emissions were similar (253.9 vs. 260.0 g CH4 /cow/d, ns). However, cows fed sulla produced less methane production per unit DMI (19.5 vs. 24.6 g CH4 /kg DM, P\&lt;0.05) and per unit milksolids yield (243.3 vs. 327.8 g CH4 /kg MS, P\&lt;0.01) than those fed ryegrass due to the higher nutritive value of sulla compared with the ryegrass, and possibly the presence of CT. Further research will determine whether feeding alternative, high quality forages is a viable methane mitigation option for New Zealand dairy farm systems, but results of this study clearly indicate that CT-containing legumes, such as sulla, do effectively reduce methane emissions from dairy cows without compromising milksolids production.</p>},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Woodward SL and Waghorn GC and Lassey KR and Laboyrie PG}
}
