New Zealand Journal of
Agricultural Research abstracts
Short
communication
Methane
emission from sheep grazing four pastures in late summer in New Zealand
M. J. Ulyatt1,*
K. R. Lassey2
I. D. Shelton1
C. F. Walker2,†
1AgResearch
Limited
Private Bag
11 008
Palmerston North, New Zealand
2National
Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited
P.O. Box
14 901
Wellington, New Zealand
*Present address: 181 Omokoroa
Road, RD2, -Tauranga, New Zealand.
†Present address: Bermuda
Biological Station for -Research, 17 Biological Lane, Ferry Reach, St
Georges GEO1, Bermuda
Abstract Four
groups of sheep were grazed on four late summer/autumn pastures:
southern North Island summer moist hill country (Ballantrae); good
quality perennial ryegrass/white clover dominant pasture in the
Manawatu (Aorangi); severe late summer drought pasture in Hawke’s Bay
(Poukawa); and after drought conditions in Canterbury (Springston).
Mature ewes were used at Springston, while young wethers were used at
all the other sites. Methane emission from each animal was measured
using the sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)
tracer technique and feed intake was also determined. The pastures used
were chosen for their expected chemical compositions at that time of
the year. However, unseasonal rain fell just before the measurements
were made at Ballantrae, Aorangi, and Springston. Those three pastures,
although different in botanical composition, were similar in chemical
composition and dry matter (DM) digestibility. The Poukawa pasture was
dead and had low protein, soluble carbohydrate and DM digestibility,
and high cell wall content. For the Ballantrae, Aorangi, Poukawa, and
Springston pastures respectively, methane emissions were: 19.3, 21.9,
21.4, and 35.2 g/day; 13.8, 12.9, 17.8, and 21.1 g/kg
DM intake; and the methane yields (methane energy as a percentage of
gross energy intake) were 4.1, 3.9, 5.3, and 6.3%. The results support
the view that young wether sheep have a lower methane yield than mature
sheep and that methane yield is higher from pastures of poor feeding
value.
Keywords methane;
sheep; pastures
A05002; Received 14 January
2005; accepted 2 July 2005; Online publication date 13 September 2005
New Zealand Journal of
Agricultural Research, 2005, Vol. 48:
385–390
0028–8233/05/4804–0385 © The Royal Society of New
Zealand 2005
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