New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
The effect of age on methane emissions from young, weaned red deer (Cervus
elaphus) stags grazing perennial-ryegrass (Lolium perenne)-based
pasture
N. M. Swainson1,2
S. O. Hoskin1*
H. Clark2
N. Lopez-Villalobos1
1Institute of Veterinary
Animal and Biomedical Sciences
Massey University
Private Bag 11222
Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
2Rumen, Nutrition and Welfare Section
Food & Health
AgResearch Ltd Grasslands Research Centre
Private Bag 11008
Tennent Drive
Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
*Author for correspondence:
S.O.Hoskin@massey.ac.nz
Abstract Sheep less than 1 year of age
consistently yield
approximately 20% less methane than older adult sheep. This has
implications for New Zealand’s National Inventory of Greenhouse Gas
Emissions. The aim of this study was to determine if emissions from
young farmed deer also increase with age. Methane emissions of 20 red
deer stags grazing permanent perennial ryegrass-based pasture were
measured four times post-weaning, at 4.5, 6.5, 9 and 11.5 months of
age, using the sulphur hexafluoride technique. Methane production and
methane yield increased with age (P < 0.05) and appeared
lower (26%) than previous measurements from adult deer on similar
pasture. The results from this study imply that total methane emissions
from young deer recorded in the New Zealand greenhouse gas inventory
are likely to be overestimated if values used for the inventory are
based on adult methane emissions.
Keywords methane; pasture; red deer;
sulphur hexafluoride
technique
A06061: Online publication date 6 July 2007; Received 2 November
2006; accepted 29 May 2007
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2007, Vol. 50:
407–416
0028–8233/07/5003–0407 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2007
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