Hveiti

refining life

DDGS intake reduces methane output of dairy cows

A Canadian study has found that distillers grains (protein co-product from the bioethanol production) can help reduce methane output and increase milk production in dairy cows, writes Holly Jessen, 24 may 2013 on ethanolproducer.com.

Chaouki Benchaar, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Dairy and Swine Research and Development Centre in Sherbrooke, Canada, has conducted a 4.6 month study where dairy cattle were fed DDGS at increasing rates of 10 %, 20 % and 30 %, while also decreasing corn and soybean meal intake. The basic conclusion was that the more DDGS the cows ate the less methane (or CH4) they produced. At the 30 % DDGS level, methane production was decreased by 14 %.

The study also revealed another DDGS-related bonus. When the dairy cows were eating 30 % DDGS milk production also increased by four kilograms per day. Overall dry matter intake also increased, which in layman’s terms means the cows ate more. Benchaar pointed out that corn is a costly energy source and soybean meal is a costly protein source. Adding in DDGS, which is a source of energy and protein, adds up to cost savings for livestock producers, he said, in addition to the benefits of decreased methane and increased milk production.  

Benchaar cited 2012 U.S. EPA numbers that showed that agricultural greenhouse gas emissions represented 6 % (428 million of CO2 equivalent) of total U.S. emissions. In Canada, it was 8 % (56 million tons of CO2 equivalent), according to 2012 numbers from Environment Canada. 

Read the entire article at ethanolproducer.com. 

Follow the developments within biorefining. hveiti regularly informs about our efforts to improve the environment.



Follow hveiti on facebook