Effect of Processing Techniques Of Feeds on IN VITRO Methane Production

After boiling, soaking and reconstitution, samples of cereals, their byproducts and oilseed cakes were incubated In Hohenheim gas syringes to study total gas and methane production. Reconstitution of feed samples except maize bran and deoiled rice polish resulted in higher (P≤0.05) DM loss as compared to soaking and boiling. Soaking was effective (P≤0.05) in enhancing organic matter digestibility of cereals and oilseed cakes viz. oat, barley, mustard cake and deoiled mustard cake. Reconstitution of cereal byproducts and oilseed cakes increased (P≤0.05) their organic matter digestibility. Significant (P≤0.05) increase was observed in total gas production in maize after boiling. Among the byproducts, wheat bran showed an increase (P≤0.05) in gas production after reconstitution. Oilseed cakes except mustard cake showed a reduction in total gas production after soaking. Reduction (P≤0.05) in metha ne production was observed in soaked oats, barley, bajra, wheatbran and maize bran whereas reconstitution was effective in lowering (P≤0.05) methane production in groundnut cake, deoiled mustard cake and deoiled sunflower cake.’Results of this study indicate that soaking technique is effective in improving the nutritive value of cereals, whereas reconstitution is effective for cereal byproducts and oilseed cakes.