Evaluation of Concentrate Feedstuffs for Carbohydrate and Protein Fractions and In Vitro Methane Production

To develop a database in respect of carbohydrate and protein fractions as per Cornell net carbohydrate and protein system (CNCPs) and to determine the in vitro methane production, 17 feed samples were collected. Among the grains and oilseed cakes highest RDN (%) (fraction A + B₁ + B₂) was in oat and groundnut cake whereas bypass protein (fraction B₃) was highest in pearl millet and soybean cake in respective groups. Highest proportion of RDN (%) in babool pod and B₃ fraction in deoiled ricebran (68.56% of CP) was present in byproducts. The amount of C fraction among grains and cakes was maximum in wheat (4.89% of CHO) and cotton seed cake (34.5% of CHO). Lignin bound carbohydrate amongst the byproducts varied between 1/7th in wheat bran to 1/3rd of total carbohydrate in deoiled rice bran. Methane production (ml/g digestible DM) was lowest in pearl millet followed by wheat, and among the cakes it was lowest in mustard followed by groundnut cake. Rice bran, babool pod, wheat and barley yielded minimum methane. The present study concludes that the basic hypothesis of present study that the basic characteristic of a feed in term of methane production is unique, thus selection of a feedstuff based on methane production appears as an attractive proposition.