Indirect Estimation of CH4 from Livestock Feeds through TOCs Evaluation

Thirty-five available feeds were fermented in vitro in order to investigate their soluble total organic carbon (TOCs) and methane ($CH_4$) production rate. A fermentation reactor was designed to capture the $CH_4$ gas emitted and to collect liquor from the reactor during in vitro fermentation. The results showed that $CH_4$ production rate greatly varied among feeds with different ingredients. The lowest $CH_4$-producing feeds were corn gluten feed, brewer's grain, and orchard grass among the energy, protein, and forage feed groups, respectively. Significant differences (p<0.05) were found in digestibility, soluble total organic carbon (TOCs), and $CH_4$ emissions among feeds, during 48 h of in vitro fermentation. Digestibility and TOCs was not found to be related due to different fermentation pattern of each but TOCs production was directly proportional to $CH_4$ production (y = 0.0076x, $r^2$ = 0.83). From this in vitro study, TOCs production could be used as an indirect index for estimation of $CH_4$ emission from feed ingredients.