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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Animal Nutrition and Metabolism
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1480682
This article is part of the Research Topic Using eco-friendly feedstuffs in ruminants to achieve a cleaner environment and reduced carbon footprint View all articles

Effects of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) on Enteric Methane Emissions in Dairy and Beef Cattle: A Meta-Analysis

Provisionally accepted
Muhammad Irfan Malik Muhammad Irfan Malik 1,2Jianping Li Jianping Li 1Maria Teresa Capucchio Maria Teresa Capucchio 2Talal Hassan Talal Hassan 2Xuezhao Sun Xuezhao Sun 1,3*
  • 1 Jilin Agricultural Science and Technology University, Jilin, China
  • 2 University of Turin, Turin, Piedmont, Italy
  • 3 AgResearch Ltd, Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: Distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a byproduct of grain fermentation for ethanol production, are extensively used in livestock feed. Given their nutrient composition, DDGS could potentially influence methane (CH4) emissions, a major greenhouse gas concern in ruminant production systems. This study utilized a multilevel random-effects meta-analysis to assess the impact of DDGS inclusion in cattle diets on CH4 production and yield.The literature search was conducted on 23rd July 2024. Studies reporting CH4 emissions and dry matter intake (DMI) in cattle fed DDGS-based diets were identified, and data extraction was performed. The meta-analysis calculated the mean difference (MD) for DMI and CH4 yield, and the relative mean difference (RMD) for CH4 production across the selected studies.Results: A total of k = 25 effect sizes from 10 studies were included in the DMI meta-analysis. DDGS had no significant effect on DMI in dairy or beef cattle [P = 0.770, MD = 0.070, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.420 to 0.561]. For CH4 production, k = 24 effect sizes from 10 studies were analyzed, revealing no significant effect (P = 0.759, RMD = -1.045%, 95% CI: -8.025 to 5.935). Similarly, the meta-regression model indicated that the ether extract (EE) of the diet had no significant influence (P = 0.815, 95% CI: -1.121 to 1.409) on CH4 production. For CH4 yield, k = 23 effect sizes from 10 studies were included, with results showing no significant effect (P = 0.475, MD = -0.434 g/kg DMI, 95% CI: -1.673 to 0.805). The regression model for the EE content of the diet also showed no significant impact on CH4 yield (P = 0.311, 95% CI: -0.366 to 0.122). Discussion: The findings suggest that the inclusion of DDGS does not significantly affect DMI, enteric CH4 production, or CH4 yield in cattle. Moreover, the EE content in DDGS-containing diets does not significantly influence CH4 outcomes. These results indicate that DDGS can be incorporated into cattle diets without exacerbating CH4 emissions, contributing to sustainable livestock feeding practices.

    Keywords: Distillers dried grains with solubles, Methane, dairy cows, Cattle, Meta-analysis

    Received: 14 Aug 2024; Accepted: 05 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Malik, Li, Capucchio, Hassan and Sun. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Xuezhao Sun, Jilin Agricultural Science and Technology University, Jilin, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.