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2 August 2013 Variability of in vitro ruminal fermentation and methanogenic potential in the pasture legume biserrula (Biserrula pelecinus L.)
Bidhyut Kumar Banik, Zoey Durmic, William Erskine, Phillip Nichols, Kioumars Ghamkhar, Philip Vercoe
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Biserrula (Biserrula pelecinus L.) is an important annual pasture legume for the wheatbelt of southern Australia and has been found to have lower levels of methane output than other pasture legumes when fermented by rumen microbes. Thirty accessions of the biserrula core germplasm collection were grown in the glasshouse to examine intra-specific variability in in vitro rumen fermentation, including methane output. One biserrula cultivar (Casbah) was also grown at two field locations to confirm that low methanogenic potential was present in field-grown samples. All of the biserrula accessions had significantly reduced methane [range 0.5–8.4 mL/g dry matter (DM)] output compared with subterranean clover (28.4 mL/g DM) and red clover (36.1 mL/g DM). There was also significant variation in fermentability profiles (except for volatile fatty acids) among accessions of the core collection. Methanogenic potential exhibited 86% broad-sense heritability within the biserrula core collection. The anti-methanogenic and gas-suppressing effect of biserrula was also confirmed in samples grown in the field. In conclusion, biserrula showed variability in in vitro fermentation traits including reduced methane production compared with controls. This bioactivity of biserrula also persists in the field, indicating scope for further selection of biserrula as an elite methane-mitigating pasture.

© CSIRO 2013
Bidhyut Kumar Banik, Zoey Durmic, William Erskine, Phillip Nichols, Kioumars Ghamkhar, and Philip Vercoe "Variability of in vitro ruminal fermentation and methanogenic potential in the pasture legume biserrula (Biserrula pelecinus L.)," Crop and Pasture Science 64(4), 409-416, (2 August 2013). https://doi.org/10.1071/CP13073
Received: 22 February 2013; Accepted: 1 May 2013; Published: 2 August 2013
KEYWORDS
Biserrula pelecinus L
fermentability
heritability
methanogenic potential
pasture legume
VFA
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