
58
_________________________ Revista Cientíca, FCV-LUZ / Vol. XXXIII, Supl. Esp., 58 - 59, 2023, https://doi.org/10.52973/rcfcv-wbc005
BUFFALO FEED EFFICIENCY: OPTIMIZING THE USE OF FIBROUS 
BIOMASS CARBON TO ENHANCE PRODUCTION WHILE 
MITIGATING RUMEN METHANE EMISSION
Eciencia alimenticia para búfalos: optimización del uso de carbono de biomasa brosa 
para mejorar la producción y al mismo tiempo mitigar la emisión de metano en el rumen
Metha Wanapat
Tropical Feed Resources Research and Development Center, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen 
University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand. 
Corresponding e-mail: Metha WanapatCorresponding e-mail: Metha Wanapat  metha@kku.ac.th
such  as  the  urea-lime  (2+2%  U-lime)  has  been  successfully 
exploited to enhance the crude protein content and digestibili-
ty of nutrients while mitigating the rumen methane production. 
The U-lime treated rice straw and supplementation of phyto-
nutrient  fruit-peel  pellets  (MARABAC)  have  signicantly  im-
proved rumen fermentation in the ruminants. Therefore, dietary 
manipulation based on the pre-treatment of the brous feeds 
and supplementation of phytonutrient pellets should be more 
intervened.  Furthermore,  the  feeding  interventions  based  on 
the  use  of  locally  available  resources  should  be  extensively 
exploited, focusing on the hands-on establishment (E), devel-
opment  (D),  utilization  (U),  and  sustainability  (S)  (EDUS)  for 
all engaged stakeholders of farm level up to the industrial plat-
form, ultimately, the bualo production scenario would be eco-
nomically viable and environmentally friendly system.
Keywords: Ruminant, smart converter, net-zero, biomass, an-
imal protein-based food, biogenic methane.
RESUMEN
Los búfalos son uno de los rumiantes importantes que contri-
buyen a la seguridad alimentaria en forma de carne y leche, 
así como sus subproductos como piel, cuernos y estiércol. Se 
ha revelado que la carne, la  leche  y  sus productos de búfa-
la  tienen  altos  valores  nutritivos,  especialmente  los  perles 
de proteínas y aminoácidos y algunos compuestos bioactivos 
esenciales para la salud  y el bienestar. Por encima  de  todo, 
los búfalos son rumiantes ecientes a la hora de convertir los 
alimentos ricos en bra, en particular la biomasa agrícola y los 
subproductos industriales, al mejorar los productos nales de 
la  fermentación  ruminal  a  través  de  la  vía  anaeróbica  Emb-
den-Meyerhof-Parnas y al mismo tiempo mitigar la emisión de 
ABSTRACT
Bualoes  are  one  of  the  important  ruminants  contributing  to 
food  security  in  the  form  of  meat  and  milk,  as  well  as  their 
by-products  such  as  skin,  horns,  and  manure.  The  bualo’s 
meat, milk, and their products have been revealed to have high 
nutritious values, especially the protein and amino acids pro-
les and some essential bioactive  compounds for health and 
well-being. Above all, the bualoes are the smart ruminants in 
converting the high brous feeds, in particular, the agricultural 
biomass and industrial by-products, by enhancing the  rumen 
fermentation  end-products  via  the  anaerobic  Embden-Mey-
erhof-Parnas pathway while mitigating  rumen methane emis-
sion. Concerning the rumen microbiomes of bualoes, it  has 
been reported that they were  highly  diversied  and relatively 
higher-abundant compared to cattle, leading to enhanced to-
tal volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and lower methane production, 
the  biogenic  methane.  The  current  advanced  analysis  using 
Next-Generation  Sequencing  (NGS)  of  rumen  microbiomes 
oered  a  more  insightful  understanding  of  their  ability  to  de-
grade more brous feeds, especially agricultural crop residues, 
low-quality  roughages,  and  some  plastic  materials.  Relative 
abundances of the predominant bacterial population have been 
found under the phyla; Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes such as 
Ruminococcus  albus,  Ruminococcus avefeciens, and  Fibro-
bacter  succinogenes  and  Prevotella  ruminocola.  Enormous 
agricultural biomass has been commonly available globally as 
a result of crop cultivation, especially those of straws, stovers, 
vines, and tops, as well as industrial by-products such as pine-
apple peels, cassava pulp, sugarcane bagasse, sorghum res-
idues. Despite their abundance, their nutritive values  contain 
a low crude protein level, and high lignocellulosic is addition-
ally  encountered.  Hence,  simple  and  practical  pre-treatment