In vitro production of gas methane by tropical grasses

Objective . Estimate the production of methane (CH4) by tropical grasses fermented in vitro. Materials and methods. A sample of 20 g dry matter of Cynodon nlemfuensis, Hyparrhenia rufa, Megathyrsus maximus and Digitaria swazilandensis plus 200 ml of culture medium were plated in triplicate flasks sterile stainless steel with CO2 flux, inoculated with 20 ml of ruminal fluid bovine, incubated at 38 °C for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. Total production of gas, CH4, volatile fatty acids, and pH were evaluated in a completely randomized design with three replicates per treatment and comparison of means with Tukey; the concentration of total and cellulolytic bacteria were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis, and the GLM procedure independent data Wilcoxon rank. Results. H. rufa and D. swazilandensis both had the lowest total gas production (p0.05), while the concentration of cellulolytic bacteria was lower in C. nlemfuensis y D. swazilandensis when 96 of incubation (p0.05), mientras que la concentración de bacterias celulolíticas fue menor en C. nlemfuensis y D. swazilandensis a la hora 96 de incubación (p