Abstract
Ruminant methane is a major contributor to the anthropogenic greenhouse gas
inventories of Australia and New Zealand. Direct intervention in the rumen
offers one means for controlling ruminant methane emissions. In this respect,
acetogenic bacteria (acetogens) normally present in the rumen are of interest
because they have the potential to provide an alternative sink for H2, an essential intermediate in the formation of
methane. Although little is known about the populations of acetogens in
grazing ruminants, studies on ruminants fed diets containing concentrates or
conserved forages indicate that the rumen contains a diversity of acetogens
and that some of these have the potential to act as hydrogenotrophs in place
of methanogens. This paper describes the current understanding of ruminal
acetogens and outlines potential applications of acetogens in methane
mitigation strategies. Strategies which use acetogens to outcompete and
displace methanogens are considered less likely to be successful than
strategies which use acetogens to maintain low H2
levels in the rumen following suppression of methanogens. However, the former
cannot be completely discounted at present.
Subject
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Cited by
123 articles.
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