Abstract
Mitigation of methane (CH4) emissions from ruminants is necessary not only from the global warming point of view but also for saving dietary energy. Livestock being the significant contributors to the anthropogenic CH4 pool have remained the prime target of global research for the past two decades, in order to find suitable, sustainable and economical possibilities of reducing enteric CH4 emission. The adoption of a particular strategy by the stakeholders depends on the input cost, economic status, toxicity to host/inhabiting microbes, mitigation potential and persistency in long run. Among all the available options, feed-based intervention seems remarkable, and can be tried anywhere by making little alterations to the available feed resources and prevailing feeding practices. This chapter deliberates the pros and cons of various nutritional interventions, along with their future prospects to reduce enteric CH4 emission. Issues like necessity of methanogenesis in the rumen, the feasibility of reducing livestock numbers and cutting down emissions, and the expected reimbursements that arise from this practically feasible reduction, are well debated in the chapter.