The Effect of High Dietary Cation Concentration on Methanogenesis by Steers Fed Diets with and without Ionophores

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Abstract
Nine steers (300 to 350 kg body weight) were divided into three groups and received either no ionophore, monensin or lasalocid in a 70% craclced corn basal diet for the entire experiment. Within each group, a 3 × 3 Latin-square design was used to evaluate the effect of a high cation concentration added to the diets on in vivo methanogenesis. The three cation treatments consisted of NaCl or KCl addition (Na or K increased to 2.5% of diet dry matter) or no cation addition. Sodium addition decreased methane production in the monensin group 19% when compared with control (P<.05). Sodium also tended to decrease methane in the lasalocid group (P<.1) but had no effect on the no-ionophore group. There was no significant effect of K addition on methane production when compared to no added cation. However, K tended to increase methane in both the lasalocid and no-ionophore groups and decrease methane in the monensin group. Results of this experiment support in vitro evidence that cation levels may modulate ionophore effects on methane production. Copyright © 1986. American Society of Animal Science. Copyright 1986 by American Society of Animal Science

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