This review analyses methane emissions
from dairy farms due to enteric fermentations
and use of different feed additives as a strategy
to control them. CH4 is a product that forms
during the fermentation of food in the rumen
of ruminants and on average represents a 7%
loss of the energy ingested by the animal. CH4
is also a potent greenhouse gas. Various
approaches have been studied in many countries
with the aim of reducing methane emissions
of digestive origin like the use of
biotechnologies to modify the microbial
ecosystem. This include selection of rumen
micro-organisms through the elimination of
protozoans or the inoculation of exogenous
bacterial strains, vaccination against
methanogenic micro-organisms, etc. or use of
new food additives like plant extracts, organic
acids, etc. and are theoretically promising
paths. Their application is however still not
known because trials are being performed
mainly in vitro. This article focuses on reducing
methanogenesis by adjusting the composition
of the feed distributed to animals