Addition of ginkgo fruit to cattle feces and slurry suppresses methane production by altering the microbial community structure.

The effect of ginkgo fruit addition on methane production potential of cattle feces and slurry was assessed in relation to other fermentation products and the microbial community. Holstein cattle fresh feces and slurry were left at 30°C for 0, 30, 60, 90, and 180 days with/without ginkgo fruit to monitor the effect on fermentation potential. With the addition of ginkgo fruit, methane production potential of feces was reduced on Day 30 and thereafter, and that of slurry was consistently reduced over the experimental period. As a general trend, ginkgo fruit addition resulted in decreased acetate and increased propionate in feces and acetate accumulation in slurry. With ginkgo fruit addition, MiSeq analyses indicated decreases in methanogen (in particular Methanocorpusculum), Ruminococcaceae, and Clostridiaceae populations and increases in Bacteroidaceae and Porphyromonadaceae populations, which essentially agreed with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay results. These data indicate that direct addition of ginkgo fruit to cattle excreta is useful for reducing methane emissions by altering the microbial community structure. The application of ginkgo fruit to lower methane emissions from cattle excreta is, therefore, useful in cases in which the excreta is left without special management for a long period of time.