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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Cell Wall Biology and Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #308432

Title: Role of the ruminal microbiome in the production and composition of milk

Author
item Weimer, Paul

Submitted to: Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/21/2014
Publication Date: 10/2/2014
Citation: Weimer, P.J. 2014. Role of the ruminal microbiome in the production and composition of milk. In: Proceedings of Primera Conferencia de Gases de Efecto Invernadero en Sistemas Agropecuarios de Latinoamerica (GALA), September 30-October 3, 2014, Osorno, Chile. p. 33-40.

Interpretive Summary: Fat represents the largest fraction of energy in milk, and many pricing structures to pay producers are based on the fat content of milk. Microorganisms of the rumen are essential in producing volatile fatty acids used by the cow to produce milk, but they are also involved in producing compounds which regulate milk fat synthesis in the udder. Recent studies, using the techniques of molecular biology, have identified bacteria whose abundance in the rumen is strongly associated with milk fat depression. Further studies of this relationship may provide feeding and management strategies to allow producers to reduce milk fat depression in dairy cows.

Technical Abstract: Environmental problems associated with animal agriculture arise primarily from inherent inefficiencies in converting energy in feeds to useful products. Attenuating these inefficiencies provides substantial potential to improve both the economics and environmental footprint of animal agriculture, particularly in the case of ruminants. An attractive target is the improvement of feed efficiency (unit of product per unit feed input), particularly by maintaining and improving the fat content of milk, which represents the largest energy sink in dairy cattle. Some microbiological aspects of milk fat depression are presented within the context of the complexity and stability of the ruminal microbial community. Progress in modulating the composition of milk and improving feed efficiency will require further studies aimed not only at characterizing microbial community composition of the rumen, but also at linking specific microbial taxa to beneficial or deleterious production outcomes.