An automated method for measuring time-course of gas production of feedstuffs incubated with buffered rumen fluid

A system for automated registration of gas production in time upon incubation of feedstuffs with rumen fluid is presented. The system is based on weighing the amount of fluid replaced by fermentation gas, followed by calculation to gas volume and registration by a data logger. Incubations with glucose, rice starch and crystalline cellulose showed glucose to be fermentated at the fastest rate and cellulose at the slowest. The major source of variation was rumen fluid from different days. An example of a gas production curve is given for the incubation of grass and its cell wall fraction (obtained after treatment with Neutral Detergent reagent).