Sustainable Management of Musa Waste Fodder as an Alternative for Ruminant Feeding: Potential Influence on Rumen Fermentation and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

The sustainability of livestock production currently faces a challenge due to the need to meet a growing demand for animal protein while simultaneously addressing the urgent need to reduce its environmental footprint. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Musa spp. waste fodder on ruminal fermentation and mitigation of gas, CH4 and CO2 production in vitro. Waste forage (leaves) was collected immediately after harvesting the fruit of Musa acuminata, Musa balbisiana, and Musa paradisiaca (six production farms were selected for each Musa spp.; 20 kg of fresh forage was collected from each farm). A completely randomized design was used, with three treatments (M. acuminata, M. balbisiana, and M. paradisiaca) and six repetitions (production farms). The digestibility of dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) was higher (p = 0.0001) in the waste forage of M. balbisiana (399.3 and 438.6 g/kg, respectively) compared to the other forages evaluated. In the volatile fatty acids, no differences were observed (p > 0.05). Gas production was lower (p < 0.0001) in M. acuminata and M. balbisiana. However, CH4 production was lower (p < 0.0001) only in M. acuminata. Regarding CO2 production, it was lower (p < 0.0001) in M. acuminata and M. balbisiana. In conclusion, Musa spp. fodder can be used for ruminant feed due to its high protein content, which in tropical and subtropical regions can be higher than that of many grasses. However, its recommendation and strategic utility for the mitigation of greenhouse gases must be distinguished according to the mitigation objective, since M. balbisiana optimizes the reduction in total gas and CO2, while M. acuminata does so with CH4, seeking to maximize the sustainability of livestock production systems, promoting the development of cleaner and more resilient agriculture.