Summary
This narrative review examines how the shift from ancestral forage-only diets to modern high-concentrate diets in intensive cattle production systems alters rumen microbiota composition and function. The authors synthesise evidence on how dietary transitions reshape ruminal microbial communities and cross-feeding networks, characterising distinct microbial profiles under high-concentrate versus high-forage conditions and proposing an integrative framework that links microbial symbiotic balance to rumen health and production efficiency rather than focusing on isolated taxa.
Regional applicability
The findings are globally applicable to intensive cattle production systems wherever high-concentrate feeding is practised. The mechanistic insights regarding rumen microbiota shifts and forage-to-concentrate ratios will be directly relevant to United Kingdom intensive beef and dairy operations seeking to optimise production efficiency whilst maintaining rumen stability.
Key measures
Ruminal microbiota composition (via sequencing and omics), forage-to-concentrate dietary ratios, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, microbial protein synthesis, microbial cross-feeding network dynamics
Outcomes reported
The review characterised how dietary composition, particularly the forage-to-concentrate ratio, reshapes ruminal microbiota composition and microbial cross-feeding networks in intensive production systems. It identified beneficial and potentially detrimental microorganisms associated with high-concentrate versus high-forage diets and proposed a framework linking microbial symbiotic balance to rumen health and production efficiency.
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