PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF SOME CEREALS AS ENERGY CROPS FOR BIOGAS PRODUCTION

摘要

The value of plant biomass as additional input in the biogas process – i.e. as a co-ferment for anaerobicdigestion – is mainly determined by the potential biogas yield of the considered substrate and its methanecontent. Laboratory scale batch experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of different plant speciesand growth stages on the biogas production. Cereals examined include barley (Hordeum vulgare), rye (Secalecereale) and triticale (X Triticosecale) at anthesis, milk and dough stage. First results show the milk stage as aprobably optimum cutting stage for cereals. Further emphasis was placed on the use of natural silage as aconservation method for harvested herbaceous energy crops. In our study, all ensiled whole crop cerealsresulted in higher biogas yields than did fresh matter of proposed co-ferments, whereby methane recovery wasalmost constant.