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Methane Potential and Microbial Community Dynamics in Anaerobic Digestion of Silage and Dry Cornstalks: a Substrate Exchange Study

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Abstract

Silage and dry are the two typical cornstalk forms. Either form could be used as substrate in biogas plants and might be replaced by another when shortage occurred. This study focused on the feeding sequence of these two kinds of feedstocks, aiming to discuss their specific methane potential (SMP). A 15-day hydraulic retention time was chosen for semi-continuous experiments based on the batch test results. In semi-continuous experiments, before and after feedstocks were exchanged, the significantly decreased and comparable SMPs of silage and dry cornstalks indicated that a basis of unstable digestion would result in incomplete methane release from the subsequent digestion. A higher similarity of bacterial community structure and greater quantity of bacteria were shown in acidified silage cornstalk digestion through band similarity analysis. Methanosaetaceae and methanomicrobiales were the predominant methanogens, and aceticlastic methanogenesis was the main route for methane production. The different feeding sequences affected the hydrolysis course and further influenced the methanogenic proliferation. Our work suggests that silage cornstalk digestion should be conducted before dry cornstalk digestion.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the special fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest (No. 2012AA101803), the National Key Technology R&D Program of China (No. 2012BAD14B06), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51408600).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Agriculture, Center of Biomass Engineering, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100193, People’s Republic of China

    Ye Zhao, Xufeng Yuan, Boting Wen, Xiaofen Wang, Wanbin Zhu & Zongjun Cui

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  1. Ye Zhao
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  2. Xufeng Yuan
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  3. Boting Wen
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  4. Xiaofen Wang
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Correspondence to Zongjun Cui.

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Zhao, Y., Yuan, X., Wen, B. et al. Methane Potential and Microbial Community Dynamics in Anaerobic Digestion of Silage and Dry Cornstalks: a Substrate Exchange Study. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 181, 91–111 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-016-2201-x

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