Survival of seeds from perennial biomass species during commercial‐scale anaerobic digestion

Baute, Kurtis; Robinson, Darren E.; Eerd, Laura L. Van; Edson, Michael; Sikkema, Peter H.; Gilroyed, Brandon H.

doi:10.1111/wre.12202

Cited by 9 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 29 publications

(45 reference statements)

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“…Most available studies on seed survival in AD dealt with weeds (e.g., Jeyanayagam and Collins, 1984;Šarapatka et al, 1993;Schrade et al, 2003;Eckford et al, 2012;Westerman et al, 2012a;Johansen et al, 2013;Zhou et al, 2020). Of the plants whose biomass is (intended to be) used as biogas feedstock, only 14 species have been studied to date (Heiermann et al, 2010;Strauß et al, 2012;van Meerbeek et al, 2015;Baute et al, 2016;Sölter et al, 2016;Starfinger and Sölter, 2016;Hassani et al, 2021). Based on weeds studied through 2012, Westerman and Gerowitt (2013) identified plant groups whose seeds might have a higher probability of surviving AD than usual.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Viability of Wildflower Seeds After Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion in Lab-Scale Biogas Reactors

et al. 2022

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The use of wildflower species as biogas feedstock carries the risk that their seeds survive anaerobic digestion (AD) and cause weed problems if spread with the digestate. Risk factors for seed survival in AD include low temperature, short exposure and hardseededness (HS). However, it is not possible to predict how AD will affect seed viability of previously unstudied species. In laboratory-scale reactors, we exposed seeds of eight species from a mixture of flowering wild plants intended as biogas feedstock and three reference species to AD at two mesophilic temperatures. Half of the species were HS, the other was non-HS (NHS). Viability was determined using a combination of tetrazolium and germination tests. Viability and germinability were modeled as functions of exposure time using a dose-response approach. Responses to AD varied considerably among species, and none of the considered influencing factors (time, temperature, HS) had a consistent effect. Seed lots of a species differed in inactivation times and seed-killing efficacy. The HS species Melilotus officinalis, Melilotus albus, and Malva sylvestris were particularly AD-resistant. They were the only ones that exhibited biphasic viability curves and tended to survive and germinate more at 42°C than at 35°C. Viability of the remaining species declined in a sigmoidal curve. Most NHS species were inactivated within a few days (Cichorium intybus, Daucus carota, Echium vulgare, and Verbascum thapsus), while HS species survived longer (Malva alcea). AD stimulated germination in the HS species A. theophrasti and its AD-resistance overlapped with that of the most resistant NHS species, C. album and tomato. In all seed lots, germinability was lost faster than viability, implying that mainly dormant seeds survived. After the maximum exposure time of 36 days, seeds of HS species and Chenopodium album were still viable. We concluded that viability responses to mesophilic AD were determined by the interplay of AD-conditions and species- and seed-lot-specific traits, of which HS was an important but only one factor. For the use of wildflowers as biogas feedstock, we recommended long retention times and special care with regard to HS species.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Viability of Wildflower Seeds After Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion in Lab-Scale Biogas Reactors

et al. 2022

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“…Thirdly, anaerobic digestion of livestock manure improves organic fertilizer quality compared with undigested manure due to a better availability of important crop nutrients such as ammonium, phosphate and potassium and simultaneously improves soil structure and increases the soil organic matter content [ 17 , 18 ]. Moreover, biological degradation during anaerobic digestion can decrease the concentrations of weed seeds [ 19 ], pathogens [ 20 , 21 ] and antibiotics [ 21 , 22 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiome Diversity and Community-Level Change Points within Manure-based small Biogas Plants

et al. 2020

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Efforts to integrate biogas plants into bioeconomy concepts will lead to an expansion of manure-based (small) biogas plants, while their operation is challenging due to critical characteristics of some types of livestock manure. For a better process understanding, in this study, three manure-based small biogas plants were investigated with emphasis on microbiome diversity. Due to varying digester types, feedstocks, and process conditions, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing showed differences in the taxonomic composition. Dynamic variations of each investigated biogas plant microbiome over time were analyzed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP), whereby nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) revealed two well-running systems, one of them with a high share of chicken manure, and one unstable system. By using Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis (TITAN), community-level change points at ammonium and ammonia concentrations of 2.25 g L-1 and 193 mg L-1 or volatile fatty acid concentrations of 0.75 g L-1were reliably identified which are lower than the commonly reported thresholds for critical process stages based on chemical parameters. Although a change in the microbiome structure does not necessarily indicate an upcoming critical process stage, the recorded community-level change points might be a first indication to carefully observe the process.

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“…So far, most publications confirm the latter. Usually, biological degradation during anaerobic digestion reduces hazardous components to various extents [203,[212][213][214][215][216][217]. However, in some cases persistent pathogens, increased heavy metal concentrations or eco-toxic effects were observed [213,216,218,219].…”

Section: Coupling Anaerobic Digestion With Other Production Systems Omentioning

confidence: 99%

The Future Agricultural Biogas Plant in Germany: A Vision

et al. 2019

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After nearly two decades of subsidized and energy crop-oriented development, agricultural biogas production in Germany is standing at a crossroads. Fundamental challenges need to be met. In this article we sketch a vision of a future agricultural biogas plant that is an integral part of the circular bioeconomy and works mainly on the base of residues. It is flexible with regard to feedstocks, digester operation, microbial communities and biogas output. It is modular in design and its operation is knowledge-based, information-driven and largely automated. It will be competitive with fossil energies and other renewable energies, profitable for farmers and plant operators and favorable for the national economy. In this paper we discuss the required contribution of research to achieve these aims.

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Survival of seeds from perennial biomass species during commercial‐scale anaerobic digestion

Cited by 9 publications

References 29 publications

Viability of Wildflower Seeds After Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion in Lab-Scale Biogas Reactors

Viability of Wildflower Seeds After Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion in Lab-Scale Biogas Reactors

Microbiome Diversity and Community-Level Change Points within Manure-based small Biogas Plants

The Future Agricultural Biogas Plant in Germany: A Vision

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