Abstract
BACKGROUND: Ensiling is a common method of preserving energy crops for anaerobic digestion, and many scientific studies report that ensiling increases the methane yield. In this study, the ensiling process and the methane yields before and after ensiling were studied for four crop materials. RESULTS: The changes in wet weight and total solids (TS) during ensiling were small and the loss of energy negligible. The methane yields related to wet weight and to volatile solids (VS) were not significantly different before and after ensiling when the VS were corrected for loss of volatile compounds during TS and VS determination. However, when the TS were measured according to standard methods and not corrected for losses of volatile compounds, the TS loss during ensiling was overestimated for maize and sugar beet. The same methodological error leads to overestimation of methane yields; when TS and VS were not corrected the methane yield appeared to be 51% higher for ensiled than fresh sugar beet. CONCLUSIONS: Ensiling did not increase the methane yield of the studied crops. Published methane yields, as well as other information on silage related to uncorrected amounts of TS and VS, should be regarded with caution.
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Claims 4
Claim · model-written summary
With volatile-solid correction, methane yields per wet weight and per VS of the crop materials were not significantly different before and after ensiling.
Verbatim
e0“the methane yields before and after ensiling were studied for four crop materials”
e1“The methane yields related to wet weight and to volatile solids (VS) were not significantly different before and after ensiling when the VS were corrected for loss of volatile compounds during TS and VS determination”
Claim · model-written summary
Uncorrected TS loss during ensiling was overestimated for maize and sugar beet.
- Taxon
- maize and sugar beet
Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris
Zea mayse2 - Treatment
- not corrected for losses of volatile compoundse2
- Outcome
- TS losse2
- Direction
- overestimatede2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“when the TS were measured according to standard methods and not corrected for losses of volatile compounds, the TS loss during ensiling was overestimated for maize and sugar beet”
Claim · model-written summary
Without TS and VS correction, the methane yield of ensiled sugar beet appeared 51% higher than that of fresh sugar beet.
- Taxon
- sugar beetBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgarise3
- Treatment
- ensilede3
- Outcome
- methane yielde3
- Direction
- highere3
- Value
- 51%e3
- Qualifier
- when TS and VS were not correctede3
- Comparator
- freshe3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“when TS and VS were not corrected the methane yield appeared to be 51% higher for ensiled than fresh sugar beet”
Claim · model-written summary
Published methane yields and uncorrected TS and VS information on silage should be regarded with caution.
Verbatim
e0“the methane yields before and after ensiling were studied for four crop materials”
e5“Published methane yields, as well as other information on silage related to uncorrected amounts of TS and VS, should be regarded with caution”
The same questions in other papers
processing · yield · Beta vulgaris (beet)Positive and negative results
1 paper in the same direction as this paper · 4 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
2 papers more in this group
See all 6 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.