Abstract
Abstract The 8,000 biogas plants currently in operation in Germany are mainly fed with biomass from annual crops. However, feedstock from perennial crops such as miscanthus is expected to be more environmentally benign. If miscanthus is to be used in greater amounts as a substrate for anaerobic digestion, storage will become a relevant topic, as a continuous supply of biomass throughout the year is necessary. The objective of this study was to identify the miscanthus harvest time that best balances the simultaneous achievement of high silage quality, high digestibility and high methane hectare yields. For this purpose, biomass from four miscanthus genotypes with varying senescence characteristics was harvested on three different dates in autumn 2017. Part of the biomass was ensiled, and the methane yield of both ensiled and non‐ensiled biomass was analysed in a biogas batch test to assess the effect of ensiling on the methane hectare yield and digestion velocity. The ensiled biomass was found to have an up to 7% higher substrate‐specific methane yield and also showed a higher digestion velocity than the non‐ensiled biomass. The silage quality was best when miscanthus was harvested in mid‐October, due to highest lactic acid content (average: 3.0% of DM) and lowest pH (average: 4.39) compared to the harvests in mid‐September and beginning of October. Mass losses during ensiling (as high as 7.6% of fresh matter for the M. sinensis genotype Sin55 ) were compensated for by a higher substrate‐specific methane yield (up to 353 Nml CH 4 (g oDM) −1 ) in ensiled miscanthus. This resulted in non‐significantly different methane hectare yields for non‐ensiled (average: 4.635 Nm 3 CH 4 /ha) and ensiled miscanthus biomass (4.803 Nm 3 CH 4 /ha). A comparison of the four genotypes suggests that Miscanthus x giganteus is the most suitable genotype for ensiling as it had the best silage quality.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Ensiling increased substrate-specific methane yield by up to 7%.
- Taxon
- miscanthus
Miscanthuse0t0e1e2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“ensiled biomass was found to have an up to 7% higher substrate‐specific methane yield”
t0“miscanthus”
e1“The ensiled biomass was found to have an up to 7% higher substrate‐specific methane yield and also showed a higher digestion velocity than the non‐ensiled biomass”
e2“silage quality was best when miscanthus was harvested in mid‐October”
Claim · model-written summary
Ensiling increased digestion velocity.
- Taxon
- miscanthusMiscanthuse0t0e1e2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“ensiled biomass was found to have an up to 7% higher substrate‐specific methane yield and also showed a higher digestion velocity than the non‐ensiled biomass”
t0“miscanthus”
e1“The ensiled biomass was found to have an up to 7% higher substrate‐specific methane yield and also showed a higher digestion velocity than the non‐ensiled biomass”
e2“silage quality was best when miscanthus was harvested in mid‐October”
Claim · model-written summary
Mid-October harvest gave best silage quality.
- Taxon
- miscanthusMiscanthuse0
- Treatment
- harvested in mid‐Octobere0
- Outcome
- silage qualitye0
- Direction
- beste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“silage quality was best when miscanthus was harvested in mid‐October”
Claim · model-written summary
Mid-October harvest had highest lactic acid content, averaging 3.0% of DM.
- Taxon
- miscanthusMiscanthuse0t0e1e2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“highest lactic acid content (average: 3.0% of DM) and lowest pH (average: 4.39) compared to the harvests in mid‐September and beginning of October”
t0“miscanthus”
e1“The ensiled biomass was found to have an up to 7% higher substrate‐specific methane yield and also showed a higher digestion velocity than the non‐ensiled biomass”
e2“silage quality was best when miscanthus was harvested in mid‐October”
Claim · model-written summary
Mid-October harvest had lowest pH, averaging 4.39.
- Taxon
- miscanthusMiscanthuse0t0e1e2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“lowest pH (average: 4.39) compared to the harvests in mid‐September and beginning of October”
t0“miscanthus”
e1“The ensiled biomass was found to have an up to 7% higher substrate‐specific methane yield and also showed a higher digestion velocity than the non‐ensiled biomass”
e2“silage quality was best when miscanthus was harvested in mid‐October”
Claim · model-written summary
Ensiling losses reached 7.6% of fresh matter for Sin55.
- Taxon
- M. sinensis
Miscanthus sinensise0 - Material
- Sin55e0
- Outcome
- Mass losses during ensilinge0
- Value
- 7.6% of fresh mattere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Mass losses during ensiling (as high as 7.6% of fresh matter for the M. sinensis genotype Sin55 )”
Claim · model-written summary
Ensiled miscanthus had substrate-specific methane yield up to 353 Nml CH 4 (g oDM) −1.
- Taxon
- miscanthusMiscanthuse0
- Treatment
- ensilede0
- Outcome
- substrate‐specific methane yielde0
- Value
- 353 Nml CH 4 (g oDM) −1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“higher substrate‐specific methane yield (up to 353 Nml CH 4 (g oDM) −1 ) in ensiled miscanthus”
Claim · model-written summary
Ensiled and non-ensiled methane hectare yields did not differ significantly.
- Taxon
- miscanthusMiscanthuse0
- Treatment
- ensilede0
- Outcome
- methane hectare yieldse0
- Direction
- differente0
- Value
- 4.803 Nm 3 CH 4 /hae0
- Qualifier
- 4.635 Nm 3 CH 4 /hae0
- Comparator
- non‐ensilede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“non‐significantly different methane hectare yields for non‐ensiled (average: 4.635 Nm 3 CH 4 /ha) and ensiled miscanthus biomass (4.803 Nm 3 CH 4 /ha)”
Claim · model-written summary
Miscanthus x giganteus was judged the best genotype for ensiling because of silage quality.
- Taxon
- Miscanthus x giganteus
Miscanthus ×giganteuse0 - Material
- Miscanthus x giganteuse0
- Outcome
- best silage qualitye0
- Direction
- beste0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Miscanthus x giganteus is the most suitable genotype for ensiling as it had the best silage quality”
The same questions in other papers
processing · yield · Miscanthus (silver grass)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
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.