Biogas production from sugarcane leaves and tops using batch experiments

Sugarcane leaves and tops were studied as feedstock for biogas production. Sugarcane leaves and tops alone and those mixed with cow manure were separately digested in anaerobic batch reactors. The influent feedstock for digestion consisted of ratios of sugarcane leaves and tops-to-cow manure-to-water of 20:0:80 (sugarcane leaves and tops alone) and for co-digestion was 10:10:80 (sugarcane leaves and tops with cow manure). The anaerobic batch reactors comprised 50 mL syringes in a trial that compared methane (CH4) yields. The CH4 yield obtained from the co-digestion of the feedstock with cow manure was 145 L at standard temperature and pressure (STP) /kg chemical oxygen demand (COD) degraded while that of the digestion of sugarcane leaves and tops alone was just 61 L at STP/COD degraded. The rate of co-digestion of the sugarcane leaves and tops with cow manure was faster than that of the digestion without cow manure.