Utilization of date pits as a potential source of biogas and organic fertilizer

The present research was carried out to investigate the possibility of utilization of date pits meal (DPM) as an organic fertilizer and non-traditional energy source. Anaerobic fermentation digesters were constructed, installed and operated at the biogas laboratory of the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, King Saud University, Al-Gassim Branch, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in order to study the effect of our mixtures [mixture 1 (100% cattle feces), mixture 2 (90% cattle feces and 10% date pits meal), mixture 3 (80% cattle feces and 20% date pits meal), and mixture 4 (70% cattle feces and 30% date pits meal)] on biogas production and chemical composition of the effluent slurry as organic fertilizer at 35 C fermentation temperature. Daily biogas production and its content of methane and carbon dioxide were recorded. Chemical analysis of influent and effluent slurries was also carried out. Biogas production from mixture 2 was 29.1%, 23.9%, and 53.4% higher than that for mixtures 1, 3, and 4, respectively. The digested mixtures under study have the potential of appropriate soil conditioners.