Investigating the Potential of Combining Cattle Waste with Switchgrass and Sugar Beet Leaves for Biogas Production

This research aimed to determine the biogas potential produced as a result of different mixtures of cattle waste (CW), three different Switchgrass (SG) (Panicum virgatum L.) and beet leaves (BL). In the study, a laboratory-scale setup was established to determine the biogas potential. The experimental design used in this study consisted of three treatment groups. Biogas measurements were taken until the end of biogas production of the materials and recorded on computer at. In the first experimental group, biogas yields of all materials were determined separately. In the second experimental group, cattle waste (CW) (1:1 ratio) was mixed with other materials. It was observed how much the amount of gas produced by the cattle waste, which was kept constant, increased as a result of the mixture with which material, and the Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) plant, which provided the highest yield, was selected. Then, in the third experimental group, the cattle waste (CW) was kept constant at fifty percent and different mixtures of Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) plant and beet leaves were formed. It was revealed in which mixture the highest biogas yield was obtained. In the study, it was observed that the biogas yield rate of cattle waste was higher than the other materials within the framework of the literature information and the extent to which Switchgrass plants and beet leaves increased the biogas yield. During the measurements, the temperature and pH values were checked periodically and the mixing process was carried out by hand shaking every day. The experimentals were carried out considering a 10% dry matter rate. The highest biogas yield was found to be 3504.07 mL g DM-1 of CW (Cattle Waste) at the end of the 30th day in the 1st experimental group. Biogas yield values for the other materials in the 1st experimental group were determined as BL 2148 mL. gDM-1 , SG1 (Kanlow) 1971.4 mL.gDM-1 , SG2 (Shawne) 1058.4 mL g DM-1 and SG3 (Alamo) 822.5 mL.g DM-1 , respectively. In the 2nd experimental group, after the gas outflows stopped at the end of the 16th day, the highest biogas yield was determined as 707.82 mL.gDM-1 in the CW-SG1 mixture. In the 3rd experimental group, at the end of the 43rd day, a total of 1997.5 mL.gDM-1 was determined in the CW (50%)- SG (20%)- BL (30%) mixture.