Conditioning Biomass for Biogas Plants: Innovative Pre-Treatment and Digestate Valorization Techniques to Enhance Soil Health and Fertility

In line with the concept of sustainable agriculture, efforts should be made to increase the green energy yield and minimize the environmental impact of mineral fertilizers, maintaining high agricultural productivity. In alignment with the principles of sustainable development, plant biomass-based green energy is considered promising. A deep understanding of and enhancements to the anaerobic digestion process using plant biomass, along with digestate post-treatment for regenerative agriculture improvements, are key elements to achieve sustainability goals. This article describes innovative methods for plant biomass pre-treatment aimed at enhancing biogas yield and the fertilizing potential of the obtained digestate. Moreover, valuable insights into the process of digestate conditioning for valorization are discussed. Among these, separation and digestate stabilization techniques are emphasized. Furthermore, this article provides a comprehensive source of knowledge on the impact of digestate on soil quality, fertility, soil organic carbon sequestration, and microbiota. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of how digestate impacts regenerative agriculture.