Methane yield from anaerobic digestion of festulolium and tall fescue cultivated on a fen peatland under different harvest managements

This study evaluated the effects of harvesting managements with two-cuts (2C) and three-cuts (3C) per year for subsequent specific methane yield (SMY) and methane yield per hectare (MYPH) of festulolium and tall fescue cultivated on a riparian fen peatland in a block-designed field experiment (n=3). For the 2C managements, three timings of the first cut were implemented corresponding to growth stages of pre-heading (2C-early), inflorescence emergence (2C-mid), and flowering (2C-late). Anaerobic digestion batch assays with biomass samples were run for 68 days, showing that 90% of total methane (CH4) was produced within 38 days. Specific methane yield ranged from 315 to 464NLCH(4)kg(-1) volatile solids (mean, 393NL). On average, SMY of the final cut biomass was 13% lower than the first cut biomass. Methane yield per hectare ranged from 5277 to 6963Nm(3)CH(4)ha(-1) (mean, 6265Nm(3)) and was predominantly influenced by biomass yield since SMY only deviated modestly in relation to harvest management (crop maturity). Methane yield per hectare of festulolium under 3C and 2C-late management were significantly higher than 2C-early and 2C-mid managements, whereas the harvesting managements did not influence MYPH of tall fescue. The levels of SMY and MYPH in the present study represented high-end of reported values due to a combination of high activity of the biogas inoculum and a high productivity of festulolium and tall fescue at the riparian fen peatland.