Material and microbial changes during corn stalk silage and their effects on methane fermentation.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Microbiology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Efficient corn stalk silage is vital for optimizing methane production.
• Understanding the dynamic changes in materials and microbes during silage is crucial for storage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the dynamic changes in corn stalk silage materials and microbial communities.
• To optimize silage time for methane production and analyze the endogenous microbial community.

Main Methods:

• Laboratory-scale study of corn stalks under different silage times (0, 2, 5, 10, 20, 30 days).
• Analysis of volatile fatty acid concentration, pH, lactic acid concentration, methane yield, and microbial community composition.

Main Results:

• Volatile fatty acid concentration increased significantly by Day 10, while pH dropped below 4.20.
• High lactic acid concentration (44%) on Day 10 inhibited methane yield, which decreased from 229mL/g TS to 207mL/g TS.
• Methanosaeta remained the predominant archaea, but its richness decreased from 14.11% to 4.75% during silage.

Conclusions:

• Silage process alters corn stalk composition and microbial community structure.
• Lactic acid accumulation during silage negatively impacts methane production efficiency.
• Further research is needed to mitigate inhibitory effects and enhance methane yield from corn stalk silage.