Anaerobic digestion characteristics and key microorganisms associated with low-temperature rapeseed cake and sheep...

In this study, gas production from mixed anaerobic fermentation of rapeseed cake and sheep manure at low temperature (15.2-17.8 °C) was investigated in Qinghai rural household biogas digesters to understand the temporal dynamics of key microbial populations involved in fermentations. Different raw material ratios resulted in significantly different effects on biogas yields and microbial community compositions over 40 days. When the dry weight ratio of sheep manure to rapeseed cake was 1:2, the highest level of cumulative gas production was observed (122.92 m³·t^-1). Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria were the dominant bacterial phyla among the 29 digester samples (total relative abundances > 79.23%), followed by Synergistetes (4.09-10.7%). Lactobacillus was the most abundant genus in the biogas digesters with high rapeseed cake contents (average relative abundances: 14.68%), while Peptoniphilus exhibited higher abundances (12.69%) in the mixed treatments. In addition, unclassified Synergistaceae abundances (6.64%) were positively associated with biogas production variation among treatments. Bacteroides (5.74%) and Pseudomonas (5.24%) both accounted for larger proportions of communities in the digesters that used more sheep manure. Methanomicrobiales (66.55%) was the most dominant archaeal group among digesters, with Methanogenium (41.82%) and Methanoculleus (16.55%) representing the main gas-producing archaeal genera; they were more abundant in biogas digesters with higher sheep manure contents and higher rapeseed cake contents, respectively. VFAs and pH were the main factors associated with differences in microbial communities among the 29 samples. Specifically, VFA concentrations were positively correlated with Lactobacillus, Methanoculleus and Methanothrix abundances, while pH was positively correlated with Bacteroides, Pseudomonas, and Methanobacterium abundances.