Back to Search Start Over

Effect of Legumes Intercropped with Maize on Biomass Yield and Subsequent Biogas Production

Authors :
Antonín Kintl
Igor Huňady
Tomáš Vítěz
Martin Brtnický
Julie Sobotková
Tereza Hammerschmiedt
Monika Vítězová
Jiří Holátko
Vladimír Smutný
Jakub Elbl
Source :
Agronomy, Vol 13, Iss 11, p 2775 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2023.

Abstract

The presented study deals with the use of legumes intercropped with maize for the production of biogas from silage. The main goal was to find out whether silages made from mixed cultures can be used in biogas production and how the use of such silages affects qualitative and quantitative parameters of the fermentation process compared with the pure maize silage. Variants prepared were pure cultures of maize, bean, lupin, and white sweet clover. In addition, mixed cultures were prepared of maize and individual legumes. Measured values showed that in terms of dry matter (DM) yield, mixed culture silages are almost of the same or even better quality than silage made from the maize monosubstrate. Compared with the maize monoculture silage, the presence of white lupine, white sweet clover, and broad bean in silages statistically significantly increased the content of DM, ash, and acid detergent fiber (by more than 5%). Bean and lupine in mixed silages with maize significantly increased the content of lipids (on average by more than 1.2%). Legumes in silages were significantly decreasing contents of neutral detergent fiber, crude protein, and starch. Production of biogas from silages of maize monosubstrates and mixed substrates of maize with white lupin, maize with white sweet clover, and maize with broad bean was directly proportional to the content of CAR and starch in these substrates. A perspective variant was the mixed substrate of maize and sweet clover from which biogas production was only 6% lower than that from conventional maize silage. The highest yield was recorded in the maize monosubstrate (0.923 m3/kgVS). Variants of mixed substrates had a yield ranging from 0.804 to 0.840 m3/kgVS.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
13112775 and 20734395
Volume :
13
Issue :
11
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Agronomy
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.2c7bcc1bcac64d4391c857ce76c64e92
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13112775