Anaerobic degradability of organic matter of cattle faeces and a possibility of its utilization

Abstract

AbstrAct:The content of organic matter labile fractions is negligible in cattle faeces but the content of the anaerobically degradable fraction on the boundary of organic matter lability and stability is analytically utilizable and different. It depends not only on feed quality and quantity but also on all factors of enteric fermentation and processes determining the digestion of ruminants. In the present paper we attempted to describe the digestive tract of ruminants as an anaerobic bioreactor and to calculate its mass balance so that the measurement of a difference in the anaerobic degradability of feeds and faeces at steady state could be theoretically demonstrated as a multipurpose research method not bothering the animals. The first results in eight variants proved that feed quality and other factors influencing processes in the digestive tract of ruminants could be monitored in this way. Obviously, this method does not replace the present methods used for feed digestibility determination.

Anaerobic degradability and acid hydrolysis of organic manure as an illustration of dietary organic matter utilization in cows in relation to lactation period

“…It confirms our opinion that we cannot assess solely fraction LPI as a crucial criterion as Kolář et al (2010) did. Much better information is provided by the sum of LPI and LPII fractions, even though in comparison with the results of anaerobic digestion it is only an orientative result.…”

“…The results of studies aimed at anaerobic degradability (Süssmuth et al 1999) of organic matter of excrements as an illustration of their quality in relation to the condition of the digestive tract of ruminants at a steady state (Kolář et al 2010) allow a substantial enlargement of the sets of studied experimental variants because the Oxi Top Control (Merck device) with its OC 100 controller and the ACHAT OC programme make it possible to study 360 variants at the same time. However, it is hindered by the extremely high cost of this equipment for the time being because in the Czech Republic only the experimental containers with measuring heads with infrared interface amount to 3.6 million Czech Crowns.…”

Utilisation of Waste from Digesters for Biogas Production

“…the digestive tract of ruminants as an enzymatic bioreactor and to acquire information on its activity, on feed utilisation or digestibility and on the influence of various external factors on the digestion of these animals (Koláį et al 2010a) or to determine the share of particular animal species in the production of greenhouse gasses (Koláį et al 2009b). At the end of this subchapter dealing with the degree of organic matter lability and its changes after fermentation in a biogas plant these experimental data are presented: A mixture of pig slurry and primary (raw) sludge from the sedimentation stage of a municipal waste water treatment plant at a 1 : 1 volume ratio was treated in an experimental unit of anaerobic digestion operating as a simple periodically filled BATCH-system with mechanical agitation, heating tubes with circulating heated medium at a mesophilic temperature (40°C) and low organic load of the digester (2.2 kg org.…”