Impact of bioaugmentation by compost on the performance and ecology of an anaerobic digester fed with energy crops

The influence of compost as inoculum during continuous anaerobic digestion of fodder beet silage was studied over 330 days. Two simultaneously driven mesophilic fermentors (Inoc-1/Inoc-2) were inoculated with manure and sewage sludge. Only the digester Inoc-2 was inoculated additionally with compost. After 160 days fermentor Inoc-2 reached a hydraulic retention time (HRT) around 15 days whereas Inoc-1 remained at a HRT of 40d. After changing the substrate feed from one to three times a day both digesters stabilised at a shorter HRT; Inoc-2 at 10 days and Inoc-1 around 20 days. An additional inoculation of fermentor Inoc-1 by compost shortened the HRT to 10 days and revealed a minor increased gas production of about 6%. Fluorescence in situ hybridization indicated that probably an archaeal population shift was responsible for the observed stimulations. An addition of compost induced a methanogenic community change towards hydrogenotrophic methanogens.