Question

Cow dung and water is mixed and this slurry is fed into biogas plant for digestion by microbes. The person performing the process shares that there is no need to provide inoculum for it. Why? What is the role of microbes at source? Under which conditions will they be most active and effective?

Answer 1

Dear student
Biogas technology provides alternative source of energy. The microbes that are used in biogas plant are anaerobic in nature. They convert organic matter (cow dung and water mixed with slurry) into methane which serves an important method of waste treatment. Complex products are broken down into soluble products by the enzymes that are produced by these fermenting anaerobic bacteria. There is no need to add inoculum because of presence of cow dung along with slurry with microbes.
These microbes work effectively in absence of oxygen. The optimum pH should be around 6.6-7.6. The ratio of carbon to nitrogen should be around 25-30: 1.
Regards