Effect of supplementing Tithonia diversifolia leaves with potassium nitrate or urea on methane production using sugar cane stalk as energy source

 Siton Kongvongxay, Sangkhom Inthapanya and T R Preston*

Faculty of Agriculture and Forest Resource, Souphanouvong University, Lao PDR
inthapanyasangkhom@yahoo.com
Livestock Research Center, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute, Laos
AA#48, Socorro, Santander, Colombia
 

Abstract

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect on methane production of potassium nitrate or urea as NPN sources in substrates containing varying ratios of sugar cane and Tithonia diversifolia. The treatments in a 6*2 factorial arrangements with 4 replications were: proportions of Tithonia leaf meal  of 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% replacing sugar cane and source of NPN  (Potassium nitrate or urea).

 Gas production and substrate solubilized was increased with increasing proportions of Tithonia in the substrate.  Methane percentage in the gas and methane per unit substrate solubilized was decreased with increasing proportion of Tithonia in the substrate. At all ratios of Tithonia and sugar cane the percentage of methane in the gas and the  production of methane per unit substrate solubilized was reduced by nitrate compared with urea There were no differences in ammonia concentration but VFA concentration was increased as Tithonia replaced sugar cane in the substrate. Ammonia and VFA concentrations were lower with nitrate than with urea.

Keywords: climate change, fermentation, gas production, greenhouse grass, tannins, urea