DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-093-1-0144

REDUCING DRY MATTER LOSSES AND EMISSIONS IN MAIZE SILAGE AND BIOGAS SYSTEMS USING A SILAGE ADDITIVE CONTAINING L. DIOLIVORANS

Witt, J.¹, Lara, C.², Kramer, E.¹, Sprafke, J.², Bezama, A.³, Nelles, M.^1,4

¹ ISF GmbH, Pinneberg, Germany

² Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Department of Waste and Resource Management, University of Rostock, Germany

³ University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

⁴ Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum gGmbH, the German Centre for Biomass Research, Leipzig, Germany

Silage additives are widely used to improve maize silage quality, yet their effects on the carbon footprint (CF) of silage production and biogas systems remain rarely studied. This study evaluated a biological silage additive containing homo‑ and heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria and assessed its impact on silage quality, dry matter (DM) losses during anaerobic and aerobic storage, biogas and methane yield, and the CF of maize‑to‑electricity generation. Maize silage prepared with (TM) and without silage additive (UM) was stored for 112 days and monitored during nine weeks of aerobic exposure. TM showed improved fermentation, higher acetic acid concentrations, strong suppression of yeasts and molds, markedly enhanced aerobic stability (72 h → 223 h), and substantially lower DM losses (21.5% → 5.21%). Biogas and methane yields increased by 5.9% and 6.8%, respectively. Using Global Warming Potential over a 100 year time horizon (GWP100), TM reduced the CF by 13.3% at the ensiling stage and by 6.9% at electricity generation stage compared to UM. Overall, the additive improved preservation efficiency and methane recovery, lowering the climate impact of maize‑based biogas systems primarily by reducing losses rather than altering emission processes, although biogenic CO₂ emissions were not considered. exposure and reduced yeast and mold counts (p < 0.01).

Klíčová slova: carbon footprint, silage additive, biogas, maize silage

stránky: 144-145, Publikováno: 2026, online: 2026