Effect of Biological Pre-Treatment of Agricultural Waste on Biogas Production

A total 12 samples of yak dung, compost and soil were collected and processed microbiologically for cellulose decomposer ability and identification of efficient isolates from high altitude from Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur districts. Based on the colony morphology, 34 bacterial isolates (08 from yak dung, 19 from soil and 07 from manure samples) recovered on nutrient agar. 24 isolates were of cellulose degrading nature further identified biochemically and 6 isolates were of Bacillus spp. And 01 isolate was of Pseudomonas spp. These isolates were employed for biological pretreatment of paddy straw for two weeks and then run in laboratory biogas digester along with control digester. The digester set was observed from the second day of run upto three weeks and it was observed that the there was high biogas production in test digester as compared to control digester. It was concluded from out study that the utilization of consortium of Bacillus spp and Pseudomonas spp found 10 percent higher biogas production at ambient temperature from rice straw.