Konservierung von Zuckerrüben zur Substratversorgung von Biogasanlagen – Verlauf der Silierung und Verluste bei 12 Sorten

Due to the criticism of the intensive cultivation of maize in Germany as well as the problem of more frequently occurring pests in crop rotation sugar beet has been used successfully as a substrate for biogas plants in recent years. Varieties with a high sugar yield proved to be particularly suitable. However, sugar beet has to be conserved and stored in order to integrate it into the process of biogas production throughout the entire year. Neither the success of conservation nor potential losses over the storage period have been documented so far. Batch tests have been used to investigate the course of conservation, watching the pH value and the losses while ensiling twelve different sugar beet varieties. The sugar beets were ensilaged as pulp under anaerobic conditions in a fourfold repetition for 90 days. In all variants, an almost parallel development of the pH value was observed. Although there were significant differences between the pH values of the different variants all pH values were sufficiently low to ensure safe conservation. Losses of methane forming potential after 90 days of storage fluctuated between approximately 10 and 20%. Alcoholic fermentation was identified as the reason for these losses. The results show that ensiling of different sugar beet varieties can be achieved quickly and safely. Also, alcoholic fermentation after acidification of the silage leads to considerable fluctuations in the level of losses, both the dry substance and the methane forming potential.