PRODUCTION OF BIOGAS USING COW DUNG AND POULTRY DROPPING

ABSTRACT The increasing demand for sustainable energy sources has intensified interest in biogas production from agricultural wastes. This study evaluated the biogas potential of cow dung and poultry droppings, both individually and in combination, under mesophilic anaerobic digestion conditions (30–37°C). Fresh substrates were prepared into slurries and digested in five treatments: 100% cow dung, 100% poultry droppings, 75:25, 50:50, and 25:75 cow dung-to-poultry ratios. Biogas yield was measured daily for 30 days using the water displacement method, while methane concentration and physicochemical properties (pH, temperature, C/N ratio) were analyzed. Results showed that poultry droppings produced higher biogas volumes than cow dung alone, but the highest yield and methane content were obtained from co-digestion, particularly the 50:50 mixture. The balanced C/N ratio of co-digested substrates provided favorable conditions for microbial activity, resulting in improved digestion stability and gas quality. Methane concentration peaked at 65% in the 50:50 treatment compared to 55% in poultry droppings alone and 48% in cow dung. These findings confirm that co-digestion of cow dung and poultry droppings enhances both the quantity and quality of biogas compared to mono-digestion. The study underscores the potential of optimized substrate mixing as a low-cost, sustainable strategy for renewable energy generation and agricultural waste management.