Abstract

Storing livestock manure is the primary stage of manure management where microbial processes and chemical reactions result in the release of methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), ammonia (NH₃), and carbon dioxide (CO₂). This study examined the reduction of CH₄ emissions from slurry storage under two temperatures (cool [10°C] and warm [30°C]) when a glucose-rich substrate (brewing sugar) and activated effective microorganisms were applied at 10% (w/w) and 5% (v/w), respectively. Brewing sugar addition influenced microbial anaerobic respiration, resulting in a reduction of slurry pH to <5.0, through “self-acidification” caused by lactic acid production. Subsequently, CH₄ emissions were significantly reduced by 87 and 99% in the cool and warm environments, respectively. The effective microorganism treatment did not change the chemical characteristics of the slurry but reduced CH₄ emissions by 17 and 27% (P < 0.05) in the cool and warm environments, respectively. These results suggest that self-acidification after addition of a carbon source may be a promising alternative to slurry acidification using concentrated acids.

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