Biodelignification of agricultural and forest wastes: Effect on anaerobic digestion

Four lignocellulosic wastes (wood fiber, grass, corn stover and wheat straw) were treated with the ligninolytic fungus Phanerochaete flavido-alba to improve their anaerobic digestion. After 21 days solid substrate culture, lignin content was depleted in all materials by fungus in a range between 5 and 20%, but cellulose and hemicellulose were also biodegraded. Anaerobic biodegradability of corn stover, grass and wood fiber increased as a consequence of fungal treatment. Biogas production was enhanced only in wood fiber. Fungal delignified wood fiber produced 124 NL biogas kg(-1) dry wood fiber with a 64% methane, after 21 days anaerobic digestion; while non-inoculated controls did not produce any biogas. Predigestion of agricultural wastes (corn stover, grass and wheat straw) before biodelignification treatment failed to improve subsequent biogas production. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.