Mixing plant material with manure may be key to profitable biogas production

The U.S. dairy industry is a major contributor to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, with manure storage and handling representing a significant source of methane. Anaerobic digestion of cow manure—a biological process in which microorganisms break down biodegradable organic matter—has been widely studied as a strategy to mitigate manure-related emissions while producing renewable energy. That energy comes in the form of biogas that can be used to generate electricity or make renewable natural gas.