Reduction of Methane Emission during Slurry Storage by the Addition of Effective Microorganisms and Excessive Carbon Source from Brewing Sugar

Storing livestock manure is the primary stage of manure management where microbial processes and chemical reactions result in the release of methane (CH 4 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), ammonia (NH 3 ), and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). This study examined the reduction of CH 4 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, CH 4 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 CH 4 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. Core Ideas Glucose addition leads to slurry self‐acidification by lactic acid production. Self‐acidification of slurry (pH <5.0) reduced CH 4 emissions by >85%. Bio‐augmentation with effective microorganisms reduced CH 4 emissions by 17–27%.