MANITOBA CO-OPERATOR — McGill University researcher Anjaly Paul says that converting farm waste into biogas and organic fertilizer through anaerobic digestion could provide farmers with additional income and support Canada’s net-zero emissions goals. Photo: Acilo/IStock/Getty Images
Canadian farms could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while generating renewable energy by converting agricultural waste into biogas, a McGill University doctoral student said.
Anaerobic digestion could transform livestock manure and crop residues that would otherwise decompose in landfills into valuable resources, said Anjaly Paul.
What if we could use these leftovers to power a greenhouse, fuel a tractor, or even replace synthetic fertilizers with organic ones?”
Canada’s agriculture sector is being pushed by both consumers and policy makers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Much of that conversation has centred around farm efficiency, from 4R fertilizer management and precision agriculture to new products, such as methane-reducing feed additive Bovaer or green ammonia production.
Statistics Canada, however, still counts agriculture among the nation’s emissions drivers. Emissions were up between 1990 and 2023, primarily due to increases in the oil and gas, transport, and agriculture sectors, the agency reported.
Anaerobic digesters could turn an environmental problem (such as manure and crop waste) into a environmental win, Paul noted.
In 2011, Canadian livestock produced almost 152 million tonnes of manure, with cattle accounting for 84 per cent, pigs eight per cent, and poultry three per cent, Paul said. There’s also biological material from animal carcasses.
Outside of livestock, around 13 per cent of fruits and vegetables produced in Canada are left unharvested, according to a 2019 report from Environment and Climate Change Canada. Some parts of produce, like the seeds and less edible bits, are thrown out. Food processing businesses have a lot of waste, despite some efforts to divert those byproducts into useful streams like livestock feed. All of that also contributes to methane when biological material decomposes in landfills.
How the technology works
The anaerobic digestion process involves bacteria decomposing organic waste in environments without oxygen. The biogas generated is made up primarily of methane and carbon dioxide. The gas can be purified into biomethane and used for heating and electricity on farms.
“Anaerobic digestion process helps in capturing the methane, otherwise emitted through the decomposition of waste materials in the landfills and helps in reducing global warming,” Paul said at a June 10 virtual forum hosted by Quebec’s Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre.
The process also produces digestate, a nutrient-rich slurry that can replace synthetic fertilizers. Paul described it as an “odour-free fertilizer” that can improve soil texture and health while acting as a nutrient boost for plant growth.
It boosts the economy and sustainability, Paul added, by taking waste from farms and returning energy and nutrients back to them.
“It’s an eco-friendly solution compared to the synthetic fertilizers that we use in our farms,” she said.
Sour history
Anaerobic digestion isn’t a new concept for farmers, although some sectors have less than pleasant associations with the phrase. Provincial regulations previously required new or expanded hog barns in Manitoba to have such a digester (or equivalent technology) to manage manure. The hog sector argued that it made building projects prohibitively expensive, and they celebrated when the requirement was lifted in 2017.
Low-temperature process adapted for Canadian climate
Paul’s research at McGill focuses on low-temperature anaerobic digestion, which operates at 15 to 25 degrees C using microorganisms adapted for those conditions. These bacteria have special proteins and cellular membrane changes that help them survive in low temperatures.
This approach requires less energy than other forms of anaerobic digestion, done at 30 to 55 degrees C, making it more suitable for Canada’s temperate climate, Paul said. The low-temperature process is also more stable, with lower ammonia production and less volatile fatty acid accumulation.
Her studies have shown the technology can reduce methane emissions from stored manure by up to 70 per cent. Methane emissions from manure storage double with every five-degree temperature increase during hot summer months.
“In a study, it was reported that about 16 to 84 kilograms CO2 equivalent methane is produced per ton of stored manure,” Paul said.
Different agricultural materials produce varying amounts of biogas. Paul’s research shows swine manure produces 400 to 500 millilitres of methane per gram of volatile solids, while dairy manure generates 300 to 400 millilitres.
A good quality biogas should contain 65 to 70 per cent methane, she added.
Studies show emission reductions, varying biogas yields
Paul’s research team tested the process on manure from 12 different farms. They found that while specific methane yield was similar across sites, biogas production varied depending on bedding materials, additives and enzymes present in the manure.
The team also compared methane emissions from stored raw manure versus digestate (remaining material after anaerobic digestion). Their study showed that methane emissions from digestate reached a plateau during long-term storage, while emissions from raw manure continued to gradually increase.
The digestate byproduct offers additional value, Paul suggested. Her research has successfully recovered more than 95 per cent of nitrogen from digestate using phosphorus salts to create struvite, a magnesium-ammonium-phosphate compound valuable as a slow-release fertilizer.
The digestate can be separated into liquid and solid, with liquid used as organic fertilizer and solids turned to bedding material for cattle or in horticultural products like potting soil.
Processing difficulties with certain materials
The technology faces challenges with certain materials. Paul’s experiments with apple pomace, a waste product from juice production, showed very low biogas production and problematic acid accumulation when the material comprised 25 to 33 per cent of the substrate.
Paul is currently looking for improvements. These include pre-treating materials with thermal, chemical, mechanical or biological methods to speed up the breakdown process, particularly for tough materials like corn stalks.
Co-digestion, or mixing different waste materials like manure and food waste, can improve nutrient balance and achieve the optimal 25-to-one carbon-nitrogen ratio needed for effective anaerobic digestion, she said. Adding carbon-rich materials like biochar can improve biogas production by 40 to 50 per cent while enhancing microbial activity and reducing toxic inhibitors.
Another promising idea is the use of bio-augmentation — adding in more microbes specifically chosen for their ability to help in some aspect of the process and which are adapted to stressful conditions. This could include lignin-reducing bacteria for treating lignin-rich materials or psychrophiles adapted to low temperatures, she said.
Aligns with federal goals
Paul’s work can be tied to federal goals such as reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 or increasing renewable electricity generation from 80 to 90 per cent by 2030, attendees heard. The Quebec government has also set targets to supply 10 per cent renewable natural gas in the gas network and achieve a 50 per cent increase in bioenergy production by 2030.
The World Biogas Association also notes anaerobic digestion as a support for some United Nations sustainable development goals. The technology is sophisticated enough to be used by NASA and the European Space Agency for waste management and energy recovery in space stations, Paul said.
Beyond environmental benefits, Paul believes there is real economic potential for farmers.
“Anaerobic digestion can also enhance the agro-economic value of the products,” she said. “These waste materials are otherwise just wasted in the farms. If we could use this to produce biogas, digestate and other value-added products, it can increase the economic value of the waste materials, and it can act as an extra income for the farmers.”
About the author
Miranda Leybourne is a Glacier FarmMedia reporter based in Neepawa, Manitoba with eight years of journalism experience, specializing in agricultural reporting. Born in northern Ontario and raised in northern Manitoba, she brings a deep, personal understanding of rural life to her storytelling.
A graduate of Assiniboine College’s media production program, Miranda began her journalism career in 2007 as the agriculture reporter at 730 CKDM in Dauphin. After taking time off to raise her two children, she returned to the newsroom once they were in full-time elementary school. From June 2022 to May 2024, she covered the ag sector for the Brandon Sun before joining Glacier FarmMedia. Miranda has a strong interest in organic and regenerative agriculture and is passionate about reporting on sustainable farming practices. You can reach Miranda at [email protected].
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