Potential of Salvinia mo lest a (African payal) as an alternative and supplemental feed stock to cattle dung for biogas production

Abstract

The floating aquatic weed, Salvinia molesta (locally known as 'African payal') could be easily fermented and hence is a very good material for biogas production. The average gas production per kg of oven dried salvinia weed was 336 litres with a retention time of 50 days. The gas generation could be doubled when mixed with fresh cowdung in the ratio 1:1. Thus we can make up the shortage of cowdung with the use of salvinia weed for biogas production, wherever it is available.