Potential of <i>Mikania micrantha</i> for biogas production

Abstract

Invasive weeds are one of the major ecosystem-degrading elements and also a threat to crop production. The conventional approaches of weed control appear ineffective for Mikania micrantha which is one of the notorious invasive weeds having vigorous propagation characteristics. The manual method of control is otherwise effective provided the manpower cost involved in the collection is recovered. This study attempts an innovative approach to energy recovery from Mikania micrantha biomass. The suitability of Mikania biomass as a source of biogas production is investigated using a commercially available biogas reactor. The study primarily aims to understand the techno-economic feasibility of achieving the benefits of weed control and the generation of clean cooking fuel taking into consideration of collection, and handling of Mikania biomass and its subsequent conversion into biogas for a typical rural situation. In general biogas production potential of hydrolyzed Mikania is comparable with several weed biomasses and even more than cow dung. The time spent to remove Mikania micrantha to protect crops and the ecosystem is justified by its fuel value as biogas. Outcomes of the current study concerning the benign control of invasive weed, will be useful to materialize the multifaceted benefits of biogas technology such as clean fuel (an alternative renewable source of energy) and nutrient recycling from the large-scale conversion of Mikania biomass into biogas and organic fertilizer.