Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Agricultural Waste Management


Anaerobic Digestion

This page is intended to be a clearinghouse of information for Anaerobic Treatment of Animal Waste.

Related Publications:

Wu-Haan, W, R.T Burns, L.B. Moody, C.J. Hearn, D. Grewell. 2008. Evaluation of Effects of Ultrasonic Pretreatment on Biogas Production Potential from Corn Ethanol By-products. Proceedings of the 2008 ASABE International Meeting. Providence, RI.

Beddoes, J.C., K.S. Bracmort, R.T. Burns, W.F. Lazarus. 2007. 6 Nov. 2007. Biomass Energy Technical Note No. 1- An Analysis of Energy Production Costs from Manure Anaerobic Digestion Systems on U.S. Livestock Production Facilities. NRCS-USDA. www.nrcs.usda.gov.

Zitomer, D. H., R. T. Burns, M. Duran and D. S. Vogel. 2007. Effect of Sanitizers, Rumensin and Temperature on Anaerobic Digester Biomass. Transactions of the ASABE. Vol. 50 (5): 1807-1813.

Burns, R. T., J. Beddoes, K. Bracmort. 2007. Status of Manure Anaerobic Digesters in the United States. Proceedings of the International Conference on 21st Century Challenges to Sustainable Agri-Food Systems. Pages 476-481.

Hawkins, G. L., D. R. Raman, R. T. Burns, R. E. Yoder, and T. L. Cross. 2001. Enhancing Dairy Lagoon Performance with High-Rate Anaerobic Digesters. Transactions of the ASAE. 44(6):1273-1278.

Hawkins, G.L., D.R. Raman, R.T. Burns, R.E. Yoder, and T.L. Cross. Reducing Dairy Lagoon Organic Loading Rates with High-Rate Anaerobic Digesters. Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on Animal Agriculture and Food Processing Wastes. Ed. James A. Moore. pp. 362 - 371. Des Moines, Iowa, 9-11 October. ASAE, St. Joseph, MI.

Beal, L.J., R.T. Burns, K.J. Stalder. Effect of Anaerobic Digestion on Struvite Production for Nutrient Removal from Swine Waste Prior to Land Application. Proceedings of the 1999 ASAE Annual International Meeting, Toronto, Canada. Paper No. 994042. 1999.


Useful Links:

EPA-AgSTAR Program

Current Research:


Available Services through ISU Agricultural Waste Management Lab:

Biochemical Methane Potential Assays