Research and Innovation in Action
Company: National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)
Country: India
NDDB has made a significant and sustained contribution to the advancement of anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas systems by transforming manure and slurry from a disposal challenge into a valuable circular resource. Beginning with the promotion of household biogas plants, these efforts enabled the large-scale conversion of cattle dung into clean biogas while returning nutrients to agriculture through digestate, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and chemical fertilizers.
A major systemic challenge identified was the absence of scientific, field-level methods to assess dung and slurry quality. This often resulted in inconsistent digester performance, farmer disputes and variable fertilizer quality. To overcome this, a portable, patented dung and slurry quality testing system was developed, enabling objective, real-time assessment at procurement points. Adoption of this system improved feedstock consistency, stabilised digester operations, enhanced methane yields and facilitated transparent, quality-linked payments to farmers across large biogas plants handling hundreds of tonnes of dung daily.
Recognising that long-term viability of AD systems depends on monetising all outputs, the nominee led the development of Fertilizer Control Order (FCO)–compliant, slurry-based fertilizer products including Fermented Organic Manure (FOM), Liquid FOM, Phosphate Rich Organic Manure (PROM), Micronutrient Rich Liquid (MRL), Root Guard and Grow Max. Binder-free granulation technology further improved farmer adoption by delivering standardised, easy-to-apply products compatible with existing fertilizer practices.
Collectively, these innovations have strengthened the financial sustainability of biogas plants, improved soil health, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and demonstrated a scalable circular bio-economy model with relevance for the global AD sector.
