Abstract: The present study investigated mesophilic gassy fermentation by food waste mixed with corn straw.Food waste and corn straw were mixed in different level of dry matter ratio,i.e.1:3, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, 3:1 ,1:0 .Under the condition of 35℃ and total solid mass fraction (ω)of 5%,the characteristics of gas production on different ratio of food waste and corn straw were evaluated.Results show that when the ratio of kitchen waste and corn straw is 1:2, CH₄ average prodution reached up to 12741mL,with a yield of 299.9mL•g^-1volatile solids(VS).Simultaneous measurement of pH value indicated that co-digestion of  food waste with corn straw created a well buffering environment for anaerobic fermentation and improved the stability of gas production.The fermentation process of food waste and corn straw could be well simulated by modified Gompertz equation,indicating that lag phase and duration of fermentation would decrease with in crease in corn staw ratio in the mixture.Therefore,it is suggested that fermentation of food waste with corn straw will significantly improve gas production and biodegradation in the system.

Key words: kitchen waste, corn stalk, anaerobic fermentation, CH₄