A new thermo-chemical pretreatment by a lower temperature fast pyrolysis (LTFP) was applied to promote anaerobic digestion (AD) efficiency of corn stover (CS). The pretreatment experiment was performed by a fluidized bed pyrolysis reactor at 180, 200 and 220 degrees C with a carrier gas flow rate of 4 and 3 m(3)/h. The components characteristics, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images and Crystal Intensity (CrI) of the pretreated CS were tested to explore effectiveness of the pretreatment. The results showed that the cumulative methane production at 180 C-degrees for 4 and 3 m(3)/h were 199.8 and 200.3 mL/g TS, respectively. As compared to the untreated CS, the LTFP pretreatment significantly (a < 0.05) increased the methane production by 18.07% and 18.33%, respectively. Methane production was well fitted by the Gompertz models, and the maximum methane potential and AD efficiency was obtained at 180 degrees C for 3 m(3)/h. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.