Development of effective substrates for growing Hermetia illucens larvae with a high protein content and assessment of the effect of the obtained zoocompost on phytonematode

Abstract

The larvae of the black soldier fly Hermetia illucens are actively used for bioconversion of a wide range of organic residues, and the insects themselves are an excellent source of feed protein, and waste products can be used as fertilizers. It is noted that the excrement of larvae and the residual mass of undigested substrates significantly affect soil biota. In this article, the effect of the composition of feed mixtures for the life of H. illucens larvae on the protein-fat composition of larvae, the biophilic composition of the obtained composts and the possibility of using zoocompost to control one of the most pathogenic types of root-knot nematodes on tomatoes have been studied. It has been shown that feed mixtures based on potatoes, apples, corn, and including sunflower meal, wheat bran or pine sawdust make it possible to obtain competent larvae with a high protein content. All obtained zoocompost significantly suppresses the development of the nematodes Meloidogyne incognita. However, mixing coniferous sawdust in the feed mixture reduces the conversion of the substrate, and the resulting zoocompost does not have a growth-promoting effect on tomato plants.