Growth of Black Soldier Fly Larvae Reared on Organic Side-Streams

Laurens Broeckx,Sabine Van Miert,Geert Verheyen,Laurien Slegers,Sarah Goossens,Isabelle Noyens,Siebe Berrens,Ann Wuyts,Lotte Frooninckx

doi:10.3390/su132312953

Abstract

Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae may play a role in a circular economy by upcycling low-value organic streams into high value biomass. In this paper, the capacity of BSF larvae to process 12 organic side-streams (mono-streams) and two standard substrates (chicken start mash and Gainesville diet) was investigated. Survival, larval mass, feed conversion ratio, and waste reduction were evaluated in relation to the proximate composition of the side-streams used. Survival rates larger than 80% were observed for 10 of the organic mono-streams and the two standard substrates. Maximum mean larval weight ranged from 38.3 mg up to 176.4 mg regardless of high survival and was highly correlated with substrate crude protein content. Feed conversion ratio (range 1.58–8.90) and waste reduction (range 17.0–58.9%) were similar to values reported in other studies in the literature. On low protein substrates (e.g., apple pulp), survival rates remained high, however, possibly due to protein deficiency, limited larval growth was observed. It is concluded that several low value organic side-streams can successfully be processed by BSF larvae, thereby opening the possibility of lowering the costs of BSF farming. Potentially mixing nutritionally distinct mono-streams into a mixed substrate might improve BSF performance. However, more research is needed for optimizing diets to guarantee production of BSF larvae of constant yield and quality.

Highlights

The continuous growth in the global population and the inevitable increase in demand for natural resources have had a negative impact on all life on Earth
By analyzing the macronutrient content, fibers, and the mineral content of the side-streams, we investigated their influence on larval performance and bioconversion
The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the growth of larvae was possible on each of the selected side-streams, in order to evaluate the potential of different sidestreams for black soldier fly rearing

Summary

Introduction

The continuous growth in the global population and the inevitable increase in demand for natural resources have had a negative impact on all life on Earth. Annual global waste generation has reached approximately 17 billion tons and is expected to rise to 27 billion tons by 2050. Waste production and improper management is responsible for the production of 1.6 billion tons of CO2 emissions [1]. The depletion of natural resources, the increasing use of valuable land surface for human activities, and the generation of waste are detrimental to our planet. An evolution toward organic, sustainable, and more environmental friendly systems has emerged. This necessary evolution is reflected by the Sustainable

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