Abstract
Agricultural activities generate important amount of crop residues that need to be managed in appropriate way usingecofriendly and cost effective tools. The mealworm Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is a potential candidate to valorize crop residues thatcan produce atthe same time an alternative feed based on insect larvae. Four crop residues (citrus, tomato, pepper and potato) mixedwith wheat bran (ratio 50:50) were evaluated as diets for mass rearing of T. molitor under controlled environmental conditions (T= 28 ± 1°C; RH=70 ± 5 % and total darkness). Five zootechnical parameters (weight gain, growth rate, mortality rate, weight of consumed feed and conversion rate) were adopted to evaluate thegrowth and life developmental traits of larvae during 45 days. The effect of crop residues used as diet had a significant impact on bothweight gain and growth rate. Importantly, crop residues used alone has a negative effect on all zootechnical parameters evaluated. Indeed, the amendment of wheat bran has a significant positive impact on these parameters. Citrus and tomato were the most toxic diets showing a mortality rate of 92 and 98 %, respectively. The most efficient diets werethe mixture of citrus residues andwheat branfollowed by the mixture of potato residues and wheat bran and the mixture ofpepper residues and wheat bran. Fed substrate had no impact on conversion rate.
Highlights
Crop residues management and valorization raise more and more concern in environment departments in many countries
This trial is a preliminary step carried out in order to evaluate the capacity of T. molitor larvae to transform vegetable and fruit wastes to resolve the issue of crop residue management and to reduce the production cost of these larvae mainly intended for animal feed
In order to evaluate the effect of dry crop residues on the growth and biomass gain of T. molitor, we focused on four zootechnical parameters measured after 45 days of rearing which are the most important in mass rearing
Summary
Crop residues management and valorization raise more and more concern in environment departments in many countries. The larvae are raised as feed for birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish using wheat bran (WB) as the primary feedstock, an agricultural by-product [6] This insect is a considered as a more sustainable source of human edible protein compared tomilk, chicken, pork or beef [7]. Researches have been done on different crop residues such as wheat straw, rice bran, maize straw and rice straw [9] but not on vegetables and fruits residues such as tomato, pepper and citrus This trial is a preliminary step carried out in order to evaluate the capacity of T. molitor larvae to transform vegetable and fruit wastes to resolve the issue of crop residue management and to reduce the production cost of these larvae mainly intended for animal feed
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