Waste Reduction and Bioconversion of Quail, Chicken, and Pig Manure by Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens L.)

Abstract

The increasing poultry and livestock farm operations have led to a great deal of manure generation. If inappropriately managed, it may cause adverse impacts on the environment, health, and economy. Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.) larvae (BSFL) can potentially convert manure into protein-rich biomass and nutrient-rich frass effectively. In this study, BSFL were reared on three different waste streams – quail manure (QM), chicken manure (CM), and pig manure (PM). Manure mass was significantly reduced by larvae, of which QM had the highest overall degradation of 62.49% and waste reduction index of 10.42% (p-value < 0.05) of dry matter (DM). The larvae reared in QM also had the highest bioconversion rate (26.41%) and individual larval weight (~ 0.22 g/larva) (p < 0.05) with DM protein and fat contents of 54.77 and 13.79%, respectively, being a potentially high protein and high energy animal feed. Meanwhile, larvae reared in CM produced the lowest larval biomass (~ 0.07 g/larva) but had the most frass (252.10 g) (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the frass composition (organic matter, nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio) from the three substrates (p > 0.05). Therefore, BSFL presents a promising solution for efficient manure management by converting it into valuable frass and larval biomass with potential applications as plant fertilizer and animal feed ingredient, respectively.