Effect of Cricket Frass Fertilizer on growth and pod production of green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Abstract

Cricket Frass Fertilizer (CFF) was tested for its efficiency and potential as a fertilizer on the growth of green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in central Madagascar from April 2020 to October 2020. We grew green beans experimentally for 93 days with seven different fertilizer treatments: NPK 200 kg/ha (0.47 g of N/plant), GUANOMAD (guano from bat) 300 kg/ha (0.26 g of N/ plant), CFF 100 kg/ha (0.12 g of N/plant), CFF 200 kg/ha (0.24 g of N/plant), CFF 300 kg/ha (0.38 g of N/plant), CFF 400 kg/ha (0.52 g of N/plant), and no fertilizer (0 g of N/plant). Three plant traits were measured: survival proportion, vegetative biomass, and pod biomass. The survival proportion of plants treated with the highest dose of CFF (400 kg/ha, 88.1%), NPK (79.8%), and GUANOMAD (81.2%) were similar, but plants treated with the former yielded significantly higher vegetative (35.5 g/plant) and pod biomass (11 g/plant). These results suggest that fertilizing green beans with CFF at a 400 kg/ha dose is sufficient for plant survival and growth, and improves pod production. In Madagascar where soil quality is poor, dependence on imported chemical fertilizers (NPK) and other organic fertilizer (GUANOMAD) can be reduced. Cricket Frass Fertilizer can be used as an alternative sustainable fertilizer for beans.