Standardisation of quantitative resource conversion studies with black soldier fly larvae

Abstract

Using larvae of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens; BSF) to convert low-value residual organic resources into high-value products like protein-rich animal feed ingredients and biofuel while managing organic waste has developed into a global industry. Considering the associated exponential increase in publications dealing with diet conversion efficiency by BSF larvae, it is timely to suggest procedures to arrive at an improved harmonization and reproducibility among studies. This means establishing protocols for describing the basic experiment design, fly colony origin, rearing procedures, reference and experimental feeding substrates, and sampling preparations including microbiota and chemical analyses. Such standardised protocols are instrumental to allow conversion efficiencies to be calculated. Some of these parameters are relatively easy to describe such as giving the origin and rearing conditions, while others are more challenging (e.g. description of microbe community). In this article we discuss and propose such procedures with the aim to arrive at standardisation of how future resource conversion studies with BSF larvae are conducted and how results are communicated.

Potential of Black Soldier Fly Production for Pacific Small Island Developing States

“…Establishing strong entomological foundations will not only allow locals to determine for themselves (and the world) what species are present there, but also provide a population of experts who can provide support to those interested in setting up insect farms. Entomologists are also needed to apply the increasingly standardized methods of BSF research, namely resource-conversion studies [38], in order to determine the ideal parameters of a BSF facility processing local wastes (e.g. copra waste) into products for local consumption (e.g.…”

“…Thus, BSF can convert waste to hygienic compost and to high-quality animal feed, reducing the financial and environmental costs of both waste management and livestock rearing ( Figure 1) [27,53,54]. BSF-related products have been extensively studied, arguably more than any other insect protein, with an explosion of research in the field in recent yields [38]. As a consequence of this abundance of evidence for the safety of BSF products, several nations have legalized the use of BSF material in certain animal feeds.…”

“…Includes the costs of livestock production and livestock wastes, which would be reduced by BSF production, along with other benefits of BSF rearing. BSF-related products have been extensively studied, arguably more than any other insect protein, with an explosion of research in the field in recent yields [38]. As a consequence of this abundance of evidence for the safety of BSF products, several nations have legalized the use of BSF material in certain animal feeds.…”

“…That said, one species stands out among the others. The main aim of this work was to review one particular insect, the black soldier fly (BSF), which has dominated the literature on insect bioconversion [38], and its promise for a particular region of the world, the Pacific South Island Developing States (PSIDS) [39]. These remote islands, with small land area that is further threatened by rising sea waters, have little arable land for agriculture and severe issues with waste management, such as overflowing landfills and illegal dumping of waste, on top of issues such as poverty and obesity.…”

Agri-Food Side-Stream Inclusions in the Diet of Alphitobius diaperinus Part 1: Impact on Larvae Growth Performance Parameters

“…Calculations and statistics: The performance of the larval growth was monitored by determining (1) the larval yield (grams of fresh larvae per tray determined at the end of the rearing period after separation of the residue), (2) individual larval weight at day 14 and day 28 (milligrams per larvae), (3) the bioconversion efficiency (BE), and (4) the total amount of feed given until the end of the trial (weight of feed (kg)). The BE was used to evaluate the feed conversion efficiency and was calculated according to Bosch et al (2019) [16], as shown in Equation 1. The starting mass of the larvae was presumed zero because the first instar larvae were directly put on the tested feed and the mass was negligible.…”