Growth Performance, Waste Reduction Efficiency and Nutritional Composition of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae and Prepupae Reared on Coconut Endosperm and Soybean Curd Residue with or without Supplementation

Abstract

Black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens) larvae are considered as insects with a high potential to convert organic waste into high-value products. The objective of this study was to investigate the growth performance, waste reduction efficiency, and nutritional composition of BSF reared on different ratios of coconut endosperm (C) and soybean curd residue (S), with or without supplementation, compared to standard diets (Gainesville: G and starter chicken diet: CK). Seven-day-old larvae were randomly divided into eight experimental groups (G, CK, and three different ratios of C and S with or without supplementation) with three replicates with an equal weight of larvae. The supplement contained calcium, phosphorus, amino acids, and a mineral–vitamin premix which was formulated to correlate with CK. Each replicate was terminated, measured, and evaluated when 40% of larvae had reached prepupal stage. The highest larval weight gain was presented in BSF fed CK, followed by those fed coconut endosperm and soybean curd residue at a ratio of 20 : 80 (C20S80), and coconut endosperm and soybean curd residue at a ratio of 50 : 50 (C50S50) without supplementation (numbers after C and S represent their percentage in the formulation; p < 0.001). Harvesting was delayed in the BSF fed C80S20 with and without supplementation (p < 0.001). The number of total larvae and prepupae was not significantly different between groups (p > 0.05). The greatest waste reduction efficiency was observed in the G, C50S50, and C20S80 groups without supplementation (p < 0.001). All groups with supplementation had a higher proportion of ash in both larvae and prepupae compared to non-supplemented groups (p < 0.001), but lower growth performance. The highest percentage of crude protein in larvae was presented in the Gainesville and C20S80 groups followed by the CK and C50S50 groups (p < 0.001). Equal proportions of C and S without supplementation are suggested as a rearing substrate. However, growth performance was lower than for CK; therefore, further studies could investigate cost-efficient techniques to promote this parameter.

Growth and Development of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens (L.), Diptera: Stratiomyidae) Larvae Grown on Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fruit-Based Waste Substrates

“…SR and WRI were greatly influenced by the rearing substrate (Pliantiangtam et al, 2021). An appropriate rearing substrate could be used to achieve the highest decomposition efficiency and good-quality end products.…”

Effect of substrate nutrient content level on nutritional expression of Hermetia illucens: a meta-analysis

“…Hermetia illucens can reduce and convert organic waste (bioconversion). In addition, these flies are able to live at a fairly high pH, have 35-55%, fat 20-50% and are easy to cultivate [1]. Hermetia illucens is suspected not to be a vector of disease so it is safe to use as feed.…”

Effect of locally generated food waste on bioconversion and nutrient parameters of black soldier fly larvae, Hermetia illucens L.

“…Variable macronutrient contents in the feed substrate (i.e., protein, fat, carbohydrate) has a significant influence on the performance and composition of BSFL (Barragan 2018), (Gligorescu et al, 2018) [14] . Several studies showed that substrate macronutrient content influences BSFL growth performance and nutrient composition (Gold et [17,20,8,31,28,24,36,22,35] . Even same type of waste side-stream varies in nutritional content, affect the BSFL performance, which is demonstrated by Gold et al (2018) [16] .…”