Evaluation of frass, a waste stream from industrial insect production, as a soil amendment.

Industrial-scale production of insect-derived protein has emerged as a sustainable alternative to wild harvesting or large animal farming. The principal waste product is called frass, which is composed of excrement, larval exoskeletons and microbes. Frass from black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) has plant-growth promoting (PGP) properties and is therefore well positioned as a replacement for carbon intensive and environmentally damaging synthetic fertilizers. However, the mechanism by which frass enhances plant growth and whether it increases plant nutrient content are unknown. We have shown in previous work that soil amended with BSFL frass enhanced lettuce growth and water retention, but importantly, also modified the community of root-associated bacteria. Many bacteria in that frass-modified community have documented PGP properties. So, we have strong preliminary evidence that at least some of the effects of frass are attributable to the microbial fraction of frass. If this result holds true for other crop plants, it would position frass as a sustainable and widely applicable method to enhance crop plant growth, thus improving the marketability of this industrial waste stream. We propose to test the generality of the effects of BSFL frass on plant growth rates, root-associated bacterial community and nutrient content of kale plants.

Faculty Supervisor:

Cory Bishop

Student:

Partner:

Oberland Agriscience

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture; Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

St. Francis Xavier University

Program: