Glasshouse Evaluation of the Black Soldier Fly Waste Product HexaFrass™ as an Organic Fertilizer.

ABSTRACT: The mass farming of the black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens L.), to produce insect-based feed for livestock and fish, results in considerable amounts of insect frass, which contains substantial amounts of organic matter and bioavailable nutrients. Insect frass has shown good potential as a soil amendment and organic fertilizer. This study examined the effects of HexaFrass™ on the growth of common vegetables and herbs under glasshouse conditions. In an organically-rich potting mix, HexaFrass™ increased shoot dry weight by an average of 25%, although this effect was variable among test plants. In other trials, application of HexaFrass™ caused an increase in plant growth similar to that obtained by applying chicken manure and a commercial organic fertilizer. Increases in shoot and root

SUBMITTER: Borkent S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8625123 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature