Growth, nutritive value and bioconversion efficiency of pre-pupal black solider fly fed on urban household and market waste
Abstract
Globally, solid waste disposal is ranked second after unemployment as the most serious environmental problem in urban areas of low and middle-income countries. Poor collection and disposal of organic wastes from markets, households, and industries cause clogging of drainage systems during flood rains, formation of habitats and breeding grounds for pathogens and disease vectors, acidification and eutrophication of water bodies, local nutrient overloads, and sometimes climate change. Therefore, there has been a need not only to manage waste but also to add value to it using the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) (BSF) on various organic substrates. This study aimed to evaluate the growth performance of the BSF fed on two different locally available Market Waste Substrates (MWS) and Household Waste Substrates (HWS). The study investigated the pre-pupal growth (length (cm) and weight (g), substrate reduction, bioconversion rate (BR), feed conversion rate (FCR) during the 45 days continuous feeding. Organic wastes (household and market waste) were introduced into rectangular basins (60 x 30 x 15 cm) with 20g of BSF eggs per rectangular basin with 500g of continuous feeding. From this study, MWS recorded higher pre-pupal yield of 3154.9 ± 0.219g (p>0.05), a pre-pupal weight of 0.2357± 0.219g (wet weight), while HWS registered a better pre-pupal length of 2.283±0.362. Under monitored favorable conditions (diet, temperature, humidity, and light), household waste recorded a better substrate reduction of 83%, while market waste registered a high bioconversion
rate of 17 and feed conversion rate of 5.1. The nutritional profile for the two substrates was not significantly different P>0.05 with market waste CP 40.55% and household waste 41.21%. The nutritional values confirmed the great potential to reduce waste amounts significantly, minimize possible pollution and improve environmental sanitation as well as generate income while contributing to the saving of Earth’s resources. This study confirmed the great potential of BSFL as a component of waste management.
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