Performance of black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens, l.) on different feed substrates

Abstract

The study assessed the nutrient composition of Sesbania grandiflora (SG) and Moringa oleifera (MO) leaves, and agro-industrial by-products, including soybean waste (SBW), wheat pollard (WP), rice bran (RB), and milk-extracted coconut meat (MECM) to determine the potential of these resources as feed substrates for rearing black soldier fly larvae (BSFL). Developmental studies of BSFL were conducted for three weeks with four replicates for each substrate. The nutrient composition and growth performance data were collected until half of the larvae had transformed into prepupae. The crude protein (CP) content of BSFL ranged from 26 to 57 g/100 g on a dry matter (DM) basis. The CP levels of larvae declined significantly () as the development time progressed. The ether extract (EE) or crude fat levels of larvae ranged between 6 and 55 g/100 g DM and were significantly () different between substrates. In all samples, larval amino acid profiles were characterised by high levels of glutamic acid (4.08 g/100 g DM) and leucine (2.48 g/100 g DM). The SBW-fed larvae showed a shorter development time (12.75 ± 0.25 days); the longest was MECM-fed larvae (28.5 ± 0.29 days). Larvae on the higher protein feed (SG, MO, and SBW) had the highest feed reduction and larval yield compared to the lower protein group (WP, RB, and MECM). The study demonstrated that BSFL can thrive on a range of substrates where all six feedstuffs (SG, MO, SBW, WP, RB, and MECM) have the potential to be employed in mass production of BSFL with high nutritional values. The selection of a good quality substrate for BSFL production is critical since the substrate’s nutrient composition influences the development and nutrient composition of the larvae.