| Title | Response of Pasture Grasses to Organic Fertilizer Produced from Black Soldier Fly Frass |
|---|---|
| ID_Doc | 24314 |
| Authors | Rodgers, E; Nicolson, E; Lauder, S; Hodge, S |
| Title | Response of Pasture Grasses to Organic Fertilizer Produced from Black Soldier Fly Frass |
| Year | 2024 |
| Published | Plants-Basel, 13, 7 |
| Abstract | Livestock and dairy farmers are increasingly required to maintain productivity and profitability while mitigating the environmental harm associated with high-input agriculture. Accordingly, to reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers, a wide range of organically derived products are being evaluated for their effects on sward growth and forage quality. This study used glasshouse experiments to investigate the responses of four grass species to a novel organic fertilizer derived from the mass production of black soldier fly larvae [Hermetia illucens, HexaFrass (TM), Meath, Ireland]. Although there was some variability among trials, overall our results indicate that application of HexaFrass produced increased shoot growth of Perennial Ryegrass (PRG; Lolium perenne L.), Timothy (Phleum pratense L.), and Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) compared with growth achieved in no-fertilizer control plants. In addition to increases in shoot fresh and dry weight, shoot chlorophyll content was also positively related to the HexaFrass application rate. At nitrogen-equivalent application rates, HexaFrass resulted in lower shoot growth compared with the application of urea, suggesting that the nitrogen contained in HexaFrass may not be immediately plant-available. Of relevance to grazing or silage systems, the addition of HexaFrass resulted in increased shoot regrowth of PRG and Timothy after shoots had been cut. Based on our results, insect-frass-based fertilizers may have a role in low input, organic, and/or regenerative pasture-based livestock systems, although issues may occur due to the relatively high costs and low availability compared with other organic soil amendments such as farmyard manure and slurry. |
| https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/7/943/pdf?version=1711345332 |
Similar Articles
| ID | Score | Article |
|---|---|---|
25247
|
Borkent, S; Hodge, S Glasshouse Evaluation of the Black Soldier Fly Waste Product HexaFrass™ as an Organic Fertilizer(2021)Insects, 12, 11 | |
| 25821
|
Carroll, A; Fitzpatrick, M; Hodge, S The Effects of Two Organic Soil Amendments, Biochar and Insect Frass Fertilizer, on Shoot Growth of Cereal Seedlings(2023)Plants-Basel, 12, 5 | |
| 20992
|
Klammsteiner, T; Turan, V; Juárez, MFD; Oberegger, S; Insam, H Suitability of Black Soldier Fly Frass as Soil Amendment and Implication for Organic Waste Hygienization(2020)Agronomy-Basel, 10, 10 | |
| 14007
|
Gurung, SK; Mickan, BS; Middleton, JA; Singh, PK; Jenkins, SN; Rengel, Z; Siddique, KHM; Solaiman, ZM Manure-derived black soldier fly frass enhanced the growth of chilli plants (Capsicum annuum L.) and altered rhizosphere bacterial community(2024) | |
| 12318
|
Abd Manan, F; Yeoh, YK; Chai, TT; Wong, FC Unlocking the potential of black soldier fly frass as a sustainable organic fertilizer: A review of recent studies(2024) | |
| 26070
|
Hodge, S; Conway, J The Effects of Insect Frass Fertilizer and Biochar on the Shoot Growth of Chicory and Plantain, Two Forage Herbs Commonly Used in Multispecies Swards(2022)Agronomy-Basel, 12, 10 | |
| 14567
|
Jenkins, SN; Middleton, JA; Huang, ZD; Mickan, BS; Andersen, MO; Wheat, L; Waite, IS; Abbott, LK Combining frass and fatty acid co-products derived from Black soldier fly larvae farming shows potential as a slow release fertiliser(2023) | |
| 25223
|
Axelrod, R; Miner, LP; VanderGheynst, JS; Simmons, CW; Fernandez-Bayo, JD Soil Application of Almond Residue Biomass Following Black Soldier Fly Larvae Cultivation(2021) | |
| 27025
|
Praeg, N; Klammsteiner, T Primary study on frass fertilizers from mass-reared insects: Species variation, heat treatment effects, and implications for soil application at laboratory scale(2024) | |
| 25429
|
Setti, L; Francia, E; Pulvirenti, A; Gigliano, S; Zaccardelli, M; Pane, C; Caradonia, F; Bortolini, S; Maistrello, L; Ronga, D Use of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens (L.), Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae processing residue in peat-based growing media(2019) |