MultiFuelLarve - frå organisk restavfall til verdfulle larveprodukt

Insects contain up to 50 % proteins and they can live and grow on many different organic sources. However, a by-product of the insect production is insect frass. Frass contains larval faces, leftover larval feed, and insect skin from moulting. Due to its content and function it has the possibility to become a high value product with microbiological and nutritional qualities for plant production, quality and resistance against pests and deceases. The overall goal of this project is to transform by-products from the insect production into a high value and multifunctional product for the plant production. The project will evaluate effects of 1) insect species, larval feed, and pre-treatment on content of nutrition and microbiological organisms in insect frass, 2) insect frass on soil quality and activity, 3) insect frass on plant bioactivity, quality, resistance and pests and deceases. Further, the potential of a multifunctional product for the marked will be evaluated. Both growth of black soldier fly (BSF) larvae and the content of minerals and nutrition in frass varied between larval feed sources. Results from analyses showed that frass from larvae fed vegetables or beer mesh varied in minerals and nutrition. Results from analyses of chitin are not fully available yet. The content of chitin in meal beetle (TM) fresh frass and frass diluted in water have been analysed for chitin. Frass was kept in water for 24 h before removed and results show that chitin is present in the water solution. All analyses are not finished and comparisons between dry frass and the water solution will be done in 2022. Frass was delivered by Invertapro AS. Frass from TM and BSF offered the same feed, delivered by Norinsect AS, have been collected to analyse for possible effects of insect species on frass composition and content. Analyses will be ready in 2022. These results will be used to optimise doses and use in soil and as a bioactive component. To compare frass with mineral and organic fertilizers trials were conducted on raigras grown in green houses. In addition, effects of frass particle size and effects of adding kalium on plant growth was investigated. Results show that frass is a very good source for plant nutrition, that original particle size works well and that adding kalium is not necessary to achieved good plant performance. Further, dosage of frass is linear and predictable. Analyses of soil quality will be done later. The bioactivate property of frass and its possible effect on induction of resistance in plants were initiated in a greenhouse trial. Growth of potatoes and resistance against ?black scab? caused by the fungi Rhizoctonia solani was investigated. 1 g/L of frass delivered by Pronofa AS was added to the soil before planting potatoes. The first trials indicate that frass increase total harvest by 20 % compared to infected plants, reduce sporulation of R. solani and reduce the number of tubers produced. Insect frass was further investigated for its possible effects on fruit tree insect pests and diseases. Potted plum trees were either added frass to the soil (10 g/L) or in a water solution (2 g/100 ml) applied by spraying. Trees were delivered by Jåstad planteskule AS and Invertapro AS delivered frass used in this trial. Both effects on aphids, mites and silver leaf-fungi were investigated. Changes in population size and distribution of aphids (Hyalopterus molitor) were followed over time, both on artificial infested trees and on trees with a natural infestation of aphids. Frass did not affect aphid population or distribution or the total number of mites (Aculus fokei) this first year of trials. Half of the trees inoculated with silver leaf-fungi developed silvered foliage during the first months, but it is too early to conclude on effects of the frass-treatments. A similar experiment on young apple trees showed no effect of frass on aphids (Aphis pomi). Shoots were also inoculated with Neonectria ditissima, the causal agent of European canker. Half of them developed lesions, but the possible effects of frass are not analysed yet and it is difficult to draw any conclusions. Fruit trees are perennial plants, and they grow more slowly than most annual plants, so possible effects of frass will most likely be visible after more years of trials. The experiments will continue in 2022. The effect of frass on plum quality at harvest and during storage was conducted in an organic plum field. Trees were either given frass on its own, a combination of frass and organic fertilizers or only organic fertilizers. Frass was delivered by Ecoprot AS. The work will continue in 2022. Regulations for use of bio products and especially frass from insect production will be discussed in this project. A document covering the background for regulations and the use of frass in plant production will be completed by 2022.Information flow between project partners through digital meetings and a common Teams platform.

Produksjon av insektlarver som proteinkjelde til fôr er ei aukande næring globalt og no også nasjonalt. Insektlarver inneheld opp mot 50 % protein, og har evne til å leve på mange ulike organiske matkjelder. Produksjon av insektlarver gjev også eit organisk restavfall. Desse restane, larvefrass, inneheld restar av larvematen, insekthud og insektavføring. På grunn av innhaldstoff og funksjon har larvefrass potensiale til å verte eit høgverdig produkt med gjødlings-, jordforbetrande-, biostimulerande- og plantestyrkande evne. Prosjektet har som mål å utvikle eit høgverdig nytt produkt basert på organisk avfall. Saman med insektlarver til protein vil produkt av larvefrass gje 100 % utnytting av dagens organiske avfall, og gje insektbedriftene to bein å stå på. Ecoprot AS vil, saman med tre andre insektbedrifter og ein planteprodusent, skaffe dokumentert kunnskap, etablere eit erfarings- og kunnskapsbasert samarbeid og utvikle eit multifunksjonelt produkt. Gitt dagens prisar for gjødsel og plantevernmiddel vil ei vellukka produktutvikling basert på larvefrass utgjere ein verdi frå 200 mill til 2 mrd kroner. Korleis insektart, larvemat og forbehandling påverkar innhald av næringsstoff og mikroorganismar i frasset skal kartleggjast i prosjektet. Vidare skal effekten av ulike typar larvefrass på jordkvalitet, biologisk aktivitet i jord og plantevekst undersøkjast. Korleis frass påverkar plantekvalitet og motstandskraft mot planteskadegjerarar og stress skal undersøkjast både hjå næringspartnarar og under kontrollerte tilhøve. Resultata vil leggje føring på val av restråstoff og insektart hjå bedriftene. Verdiskaping og inntjening er avhengig av rammebetingelsar, eigenskapane til produktet og marknaden sin betalingsvilje. Marknadspotensiale for frassprodukt skal undersøkjast med intervju av marknadsaktørar på distribusjons- og kjøparsida, innhenting av pris, volum og produksjonskostnader og med vurdering av konkurranseevne basert på systemanalyse av marknaden for gjødsel.