Academic literature on the topic 'Frass fertilizer'

Intensive greenhouse vegetable production is often associated with a decline of crop productivity due to the increase of soil salinity and/or a reduction of biological fertility. The aim of the current work was to assess the effects of three organic fertilizers on morpho-physiological and agronomic traits of greenhouse lettuce as well as soil enzyme activity under poor soil quality conditions. The tested organic fertilizers (poultry manure, vinasse-based fertilizer, and insect’s frass fertilizer) were applied pre-planting at the same equivalent nitrogen (N) rate (90 kg N ha−1). Laboratory incubation assay results showed that vinasse-based fertilizer was the most suitable fertilizer in supplying the mineral N in the short term. All fertilizers increased shoot fresh and dry weight compared to unfertilized control with a more pronounced effect (+75%) with vinasse-based fertilizer and insect’s frass. Insect frass reduced by 27% the leaf nitrate concentration in comparison with the other treatments. The toxic heavy metal Pb was 46% lower in all organically fertilized lettuce leaves. Soil enzymatic activities of acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, arylsulfatase (ArS), N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase), dehydrogenase, and total hydrolase (THA) were enhanced by poultry manure and insect’s frass in comparison with unfertilized control while vinasse-based fertilizer increased ArS, NAGase, and THA. Taken together, our data demonstrate that the application of organic fertilizers especially vinasse-based fertilizer and insect’s frass during intensive crop production is a suitable approach for mitigating the negative impact of soil salinity, enhancing soil biological fertility, and improving agronomic performance of greenhouse lettuce.

AbstractIn the context of black soldier fly (BSF) rearing, often the residues from production — mainly faeces but also undigested substrate — are addressed as frass in a broader sense. As BSF production is expanding, the valorization of BSF frass as organic fertilizer is gaining importance. However, in contrast to established organic fertilizers, little is known on the properties and variation of this by-product, which is essential for assessing possible application purposes. To elaborate a first overview on this relatively new waste stream, BSF frass analyses from the literature and anonymized frass analyses enquired from BSF producers were compiled. For a possible agricultural use as a fertilizer, their nutrient patterns were assessed. With a balanced nitrogen:phosphorous pentoxide:potassium oxide (N:P2O5:K2O) ratio of 1:0.9:1.1, BSF frass can be characterized as a slightly alkaline (pH 7.5), nutrient-rich compound fertilizer, with the nutrient and especially the micronutrient contents showing high variation. The comparably high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and low shares of ammonium nitrogen indicate a limited immediate nutrient release and point to possible applications of frass as a long-term fertilizer. The use of frass as an organic fertilizer as one element in a fertilization strategy is promising. By improving nutrient cycling back to the field, BSF frass can represent an important element of sustainable circular agriculture. However, more information on BSF feed and production systems needs to be combined with the nutrient analyses to better understand the variation in frass nutrient contents.

Because of its nutritious properties, the black soldier fly has emerged as one of the most popular species in advancing circular economy through the re-valorization of anthropogenic organic wastes to insect biomass. Black soldier fly frass accumulates as a major by-product in artificial rearing set-ups and harbors great potential to complement or replace commercial fertilizers. We applied frass from larvae raised on different diets in nitrogen-equivalent amounts as soil amendment, comparing it to NH4NO3 fertilizer as a control. While the soil properties did not reveal any difference between mineral fertilizer and frass, principal component analysis showed significant differences that are mainly attributed to nitrate and dissolved nitrogen contents. We did not find significant differences in the growth of perennial ryegrass between the treatments, indicating that frass serves as a rapidly acting fertilizer comparable to NH4NO3. While the abundance of coliform bacteria increased during frass maturation, after application to the soil, they were outcompeted by gram-negatives. We thus conclude that frass may serve as a valuable fertilizer and does not impair the hygienic properties of soils.

Ultisol soils i s a kind that experiences problems due to high acidity and Al saturation, low nutrient, and organic matter content, and are sensitive to erosion. Therefore, alternative efforts need to be made to overcome this, one of which is using Frass fertilizer from Black Soldier Fly fly larvae. Frass is the result of bioconversion as a by-product of rearing BSF larvae which contains a large number of nutrients that are useful for plants and also to overcome the problem of Ultisol soil. The purpose of this research knowing the effect of giving BSF Frass and the extent to which Frass fertilizer can replace the need for NPK fertilizer for upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) on Ultisol soil. The experiment was arranged in a factorial completely randomized design consisting of 2 factors and 3 replications Factor A as the total dose; control, 10% Frass, 20%, and 30% Frass, and Factor B as the dose of NPK fertilizer: 100% positive control (according to recommendations), 75%, 50%, and 25%. The results showed that the application of Frass can improve the physical and chemical properties of Ultisol soil, and increase the grain weight of 100 seeds. The combination of giving Frass 30% with 25% NPK had a significant effect on increasing the total chlorophyll content of upland rice leaves when compared to giving Frass with doses of 20% and 10% with all combinations of NPK. However, it was not significantly different when compared to the control combination which received treatment with NPK as much as 100% and 75%.It was concluded that the application of 30% Frass combined with 25% NPK fertilizer had a significant effect on the chlorophyll content of upland rice and had the potential to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers by 25%.

Insect farming is growing in popularity, and in addition to insect meal, it generates waste products such as exuviae and frass, which can be recycled in agriculture. The aim of this incubation experiment was to evaluate the effect of Tenebrio molitor L. frass on selected chemical and biological properties of deacidified peat, which is widely used in horticulture. The optimal rate of frass fertilizer in peat for growing vegetables and ornamental plants was determined, with special emphasis on mineral nitrogen levels. Peat was fertilized with five nitrogen rates, 0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg dm−3, and supplied with frass or urea. The study demonstrated that frass can be used as organic fertilizer. An increase in the nitrogen rate significantly increased mineral nitrogen content and electrical conductivity and decreased Ca content in peat. Both frass and urea increased the ammonification rate at the beginning of incubation and the nitrification rate from the second week of the experiment. Higher frass rates (5 and 10 g dm−3) increased the content of plant-available nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and sodium) in peat as well as the abundance of microorganisms supporting organic matter mineralization. Unlike frass, urea increased the counts of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in peat.

A vegetable’s high antinutrients, nitrate (NO3−) and oxalate, could be remediated by neem seed extract. The combined use of neem seed extract with mineral fertilizer and cricket frass was conducted to evaluate their effects on amaranth’s tissue NO3− and oxalic acid contents by inhibiting nitrification. The effects of five soil amendments were investigated: unamended, mineral fertilizer, and three rates of cricket frass (3.125 Mg ha−1, 6.25 Mg ha−1, and 12.5 Mg ha−1), combined with two rates of neem seed extract: without (−Nm) and with (+Nm) extract. Only the neem extract applied to soils receiving mineral fertilizers decreased soil tissue NO3−−N contents (0.82 g kg−1 for −Nm vs. 0.62 g kg−1 for +Nm). The oxalic acid content of amaranth decreased with mineral fertilizer (0.60 and 0.46 g kg−1 for −Nm and +Nm, respectively), yet increased with the higher rates of cricket frass (1.42–1.52 g kg−1 for −Nm, and 1.23–1.51 g kg−1 for +Nm) compared to the unamended soil (1.05 and 1.00 g kg−1 for −Nm and +Nm). Cations, including K, Ca, Mg, and Na derived from cricket frass, may enhance biosynthesis and the accumulation of oxalic acid. The neem seed extract decreased the tissue’s oxalic contents regardless of soil amendments.

To counterbalance the growing human population and its increasing demands from the ecosystem, and the impacts on it, new strategies are needed. Use of organic fertilizers boosted the agricultural production, but further increased the ecological burden posed by this indispensable activity. One possible solution to this conundrum is the development and application of more environmentally neutral biofertilizers. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two doses of Hermetia illucens frass (HI frass) with the commercial cattle manure in the cultivation of basil under drought. Soil without the addition of any organic fertilizer was used as a baseline control substrate for basil cultivation. Plants were grown with cattle manure (10 g/L of the pot volume) or HI frass at two doses (10 and 12.5 g/L). The health and physiological condition of plants were assessed based on the photosynthetic activity and the efficiency of photosystem II (chlorophyll fluorescence). Gas exchange between soil and the atmosphere were also assessed to verify the effect of fertilizer on soil condition. In addition, the mineral profile of basil and its antioxidant activity were assessed, along with the determination of the main polyphenolic compounds content. Biofertilizers improved the fresh mass yield and physiological condition of plants, both under optimal watering and drought, in comparison with the non-fertilized controls. Use of cattle manure in both water regimes resulted in a comparably lower yield and a stronger physiological response to drought. As a result, using HI frass is a superior strategy to boost output and reduce the effects of drought on basil production.

Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) production is increasing, which will leaves substantial amounts of leftover excrement, called ‘frass’ that may be a beneficial organic fertilizer. In this study, sweetpotato (SP) (Ipomoea batatas) cuttings (‘slips’), were grown with BSFL frass as a one-time top dressing at either 333.7g/m2 or 667.4g/m2, respectively, or daily applications of either BSFL frass tea (225g in 3.78 L) or an inorganic fertilizer (control). The nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium of the BSFL frass and inorganic fertilizer was 6.2-1.4-1.7 and 10-30-20, respectively. After three weeks, no significant difference in length, number of nodes and stem diameter were found in the 667 g/m2 frass treatment versus control, while these values were significantly lowest in the frass tea treatment. Slip manganese and copper were significantly lower and higher, respectively, in the control compared to the 333 and 667 g/m2 frass treatments. Iron, copper, manganese, zinc and magnesium were significantly lower in slips from the tea treatment and was excluded from economical analysis due to minimal growth. Benefit-cost analysis showed the highest benefit-cost ratio was for the 333 and 667 g/m2 frass treatments at 3.65 and 3.62, respectively, compared to the control at 3.48.

With the forecasted dramatic growth of insect rearing in the near future, frass (insect excreta) has been increasingly considered a sustainable resource for managing plant nutrition in cropping systems and a promising alternative to conventional fertilizer. However, the impact of soil fauna on its fertilizing effect has not been investigated so far. In this study, we investigated the effect of earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris L.) on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) uptake and crop growth in the presence of frass from mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.). Using a pot experiment, we found that earthworms increased N, P, K and Ca concentration in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in the presence of frass, suggesting that earthworm activity enhances the short-term recycling of nutrients from frass. Compared to treatments with and without frass and earthworms, the specific leaf area of barley was the highest in the presence of both earthworms and frass. This confirms that earthworms and frass have a synergistic effect on soil fertility. Overall, our study shows that earthworms may improve the efficiency of organic fertilizers and argues therefore for the importance of developing sustainable agricultural practices that promote earthworm populations.

Little is known about the fate of heavy metals in the recycling system of animal manure–black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) transformation-larval frass application. In this work, BSFL-transformed pig manure with different concentrations of exogenous cadmium (Cd) (0, 3, 15, 30 mg kg−1), and the obtained BSFL frass fertilizer were further used in pot experiments of maize planting to explore Cd migration during the whole recycling system. Results showed that Cd addition to pig manure had no significant effects on BSFL growth or BSFL transformation performance. The Cd concentrations in BSFL frass were 10.9–19.8% lower than those in pig manure, while those in BSFL bodies were 2.3–4.0-times those of pig manure. For maize planting, only 30 mg kg−1 of Cd treatment significantly inhibited maize growth. The BSFL frass application (under exogenous Cd treatment) enhanced Cd contents in the aboveground and underground parts of maize (3.3–57.6-times) and those in soil (0.5–1.7-times) compared with CK (no Cd addition). Additionally, 61.2–73.5% of pig manure-sourced Cd was transformed into BSFL frass and the rest entered BSFL bodies. Only a small part (0.31–1.34%) of manure-sourced Cd entered maize plants. BSFL transformation decreased the proportions of weak acid-dissolved Cd from 44.2–53.0% (manure) to 37.3–46.0% (frass). After frass application, the proportions of weak acid-dissolved Cd in soil were further decreased to 17.8–42.5%, while the residual fractions of Cd increased to 27.2–67.7%. The findings provided a theoretical basis for the rational application of BSFL frass fertilizers sourced from heavy-metal-contaminated manure.

Abstract The chapter highlights the potential benefits associated with the use of insect-rearing residues as biofertilizers while exploring the mechanisms by which chitin in insect frass might control common crop pathogens. The potential benefits for soil fertility derived from the use of insect frass, comparison of quality of insect-derived biofertilizers and common organic and inorganic fertilizers and insect frass and plant health improvement are discussed. While more research is essential to understand the true value of insect-derived biofertilizers for plant and soil health, preliminary findings suggest there are significant opportunities for beneficial impacts in agriculture and horticulture to be realized.

Following the evolution of composting technology, the process of digestion of a biological substrate by insects (entomocomposting) represents the last stage; however, from its initial context of producing an organic fertilizer, the role of entomocomposting has been imposing itself (due to increasing demographic pressure) mainly in the safe disposal of organic waste (in rampant growth) and in the breeding of insects for food and feed, for the sake of food security. Both these last goals converge in the first, as the safest disposal of the compost is its use as organic fertilizer; but the organic substrates are of a diversified nature, as are the species of insects which have already proved themselves in entomocomposting; hence, for each of the purposes in view, the choice is vast and, in the same way, the entomocompost composition is wide-ranging. Furthermore, various types of organic substrates, in addition to a microbial flora with symbiotic effects, may sometimes be able to transmit to the frass a harmful load of heavy metals and/or, depending on the composting insect agents, the presence of microorganisms harmful to crops and to humans and animals; in these situations, the former should be encouraged, and the latter counteracted through appropriate composting technology. Directives and legislation in this area, if properly considered, constitute a fundamental basis for ensuring the appropriate use of this particular kind of organic fertilizer. Apart from the production of insects for food and feed, where the choice of which insect is determined at the outset, the preference for the insect to be used in entomocomposting should be considered according to its proficiency in biological digestion of the organic substrates available for this purpose and the fertilizing quality of the frass produced. Although a multitude of species have been evaluated, to date, for the digestion of organic substrates, most have been used in assessing their specific potential for certain functionalities of frass related to crop nutrition and health, but there are few which, either by prolificacy, proficiency or rapidity in digesting substrates, exhibit capacity to compete in rural environment; nevertheless, new species could be evaluated in the framework of the research of competitors for entomocomposting of all or each substrate type and for each of the main anticipated objectives, meanwhile, genetic improvement to obtain new strains specialized for different organic substrates has already started to take its first steps. In addition to the binomial “insect x substrate” the composting technology constitutes the third fundamental factor for the efficiency of the process. Insects use as a composting agent has been suggested several decades ago, but it was only in the last decade that this process grown from the garden to the factory. Within rural areas, entomocomposting could play a key role within a circular economy, where recycling and reusing potentially polluting wastes safely returns to the land the enduring fertility that enables the sustained production that generated them, requiring no particularly upscale installations, equipment or technical training; it can, therefore, be adapted to any size of agricultural holding, from smallholdings to large industrial holdings, on the other hand, and in order to obtain a controlled production and high quality entomocompost, it is needed to implement industrial technologies and the composting unit can achieve a very high production per square meter, comparing with traditional composting methods. However, whether from the perspective of agriculture, livestock or forestry, the production of waste for entomocomposting always falls far short of the necessary scale, and therefore always requiring the use of biodigested organic waste from agricultural industries, provided that the necessary precautions are taken; in any case, it always constitutes added value, due to the products it generates, in addition to the inestimable value of the productive disposal of potentially polluting products. Despite all the advantages mentioned above, the controversy over the organic vs. mineral fertilizer option persists, often fuelled by myths on both sides, but the successes already achieved with insect entomocomposts, such as the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.) or the mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.), in field trials, which are gradually adding up, anticipate an important role for insects in safeguarding global food and environmental security.