Abstract:
The increasing global population is driving higher demand for animal
proteins, such as meat, eggs, and fish, which in turn elevates the need for
sustainable animal feed solutions. Black Soldier Fly (BSF) - (Hermetia
illucens) larvae have emerged as a promising alternative for converting
organic waste into valuable biomass, providing a sustainable source of
animal protein for animal feed. This study investigates the growth
performance and survival of BSF larvae reared on various organic substrates
commonly available in Sri Lanka; hotel food waste (HFW), household food
waste (HHFW), vegetable waste, layer chicken litter (LCL), and crushed
fruit waste with six biological replicates per each treatment. Results
indicated that the larvae reared on HFW and LCL achieved the highest (oneway
ANOVA, P <0.0001) average weight of 174.38 ± 0.17 mg and 149.85 ±
0.17 mg per ten larvae at the end of the experiment period. The highest larval
mortality was observed in HFW and HHFW (Kruskal-wallis Test, X2;
23.6336). Even though HFW achieved the highest larval weight, it also
showed the highest motility; hence HFW cannot be an ideal growth media
for the growth of BSF larvae. This study highlights LCL as the superior
substrate for BSF larvae rearing due to its favourable combination of the
highest larval growth and the lowest mortality rate. The efficient biomass
production using LCL offers a sustainable approach for the animal feed
industry, improving waste management, enhancing sustainable animal
husbandry, and promoting agricultural productivity. The growth of BSF
larvae can be varying with different moisture contents and temperature of the
growth media. Therefore, as a future implication of this study, the growth
performance and mortality rates of BSF larvae are essential to be
investigated under different moisture and temperature regimes.
