Development of an enhanced insect frass biofertilizer through exoskeleton by-product addition

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Oberland Agriscience is a sustainable black soldier fly indoor farm, rearing insects on an industrial scale. Black soldier fly larvae production is unique in that every element of the insect rearing process yields a potential saleable product: larvae (rich source of protein and calcium), frass (excrement), shells (exoskeletons cast off during molting) and dead adult flies. Currently, Oberland Agriscience is selling their larvae as a protein powder supplement and their insect frass as a biofertilizer, with the company exploring how to best use the exoskeletons. Exoskeletons from the larvae and dead adult flies contain chitin, which is a polymer known to improve crop growth and mitigate crop stress. One potential use of this byproduct is adding the exoskeletons to the insect frass biofertilizer. The combination of chitin augmented frass may enhance crop benefits more than just insect frass alone, creating a superior insect frass biofertilizer product. However, it is unclear whether adding these exoskeletons to insect frass enhances crop yield, reduces crop stress damage, and offers other environmental benefits greater than just frass alone or synthetic fertilizer. As a result, Oberland Agriscience is looking to partner with Nova Scotia Community College to investigate the following objectives: 1) Determine if exoskeleton addition to insect frass enhances crop growth and reduces frost damage compared to frass and/or synthetic fertilizer alone, 2) Examine if exoskeleton addition to insect frass reduces nutrient leaching than frass and/or synthetic fertilizer alone, and 3) Test varying quantities of the byproduct being added to the insect frass to create the optimal formulation. Anticipated results will provide Oberland Agriscience critical information that will create a superior biofertilizer through the addition of other byproducts, reducing disposal costs. Together this will result in less insect byproduct entering landfills, while leading to increased yields in growing areas at risk of frost. In addition, the increased adoption this enhanced biofertilizer by national producers will reduce dependence on synthetic fertilizer and decrease nutrients being leached from agricultural systems to aquatic ecosystems across Canada.