Feasibility and optimisation study for modular cricket farming and harvesting system.

Oko蛋白质有限公司、诺丁汉大学生物科学学院和非营利性食品与饮料论坛正在联手使英国成为新兴的数十亿英镑食用昆虫产业的世界领先者。Oko Box是Oko蛋白质有限公司开发的一种独特的模块化集约化农业系统，旨在以负担得起和可持续的方式饲养蟋蟀供人类消费。重要的是，它通过利用蟋蟀的行为来消除大部分劳动力成本，利用它们的移动来产生热量，从而降低能源成本。连续四个原型已经手工建造和测试，证明了该系统的根本创新。Oko Box与传统方法相比：*生产成本减少5-6倍*资本支出减少4倍*设置时间减少50倍*不需要室内设施*需要更少的能源和更低的碳足迹*是唯一一个在收获期间不需要破坏栖息地的系统*不需要除湿*在收获周期内净产生热量(其他系统需要供暖)*易于使用*可以由个人农民使用(不需要巨额投资)该项目旨在确认Oko Box在商业层面上的可行性。一个有14个Oko箱的示范农场将在室外位置建立，以测试和优化各种因素，包括：*温度*气流*饲料成分和混合*饲料数量*种群数量*收获年龄*一个农民可以管理的箱子数量*栖息地间距将探索和测试循环和可持续的饲料选择。由于Oko Box产生热量，我们还将探讨其作为温室辅助热源的可行性。到项目结束时，我们的目标是证明Oko Box能够以与现有形式类似或更好的价格生产蛋白质，如大豆、肉类和牛奶。我们还将为农民制作说明和培训材料，使他们能够多样化地利用Oko Box，以最低成本生产最大产量。

Oko Protein LTD, the University of Nottingham school of Biosciences, and the non-profit Food & Drink Forum are teaming up to make the UK a world-leader in the emerging multi-billion pound edible insect industry.The Oko Box is a unique modular intensive farming system developed by Oko Protein LTD to affordably and sustainably farm crickets for human consumption. Importantly it eliminates most labour costs by exploiting the behaviour of the crickets, with their movement being utilised to generate heat, thereby cutting energy costs.Four successive prototypes have been hand-built and tested, proving the fundamental innovations of the system. The Oko Box compared to traditional methods :* 5-6x reduction in output costs* 4x reduction in capital outlay* 50x reduction in setup time* Requires no indoor facility* Requires less energy and has a lower carbon footprint* Is the only system not to require deconstruction of habitat during harvest* Requires no dehumidification* Is a net producer of heat over a harvest cycle (other systems require heating)* Is easy to use* Can be used by individual farmers (doesn't require huge investment)The project aims to confirm the feasibility of the Oko Box on a commercial level. A showcase farm of 14 Oko Boxes will be set up in an outdoor location to test and optimise various factors including:* temperature* airflow* feed ingredients and blend* feed amount* population size* harvest age* number of boxes manageable by one farmer* habitat spacingCircular and sustainable options for feed will be explored and tested. Inputs such as labour, energy, feed and water requirements will be monitored, as well as subsequent yield and nutritional value of the crickets.Since the Oko Box produces heat, we will also explore its feasibility as a supplementary heat source for greenhouses.By the end of the project we aim to demonstrate the ability of the Oko Box to produce protein at prices that are comparable to, or better than, existing forms such as soya, meat and milk. We will also produce instructions and training materials for farmers allowing them to diversify and utilise the Oko Box in a way that produces maximum yield at minimal cost.