10.57647/ijrowa.2025.16869

Enhancing agricultural waste bioconversion by Black Soldier Fly larvae through wheat bran supplementation

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  • Zahra Raeiszadeh1,
  • Kamal Ahmadi*1,
  • Mahdieh Asadi1,
  1. Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
Enhancing agricultural waste bioconversion by Black Soldier Fly larvae through wheat bran supplementation

Received: 2024-12-23

Revised: 2025-01-08

Accepted: 2025-04-12

Published in Issue 2025-05-28

Copyright (c) -1 Zahra Raeiszadeh, Kamal Ahmadi, Mahdieh Asadi (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Raeiszadeh, Z., Ahmadi, K., & Asadi, M. (2025). Enhancing agricultural waste bioconversion by Black Soldier Fly larvae through wheat bran supplementation. International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture. https://doi.org/10.57647/ijrowa.2025.16869
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Abstract

Purpose: The growing global challenge of waste management, amplified by population growth, demands sustainable solutions. Insect-based bioconversion, specifically using Hermetia illucens (Black Soldier Fly, BSF), offers an effective method for converting organic waste into protein-rich biomass.

Method: Various agricultural and food wastes were used as diets for BSF larvae and analyzed for their chemical composition. Pistachio hulls had the highest dry matter (94.27%) and ash content (9.60%), while date fruit waste had the highest carbohydrate content (91.55%). Cafeteria food waste had the highest crude protein (15.32%) and fat content (11.33%). Due to the high adhesiveness of date paste, larvae growth was restricted. Wheat bran was added to improve texture, reduce stickiness, and enhance larval feeding. The diets were evaluated based on growth indices such as weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), and lipid efficiency ratio (LER).

Results: BSF larvae could not thrive on pure date paste due to its physical properties. However, the addition of wheat bran improved the substrate, resulting in better growth and survival rates. The best growth indices were observed in treatments with wheat bran alone or mixed with date paste, where WG and SGR were significantly enhanced. PER and LER also showed improved feed utilization.

Conclusion: An appropriate dietary balance is essential for optimizing BSF larvae growth, efficient mass rearing, and promoting sustainable waste management and protein production. Combining date by-products with wheat bran reduces waste, enhances sustainability, and provides a local protein source for poultry and aquaculture.

Research Highlight

  • Wheat bran boosts black soldier fly bioconversion efficiency.
  • Enhanced waste recycling through insect-based bioconversion.
  • Agricultural waste valorization using black soldier fly larvae.
  • Sustainable organic waste management via BSF larvae.
  • Impact of wheat bran supplementation on BSF waste processing.

Keywords

  • Insect bioconversion,
  • Protein production,
  • Sustainable feed production,
  • Waste reduction,
  • Sustainable agriculture
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