Insect frass in the development of sustainable agriculture. A review

• Published in: Agronomy for sustainable development Vol. 41; no. 1; p. 5
• Main Author: Poveda, Jorge
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Springer Paris 01.02.2021; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag/EDP Sciences/INRA
• Subjects: abiotic stress; Agricultural development; Agriculture; Agrochemicals; Agronomy; Animal husbandry; Animal protein; animal proteins; biomass; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomolecules; Breeding; circular economy; Fertilizers; Food; Food industry; Food sources; frass; human population; Human populations; Industrial development; industrialization; industry; Insects; Life Sciences; literature; Livestock; mass; Microorganisms; nitrogen; Nutrients; Organic farming; Organic fertilizers; pathogens; Pests; Plant growth; Plant tissues; Population growth; Review Article; soil; Soil Science & Conservation; Sustainable agriculture; Sustainable Development; Mealworm; Insect frass; Sustainable agriculture; Plant growth; Nitrogen; Fertilizer
• ISSN: 1774-0746; 1773-0155
• DOI: 10.1007/s13593-020-00656-x

Given the current rate of human population growth, the mass breeding of insects for feed and food is in full industrial development, as a more efficient and effective alternative to conventional livestock for the production of animal protein. In these industries, the production of insect excreta (frass) represents one of the main outputs of the process, being up to 40 times greater than the production of animal biomass, which is why its use as organic fertilizer to replace the use of agrochemicals is considered a viable alternative in the development of sustainable agriculture and a circular economy. Through a review of all the existing literature, this article highlights the following benefits of the use of insect frass as organic fertilizer in sustainable agriculture: (1) contribution of nutrients to the soil, mainly nitrogen, easily assimilated by plant tissues; (2) addition of biomolecules and microorganisms that promote plant growth; and (3) increased tolerance to abiotic stresses and resistance to pathogens and pests due to the presence of different compounds and microorganisms. Therefore, insect frass from the mass breeding of insects for feed and food represents an important source of effective organic fertilizer for use in sustainable agriculture.