Insects and Their Biocomposting Technology

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 11953

Special Issue Editors

State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, National Engineering Research Center of Microbial Pesticides, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
Interests: microbiology; environmental biogeochemistry; insect biocomposting technology; organic waste treatment; biodegradation of organic pollutions

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Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Enzyme Engineering of Agricultural Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
Interests: microbiology; biological control; livestock and poultry manure treatment; food wastes recycling; insect-based refinery

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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
Interests: insect intestinal microbiology; environmental biogeochemistry; biodegradation of organic pollutions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has been promoting “Edible Insects to Feed the World” since the first international conference in the Netherlands in 2014. In recent years, the use of insects to convert organic waste to protein and fat suitable for feed has attracted attention due to the low cost, short treatment time, and high efficiency of the biological process. Insect biocomposting technology has been developed to treat livestock and poultry manure manures, kitchen waste, soybean residue, straw, and so on. In this Special Issue, we focus on insects and their biocomposting technology. The advances will be presented in understanding the life science of insects and applied science of insect biocomposting technology for biotechnological applications in bioremediation, insect products, greenhouse gas control, and so on.

Dr. Minmin Cai
Dr. Sen Yang
Dr. Chan Yu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • insect
  • biocomposting
  • waste management
  • insect products
  • biological mechanism

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1200 KiB  
Article
Biochar Can Improve Absorption of Nitrogen in Chicken Manure by Black Soldier Fly
by Haixu Zhang, Xilu Zhang, Mengxiao Chen, Xin Deng, Yaxin Pei, Jiran Zhang, Hongge Chen and Sen Yang
Life 2023, 13(4), 938; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13040938 - 3 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2547
Abstract
(1) Background: There is growing interest in using insects to treat nutrient-rich organic wastes, such as the black soldier fly (BSF), one of the most efficient organic waste recyclers for upcycling nutrients into the food system. Although biochar (BC) was shown to enhance [...] Read more.
(1) Background: There is growing interest in using insects to treat nutrient-rich organic wastes, such as the black soldier fly (BSF), one of the most efficient organic waste recyclers for upcycling nutrients into the food system. Although biochar (BC) was shown to enhance nutrient retention and the final product quality during the composting of livestock and poultry manure in many previous studies, little information is available on the effect of BC on livestock manure bioconversion by black soldier fly larvae (BSFL). (2) Methods: This study investigated the effect of adding a small amount of BC to chicken manure (CM) on the bioconversion system of the black soldier fly (including N2O and NH3 emissions and the final distribution of nitrogen during the treatment process). (3) Results: The lowest N2O and NH3 emission and highest residual nitrogen in the substrate were observed in the 15% BC treatment. The highest bioconversion rate of CM (8.31%) and the peak of larval biomass was obtained in the 5% BC treatment. (4) Conclusions: The results demonstrate the feasibility of adding 5% BC to reduce pollution and achieve a satisfactory BSFL-based CM bioconversion efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insects and Their Biocomposting Technology)
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14 pages, 3540 KiB  
Article
Different Species of Epigeic and Anecic Earthworms Cause Similarly Effective and Beneficial Biocomposting—A Case Study Involving the Pernicious Aquatic Weed Salvinia (Salvinia molesta, Mitchell)
by Tabassum-Abbasi, Naseer Hussain, Channgam Khamrang, Pratiksha Patnaik, Tasneem Abbasi and Shahid Abbas Abbasi
Life 2023, 13(3), 720; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13030720 - 7 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1692
Abstract
As reported recently by the present authors, vermicomposting by the epigeic earthworm Eisenia fetida transforms the highly ligninous and allelopathic aquatic weed salvinia (Salvinia molesta) into a benign organic fertilizer. The present study was carried out with four other earthworm species, [...] Read more.
As reported recently by the present authors, vermicomposting by the epigeic earthworm Eisenia fetida transforms the highly ligninous and allelopathic aquatic weed salvinia (Salvinia molesta) into a benign organic fertilizer. The present study was carried out with four other earthworm species, including three epigeic species of different sizes and phytophagic habits: Eisenia andrei, Lumbricus rubillus, and Perionyx sansibaricus. One anecic species, with geophytophagous habits, was also explored for comparison: Drawida willsi. The objective was to see whether the type of salvinia transformation caused by E. fetida is a general phenomenon or whether there are significant differences in the nature of biocomposts generated by different earthworm species. Accordingly, the characteristics of the biocomposts separately generated by each of the six species mentioned above were assessed with UV-visible spectrophotometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. The studies reveal that, with minor variations, the biocomposting by all four species was able to remove the intransigence of salvinia and impart plant/soil-friendly attributes to it in substantial measures. All the findings obtained with different techniques corroborated each other in arriving at this conclusion. Hence, it can be said that, in general, biocomposting by earthworms takes away the toxicity of pernicious weeds such as salvinia, converting them into plant-friendly and soil-friendly biofertilizers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insects and Their Biocomposting Technology)
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13 pages, 2062 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Aflatoxin B1 Degradation by Stenotrophomonas acidaminiphila and It’s Combination with Black Soldier Fly Larvae
by Jianghua Suo, Tingting Liang, Haixu Zhang, Kun Liu, Xinfeng Li, Kun Xu, Jianlai Guo, Qiujiang Luo and Sen Yang
Life 2023, 13(1), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13010234 - 14 Jan 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2422
Abstract
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a common mycotoxin contaminant in cereals that causes severe economic losses and serious risks to the health of humans and animals. In this paper, we investigated the characteristics of AFB1 degradation by black soldier fly [...] Read more.
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a common mycotoxin contaminant in cereals that causes severe economic losses and serious risks to the health of humans and animals. In this paper, we investigated the characteristics of AFB1 degradation by black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) combined with commensal intestinal microorganisms. Germ-free BSFL and non-sterile BSFL were reared on peanut meal spiked with AFB1 for 10 days. The result showed that germ-free BSFL and non-sterile BSFL could achieve 31.71% and 88.72% AFB1 degradation, respectively, which indicated the important role of larvae gut microbiota in AFB1 degradation. Furthermore, twenty-five AFB1-degrading bacteria were isolated from BSFL gut, and S. acidaminiphila A2 achieved the highest AFB1 degradation, by 94%. When S. acidaminiphila A2 was re-inoculated to BSFL, the detrimental effect of AFB1 on the growth performance of BSFL was alleviated, and complete AFB1 degradation in peanut meal was obtained. In conclusion, the present study may provide a strategy to degrade AFB1 in feedstuff through bioconversion with BSFL in combination with gut-originated AFB1-degrading bacteria, while providing a sustainable insect protein and fat source to animals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insects and Their Biocomposting Technology)
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13 pages, 3449 KiB  
Article
Morphometric Characteristic of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) · Wuhan Strain and Its Egg Production Improved by Selectively Inbreeding
by Minmin Cai, Li Li, Zhengzheng Zhao, Ke Zhang, Fang Li, Chan Yu, Rongfang Yuan, Beihai Zhou, Zhuqing Ren, Ziniu Yu and Jibin Zhang
Life 2022, 12(6), 873; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12060873 - 10 Jun 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4529
Abstract
The use of black soldier fly (BSF) larvae to recycle various organic materials while producing biomass for use as feed is well established. Variety selection is important from the perspective of application. In the current study, morphometric and life-history traits of a Wuhan-domesticated [...] Read more.
The use of black soldier fly (BSF) larvae to recycle various organic materials while producing biomass for use as feed is well established. Variety selection is important from the perspective of application. In the current study, morphometric and life-history traits of a Wuhan-domesticated BSF colony (Wuhan strain) were compared to those of a ‘selectively inbred’ population (inbred strain, inbred for 10 generations). In terms of morphological characteristics, the results showed that both strains had dichoptic compound eyes, club-shaped antennae, blue halters, and blue-green metallic luster wings with a hexagon discal cell. In both strains, the body and wing length of female adults were slightly larger than those of male adults. The first four larval stages of the BSF occurred rapidly (1–12 days) with transitions across stages resulting in doubling of size for both populations. Selective inbreeding did not alter the life-history traits of the larval exuviate stage in terms of age, size, weight, and feed reduction rate. Overall egg production for the inbred strain was significantly higher (1.5 times greater) than the Wuhan strain. This is explained by increased adult emergence and individual oviposition performance. It was speculated that inbreeding improved the reproductive success of inbred adult female offspring and selection process steadied it. The findings indicate that selective inbreeding could enhance overall oviposition performance and provide a strategy to selectively breed BSF with high egg production for future applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insects and Their Biocomposting Technology)
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