Evaluation of fertilizer value of residues obtained after processing household organic waste with black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens)

Abstract

The residue generated by the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, BSF) during the processing of organic waste is considered a suitable crop fertilizer. However, no detailed studies have investigated the fertilizer value of the residue obtained from processing household organic waste. In this study, experimental household organic waste (EHOW) was processed by BSF at 200 mg of EHOW per head for 15 days at 27 °C. To evaluate the fertilizer value of the obtained BSF larvae production residue (BSFR), the chemical composition and microbiota were analyzed, and Komatsuna (Brassica rapa var. perviridis) cultivation tests were conducted. BSFR results demonstrated higher ammonium nitrogen and lower nitrate nitrogen, and the highest above-ground dry matter weight of Komatsuna. Although the relative abundance of Escherichia was low, the relative abundance of Xanthomonadaceae, which contains a genus that causes disease in plants, was high. Therefore, the presence of plant pathogens in the BSFR microbiota should be considered. Finally, the effects of BSFR on the external environment requires more detailed investigation.