icipe and partners have developed innovative insect-based technologies for recycling organic wastes into nutrient-rich organic fertilizer, known as insect frass fertilizer. Insect frass fertilizer is derived from insect frass – a combination uneaten substrate, feces, and exuviae. Insect frass fertilizers can be locally produced with superior quality compared to existing commercial sources of fertilizers, offering multiple benefits for food security, climate resilience, job creation, youth and women empowerment through circular economy. Some of the insect species used in frass fertilizer production include black soldier fly (BSF) (Hermertia illucens L.), two-spotted crickets [(Gryllus bimaculatus De Geer) and Scapsipedus icipe Hugel and Tanga)], silk moth (Bombyx mori L.), edible saturniid caterpillar (Gonimbrasia krucki Nudaurelia), mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.), desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria Forsskål), Garden flower chafer (Pachnoda sinuata L.) and rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros L.).
Why insect frass fertilizer?
- Short production time
Insect frass fertilizer production technologies only require 5 weeks to recycle waste into a mature, stable organic product, compared to conventional composting, which take 8-24 weeks. This signifies high potential for scaling, increasing availability of high-quality and affordable frass fertilizer to several farmers. - Low-cost and decentralizable technology
Insect frass fertilizer technology is a low capital investment, favouring women and youths and Small and Medium Enterprises that are often resource constrained. Most importantly, the availability of these organic waste globally is critical for decentralizing frass fertilizer production and trade, and will break the barrier of fertilizer monopoly associated with synthetic fertilizer products, that are mostly imported outside Africa. - Superior nutrient content
Insect frass fertilizer contain 3 – 9-fold higher nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium than commercial organic fertilizers and manures. It supplies all the 21 nutrients required for optimal plant growth and yield, compared to ≤5 nutrients available in synthetic fertilizers. - High level of hygiene
Insect-driven composting efficiently suppress pathogens and attenuate chemical pollutants contained in organic wastes, producing an organic fertilizer that is free from harmful substances. This is critical in eliminating the risk of food contamination, and safeguarding health of humans and the environmental. - Boosts crop yield and nutritional quality
Insect frass fertilizer increases crop yield (7–135%), nutritional quality (proteins, minerals [6-190%]), and economic returns (29–232%) for cereals, vegetables, legumes, and tuber crops, compared to commercial fertilizers. The benefits span from annual crops to perennial crops. Due to its high quality, farmers only need to apply small quantities to increase profit margins. - Offers multiple benefits
In addition to nutrients, insect frass fertilizer offers additional benefits required for production of high crop yield, in terms of soil acidity reduction, improved moisture storage, and enrichment with beneficial organisms. Insect frass fertilizers are rich in chitin, which has strong antimicrobial and pesticidal properties. The frass fertilizers has high efficiency in the control of bacterial and fungal diseases, and pests such as nematodes, cabbage/onion root fly, tomato leaf miner, fall armyworm, among others. - Climate-smart fertilizer
Insect frass fertilizer is associated with lower greenhouse gas emissions due to the short production time and low bioconversion temperatures required during production. Its production significantly reduces the emissions of carbon dioxide (55 – 83%), methane, nitrous oxide, and cuts the depletion of conventional energy sources such as fossil fuel by 46%. These benefits go a long way in lowering the global warming potential and increasing the resilience of agri-food systems to the shocks of climate change.