Assessment Of Rearing Technique For The Black Soldier Fly And Termite Collection Technique For Use By Smallholder Poultry And Fish Farmers In Ghana.

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Date

2020-11

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University Of Ghana

Abstract

Insects offer a cheap source of protein for especially smallholder poultry and fish farmers. Insects contain about 40-70 % protein, 35 % fat, and other micro-nutrients. The black soldier fly (BSF) larvae and termites are promising insects that can replace the animal protein component of livestock feed. The full adoption of their use by farmers is however slow due to insufficient scientific data on the production of BSF larvae and termite collection techniques. In this study, the existing production techniques for BSF larvae and collection of termites were evaluated to recommend the most efficient for adoption by smallholder poultry and fish farmers. Six organic substrates (pito mash, millet porridge mash, pig manure, chicken manure, fruit waste, and waste from roots and tubers) known to be suitable for BSF larvae production were evaluated for their suitability as oviposition attractants and larval development. The substrates were first exposed outdoors to measure the quantity of eggs laid on them by naturally occurring BSF females. The quality of the substrate(s) as larval rearing media was also tested by placing a standard amount of egg mass to measure the individual and total weights of prepupae obtained, total number, and development time. The nutritional profile of the prepupae and the substrates were also determined. Furthermore, the production of BSF larvae under natural oviposition (in garden bins) was assessed by varying the rate of loading substrate (pito mash) and the quantities of the substrate on the overall prepupal harvest. The substrate used significantly influenced the quantity of eggs laid and the development of the resulting prepupae but the substrates most favourable for larval development were not the most favoured by gravid BSF for oviposition. In the oviposition tests, millet porridge mash was the most attractive substrate whereas only a few eggs were recovered from the other substrates. All substrates allowed the successful development of larvae but pig manure was more productive than the others. The crude protein content of the larvae ranged between 35 - 43%, with the shortest development time of 16 days. Applying small quantities of substrates at a constant rate (10 kg per week) in garden bins produced higher prepupal yields than larger quantities (20 kg). Unlike BSF larvae, termites cannot be easily produced but are obtained from chippings of mounds or by trapping using containers with filled organic matter. The commonly used termite collection method was assessed to quantify the amount of termites harvested with commonly used organic matter. Furthermore, indigenous knowledge on the use of termites as poultry feed in Ghana and factors affecting its use were assessed. Containers filled with the four commonly used organic matter (mango seed, maize cobs, dried cow dung, yam peels, and their mixtures) were placed on trails of termites to quantify the daily harvest. Surveys were also conducted in four regions in Ghana to collect information, by the administration of questionnaires, on the use of termites as poultry feed, termite species collected, species not used, and collection methods. Samples of termite species mentioned were collected and identified to the genus level. Twenty-three per cent and 19% of farmers mentioned that termites are always or often used to feed poultry whereas 11% never use termites. A binomial regression analysis showed that termite use was affected by region, sex, education, farm size, and income. Termites collected belonged to eight genera, the main ones being Macrotermes, Trinervitermes, and Odontotermes. Five collection methods are used to obtain termites and involve either breaking mounds or using containers as traps. Collection methods vary with species and region and the abundance of termite genera varies with season. Farmers identified some species as poisonous to poultry. A Kruskal-Wallis test showed that there were significant differences in the quantity of termites collected using different substrates for both Odontotermes species and Macrotermes species. A mixture of corn cobs and yam peels yielded the highest dry weight harvest of 14.8 g/day in Macrotermes species. Likewise, the mixture of mango seed and cow dung gave the highest average yield of 19.40 g/day dry weight of Odontotermes species. Termites and black soldier fly larvae are important in indigenous poultry production because they are a readily available and cheap protein source for local farmers.

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PhD. Entomology

Keywords

Ghana, Poultry And Fish Farmers, Termite, Black Soldier

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