The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of cassava, yam and sweet potato peels on Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) production. Four different treatments were performed in triplicate in a completely random block consisting of soy bran (TSB), cassava peel (TCP), yam peel (TYP) and sweet potato peel (TPP). A density of 1 larva/g of substrate was used with a uniform ratio of 100 mg/larva/day. Larval growth duration was ten days, and growth monitoring was carried out every 2 days. The daily weight gain (DWG) ranged from 2.19 ± 0.09 g/day (TYP) to 4.53 ± 0.02 g/day (TSB). The production of these BSFL ranged from 43.90 ± 1.87 g/kg of substrate (TYP) to 90.56 ± 0.54 g/kg of substrate (TSB). The degradation rate ranged from 36.00 ± 2.30% (TYP) to 65.00 ± 2.88% (TSB), and the survival rate ranged from 77.66 ± 1.45% (TYP) to 99.00 ± 0.28% (TSB). According to the Z correlation test, there was a strong correlation between the organic matter content of the substrates and the DWG (99.1%). It was also observed that phosphorus content was strongly correlated with DWG (92.9%). Regarding the nutritional quality of the larvae, the protein content varied from 33.51 ± 0.94% (TYP) to 40.64 ± 032% (TSB), and the lipid content varied from 26.24 ± 0.35% (TYP) to 30.44 ± 0.18% (TSB). A significant difference (p < 0.05) between the different treatments depending on the parameters were noticed. This study revealed that cassava, yam and sweet potato peels can be used for BSFL production, but the best growth of BSFL was obtained with the cassava peel substrate that presented also the best degradation rate.

Black soldier fly larvae are exceptional ingredients, often used to replace fish meal. They can be easily cultured using waste and by-products. This study assesses the effect of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) meal on the growth of Oreochromis niloticus raised in captivity, as well as the economic impact of replacing fish meal with BSFL meal in its diet. Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) were produced for 15 days after egg hatching. The substrate of BSFL production was Soy bran that is a byproduct obtained by processing soy cheese. The larvae of Oreochromis niloticus of average initial weight 0.012 ± 0.00 g were randomly distributed in 15 tanks at a rate of 50 larvae per tank. Five different treatments were applied, with TR (imported feed); T0 (diet with 0% incorporation of black soldier fly larvae meal); T40; T50 and T60 are diets with 40%, 50% and 60% incorporation of black soldier fly larvae meal. The feeding frequency was 4 times/day. Each treatment was tested in triplicate for 28 days. The specific growth rate obtained during the experiment varied significantly (P < 0.05) with the treatments from 2.88 ± 0.09 (T40) to 4.50 ± 0.12%/day (TR). The feed conversion rate (FCR), ranged from 2.25 ± 0.05 (T40) to 1.08 ± 0.04 (T60). The protein efficiency ratio (PER) showed a significant difference (P < 0.05) with the treatment. It ranged from 0.81 ± 0.07 (T40) to 2.34 ± 0.06 (TR). The survival rates varied from (T0) (92.66 ± 3.52) to (T50) (100.00 ± 0.00). The economic conversion ratio (ECR) presented a significant difference (P < 0.05). The best ECR was obtained with T60 (1.62 ± 0.09) and T50 (2.42 ± 0.17). Based on the parameters studied, diet with 40%, 50%, and 60% of BSFL meals showed better performance compared to treatment containing fish meal at 54% (T0). The cost production analyses were used to evaluate the economic impact of utilizing BSFL meal instead of fish meal in O. niloticus feeding. It is recommended to use 50% and 60% substitution rates for better economic profitability.

The rapid proliferation of water lettuce, Pistia stratiotes, poses significant ecological challenges. This study investigates the use of Pistia stratiotes as a substrate for producing black soldier fly larvae. The experiment used 40 g of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) pupae for all five substrates (T0, T25, T50, T75, and T100). Each treatment had three replicates. The physicochemical parameters, such as the temperature and pH, ranged from 27.30 °C to 27.40 °C and from 7.03 to 7.60, respectively. The survival rates ranged from 90.13% to 94.73%. The biochemical parameters showed significant differences, including dry matter, organic matter, ash, crude protein, crude lipid, crude fiber, carbohydrate, and energy (p < 0.05). Regarding the larvae’s growth and substrate use, the BSFL production varied depending on the rearing substrate. The highest growth was observed in substrates without water lettuce leaf (WLL) (T0), followed by those in treatment at 25% (T25) and 50% (T50) inclusion of WLL and then the substrate made solely of WLL (T100). The substrates degradation rate in this study varied significantly, ranging from 46.40% to 67.38%. The physicochemical characteristics of the substrates are associated with the growth performance of the BSFL, and the inclusion of WLL influenced the nutritional composition of the larvae.

Poultry eggs are considered an affordable and economical source of protein and energy available even in rural areas. The goal of this study was to assess and compare the effects of four different egg yolks on the growth performance and economic profitability of Clarias gariepinus larvae after vitelline resorption (3 days post hatch (DPH). Five experimental diets were tested. The control treatment (T0) consisted of Artemia cysts (zooplankton), while the other treatments included chicken egg yolk (T1), quail egg yolk (T2), guinea fowl egg yolk (T3), and turkey egg yolk (T4). The experimental design was a completely randomized design of 5 treatments with 3 replicates. The experiment lasted for 12 days. The larvae were fed five times a day. Interval sampling was conducted every four days. Growth parameters showed that treatment T0 (Artemia-fed larvae) achieved the highest biomass increase, rising significantly from 1006.66 ± 3.33 mg to 3533.33 ± 145.29 mg over the 12-day experimental period. Treatments T2 (quail egg yolk) and T4 (turkey egg yolk) demonstrated intermediate growth performance, while T1 (chicken egg yolk) and T3 (guinea fowl egg yolk) exhibited the lowest biomass gains, ranging from 1006.66 ± 6.66 to 1433.33 ± 33.33 mg and 1010.00 ± 2.88 to 1866.66 ± 66.66 mg, respectively. Survival rates showed no significant differences among T0, T2, and T4 (P > 0.05). Although T0 exhibited superior growth performance, it incurred a significantly higher economic conversion ratio, indicating increased feed cost per unit of biomass produced (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that while Artemia supplementation promotes rapid growth, its higher cost may affect overall economic efficiency compared to alternative egg yolk-based diets. Given the results on growth and survival performances as well as economic profitability, freeze-dried quail egg yolk and turkey egg yolk can be recommended for better optimization of C. gariepinus larval breeding mainly in rural conditions.