Presentation Information
[P02-272]Evaluation of Using Silage Method for Concurrent Preservation and Pretreatment of King Oyster Mushroom Waste Stems as Feed for Mealworms and Black Soldier Fly Larvae
○Jia wei Li1, Yu Shen Cheng1 (1. National Yunlin University of Science and Technology (Taiwan))
Keywords:
Silage,King oyster mushroom waste,Tenebrio molitor,Hermetia illucens,Agricultural by-products,Insect feed
Objective
Silage is a microbially driven preservation and pretreatment method that stabilizes high-moisture agricultural by-products under low energy input. This study evaluated the feasibility of using silage for king oyster mushroom waste stems and investigated its effects on growth performance and nutritional composition when used as feed for Tenebrio molitor (mealworms) and Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly larvae, BSFL), aiming to enhance agricultural waste valorization.
Methods
Mushroom stems were mixed with 10 percent EM solution and fermented for four weeks. Changes in pH, moisture, ash, organic acids, and fiber composition (NDF, ADF, ADL) were analyzed. For mealworms, four conditions were tested: a moisture-controlled group (about 40 percent) and replacement groups (10 percent, 30 percent, and 50 percent) without moisture control. Growth performance, feed conversion ratio (FCR), efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI), and mortality were recorded. For BSFL, moisture was fixed at 70 percent, with replacement ratios of 10 percent, 20 percent, and 30 percent.
Results
Silage reduced pH to below 4 within 7 days, decreased ADF from 12.78 percent to 10.55 percent, and increased crude protein from about 21 percent to about 27 percent. Mealworm performance ranked as follows: 40 percent moisture control greater than 50 percent greater than 30 percent greater than 10 percent replacement. Under controlled moisture, wheat bran performed best, followed by silaged and fresh substrates. In replacement groups, improved performance at higher replacement levels was associated with increased moisture content, with values of about 49.11 percent, 33.75 percent, and 18.4 percent for 50 percent, 30 percent, and 10 percent, respectively. For BSFL, the best performance was observed at 20 percent replacement under 70 percent moisture, and silaged substrates generally outperformed fresh ones.
Considerations
Mealworms were sensitive to both moisture content and nutrient density, whereas BSFL showed greater adaptability to substrate variation. In mealworms, the effect of replacement ratio was strongly coupled with moisture content, indicating that low moisture limited feeding efficiency. In contrast, under controlled moisture conditions in BSFL, growth performance was mainly governed by nutrient balance and substrate properties.
Conclusion
Silaged mushroom waste is an effective preservation and pretreatment strategy for insect feed. For mealworms, moisture is a key factor, and the 50 percent replacement ratio showed the best performance among replacement groups. For BSFL, 20 percent replacement provided optimal performance. This study demonstrates a practical approach for converting agricultural residues into alternative protein sources, supporting sustainable and circular bioeconomy development.
Silage is a microbially driven preservation and pretreatment method that stabilizes high-moisture agricultural by-products under low energy input. This study evaluated the feasibility of using silage for king oyster mushroom waste stems and investigated its effects on growth performance and nutritional composition when used as feed for Tenebrio molitor (mealworms) and Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly larvae, BSFL), aiming to enhance agricultural waste valorization.
Methods
Mushroom stems were mixed with 10 percent EM solution and fermented for four weeks. Changes in pH, moisture, ash, organic acids, and fiber composition (NDF, ADF, ADL) were analyzed. For mealworms, four conditions were tested: a moisture-controlled group (about 40 percent) and replacement groups (10 percent, 30 percent, and 50 percent) without moisture control. Growth performance, feed conversion ratio (FCR), efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI), and mortality were recorded. For BSFL, moisture was fixed at 70 percent, with replacement ratios of 10 percent, 20 percent, and 30 percent.
Results
Silage reduced pH to below 4 within 7 days, decreased ADF from 12.78 percent to 10.55 percent, and increased crude protein from about 21 percent to about 27 percent. Mealworm performance ranked as follows: 40 percent moisture control greater than 50 percent greater than 30 percent greater than 10 percent replacement. Under controlled moisture, wheat bran performed best, followed by silaged and fresh substrates. In replacement groups, improved performance at higher replacement levels was associated with increased moisture content, with values of about 49.11 percent, 33.75 percent, and 18.4 percent for 50 percent, 30 percent, and 10 percent, respectively. For BSFL, the best performance was observed at 20 percent replacement under 70 percent moisture, and silaged substrates generally outperformed fresh ones.
Considerations
Mealworms were sensitive to both moisture content and nutrient density, whereas BSFL showed greater adaptability to substrate variation. In mealworms, the effect of replacement ratio was strongly coupled with moisture content, indicating that low moisture limited feeding efficiency. In contrast, under controlled moisture conditions in BSFL, growth performance was mainly governed by nutrient balance and substrate properties.
Conclusion
Silaged mushroom waste is an effective preservation and pretreatment strategy for insect feed. For mealworms, moisture is a key factor, and the 50 percent replacement ratio showed the best performance among replacement groups. For BSFL, 20 percent replacement provided optimal performance. This study demonstrates a practical approach for converting agricultural residues into alternative protein sources, supporting sustainable and circular bioeconomy development.
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