Feed & Additive Magazine Issue 4 May 2021

NEWS 12 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE May 2021 Dr. Drewery studies BSFL to reduce livestock carbon footprint Merritt Drewery, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Sciences at Texas State University, studies Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) use as animal feed to reduce livestock carbon footprint. C onventional livestock feeds, such as soy, demand signif- icant resources to produce. Soy is also in high demand for human consumption, inviting unfavorable competition for livestock feed. By 2050, predictions indicate world population growth will result in a 58% increase in the demand for meat versus 2010, which will in turn drive up prices and increase pressures on natural resources nec- essary to meet this demand. Alternative and potentially more sustainable feeds for beef cattle can help alleviate some of these challenges. Merritt Drew- ery, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Sci- ences at Texas State Universi- ty, researches Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) as a potential high-protein replacement for conventional livestock feeds. According to Drewery's re- search; BSFL have high feed effi- ciency and can be grown on food and feed byproducts that would otherwise have an economic and environmental cost for disposal. "Black soldier fly larvae is an attractive livestock feed," Drew- ery says and add: "They are easy to grow. They are high in protein. They thrive on food waste and feed byproducts that have envi- ronmental and cost issues associ- ated with their disposal." "In some cultures, insects are important sources of nutrition, but consumers in Western societ- ies are not likely to accept insects into their diets," Drewery says. "This indicates there will not be competition between the feed and food sectors." NOW BSFL BEING EVALUATED AS FEED FOR CATTLE BSFL have previously been evaluated as feed for fish and chickens. They have not yet been evaluated in beef cattle, so Drew- ery's project will feed different amounts of BSFL to cattle, along with the same amount of a con- ventional feed, such as soy, to serve as a comparison. The study will evaluate how the different supplements impact feed intake and digestibility as well as document cattle feeding preferenc- es when presented BSFL alongside other conventional feed options. Specialized equipment that mim- ics the cattle's digestive system will evaluate other nutritional charac- teristics of BSFL in the laboratory. Cumulatively, the research tri- als will provide insights into how BSFL affects digestion in beef cattle and whether it can be rec- ommended as a livestock feed or not. By assessing a novel feed that does not directly compete with existing crop production, is asso- ciated with low natural resource inputs and will not be accepted as a human food, Drewery's study may contribute to improving the long-term sustainability of beef cattle production.