ENTOLAB-loppuseminaari: hyönteiskasvatuksen edistäminen Etelä-Pohjanmaalla 4.12.18 Seinäjoki

1. University college VIVES
(association KU Leuven)
• Automatisation (Tenebrio molitor)
• Turning nitrogen into protein
• What is waste worth?

2. = university of applied science
(NOT a firm!)
Association of University of Leuven (KUL)
3 research focusses based on socio-economical needs
VIVES - university of applied science
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018
Food HealthcareTechnology
Valorisation
of
secondary
flows

3. Some facts & figures
• Ca. 100 on – going research projects
• + 150 researchers (55 FTU)
• + 7 million euro (Research, Valorisation & Services)
• Subsidised and private research
Insect research colleagues :
Campus Roeselare
– An Callens
(food)
– Sharon Schillewaert
(regulation)
– Thomas Spranghers
(“fly master”)
Campus Kortrijk
(proces & product development)
– Tijs Anthone
– Lieven Malfait
– Philippe Vanloofsvelt
– Geert Furniere Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

4. Automatisation of insect rearing
Entomatisation ( VLAIO – TETRA, 2016 – 2018 )
Entomation (PWO )
Entomospeed (Interreg Vlaanderen – Nederland)
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

5. • Focus on 1 species: Tenebrio molitor
• Focus on 2 steps in proces: feeding and sieving
• Labour : hours of feeding: goal : - 75%
• Upscaling =
– From nowadays industrial scale (50 ton/year) to …
• Kok, R. (Insects as food and feed, 2017):
mass production: 6000 ton/year
– From labscale to … midscale to … industrial scale
(modular concept)
Entomatisation (2016 – 2018)
(TETRA – VLAIO )
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

6. • Proces window:
– Start from nowadays traditional production:
• Crates with meal/ wheat bran and carottes, apple …
• Maximum height of housing (no warehouse system)
– Compartimentation:
• Heat preferences between different life stages
• Hygiene : larvae versus adults (pests)
– Inside climate room:
• Minimale of structures (cleaning, hiding places pests)
• No active components (dust)
Entomatisation (2016 – 2018)
(TETRA – VLAIO )
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

7. Automatisation of insect farming
FEEDING LINE

8. Automatisation of insect farming
FEEDING LINE
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

9. Rollers? No!
1. Damage to crates :
= shorter longevity
+ plastic into crates (safety issue)
2. Higher risk to fall over
Automatisation of insect farming
FEEDING LINE
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

10. Options:
• 1 feeding mounth versus multihead
• Pump: consistency of feed
• 16 feeding patterns (size larvae )
• Logsystem crates (bar code, chip … )
• Sensors … (Entomospeed … )
What instead? 2 CATs
(notice: 1 empty place/compartment)
Automatisation of insect farming
FEEDING LINE
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

11. • Cost effective / insect production
– Farmer: ”Nice, but what does it cost?”
– Industry: ”I’m a believer. I have a warehouse of 40 by 60
meter. How much can I produce?”
Cost and gain of insects versus piglets versus parking space …
What language do they speak? Key parameters?
Automated insect rearing
THE REAL TEST
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

12. • Case study warehouse of 40 by 60 m (2400m²)
• kg live weight/m² or kg live weight/m³ or number of crates/m²
– Simulation:
optimal number of
compartments
– Variation
• Size of crates
• Feed conversion and duration of cycle
• Prefered climate
Automated insect rearing:
Key parameters : space versus production
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

13. Case study: 40 by 60 meter
( 2400 m² )
55300 crates
= 22,37 crates/m²
= … kg LG/m²
Automated insect rearing:
Key parameters : space versus production
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

14. • From number of crates/m² to kg live weight/m² year
• 2 kg live weight / crate
• 5,7 cycli/ year crate
• = 262,68 kg live weight/m² year
• 630 ton live weight /year
Should I invest now
in the insect
business or parking?
Automated insect rearing:
Key parameters : space versus production
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

15. If: (understanding between different farmers, experienced investors and industrialists )
• 15 year return and interest = 2,5%
• Inclusive washing installation, sieving, silo, forklift, heating&cooling, building …
Automated insect rearing:
Key parameters : what does it cost?
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018
Production
(live weight/year)
50 ton 50 ton 600 ton
Feeding line (k€) 0 200 625
Investment/year (k€) 41,5 58 147
Cost of feed (k€) 56 56 669
Production cost
feeding part
(€/kg live weight)
5 3,71 2,48
- 24,8% -33,15%

16. • Ok for Tenebrio molitor or also suitable for other insects?
• Automatisation not the only solution:
Automated insect rearing:
Key parameters : cost effective?
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018
Production
(live weight/year)
600 ton 600 ton
Feeding line (k€) 625 625
Investment/year (k€) 147 147
Cost of feed (k€) 669 334,5
Production cost
feeding part
(€/kg live weight)
2,48 1,73
If cost of feed: – 50%
Production cost: – 30%

17. 1. Automatisation (Tenebrio molitor)
2. Turning nitrogen into protein
3. What is waste worth?
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

18. Insect lab – Research
Waste streams
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

19. Waste streams as insect feed:
Unsteamed potato skins and small potato pieces
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

20. Waste streams as insect feed
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

21. • Tomato stamps
• Fruit mix (avocado & mango)
• Unsteamed and steamed potatoes and skin
• Brewers’ spent grain
• Solid fraction of treated pig manure, digestate, fresh pig
manure
• …
Other waste streams
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

22. Insect lab – Research
Nutritional requirements
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

23. 2. Turning nitrogen into protein. Not ammonia!
Nutritional requirements
Optimal nutritional requirements for BSF larvae are not well known
Protein content in the chicken feed standard is too high  ammonia emissions
Most side streams of plant origin contain lower protein levels
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

24. Optimal nutrient composition of BSF feed
Testing of diets with different protein levels and comparing to chicken feed
Per diet: 100 larvae receive 110 g wet feed (26% DM) over 2 week period,
3 times replicated
Using pure ingredients (artificial diets)
Iso-energetic substrates:
All substrates are high in starch (75-95% DM)  only protein is limiting
Decrease in protein is compensated by starch (gross-energy)
2. Turning nitrogen into protein. Not ammonia!
Nutritional requirements
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

25. Nutritional requirements:
artificial diet of protein and starch
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

26. Nutritional requirements: protein and starch
*
*
*
Max growth?
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

27. Nutritional requirements: protein, starch and vitamins + minerals
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

28. Nutritional requirements: protein, starch and vitamins + minerals
25%
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

29. Nutritional requirements: protein, starch,
vitamins+minerals and fat
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

30. Nutritional requirements: protein, starch,
vitamins+minerals and fat
85%
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

31. BSF larvae require only 25 – 50% of the protein level in chicken feed
Restrictions artificial diets:
Larvae grow maximum until 75% compared to chicken feed diet, despite all
(macro)nutrients being present and high energy levels
Shortage of micronutrients?
Cholesterol? (Barragán-Fonseca, 2018)
Digestibility of carbohydrates (resistant starch)?
Structure and other properties of the substrate?
Review of literature: lots of information but often very high feeding rates
Nutritional requirements: discussion
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

32. Nutritional requirements: discussion
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

33. Testing different sources of protein or mixtures with
synthetic amino acids  identifying essential amino acids
Identifying other essential nutrients (fatty acids, sterols, vitamins and minerals)
and energy requirement
Assessing the digestibility of nutrients and trying to improve it (enzymes,
microorganisms,…)
Nutritional requirements:
future perspectives for an efficient feeding strategy
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018

34. Thank you for your attention
Nordic seminar
5th of December, 2018