Abstract
Abstract Frass, a byproduct of insect rearing, has become popular for its potential use in sustainable agriculture. The rapid growth of insect production results in an increased frass output. This study examined the effects of frass as soil amendment on plant growth and resistance to insect herbivory. In greenhouse experiments, Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae), was grown in unamended soil (NoFrass; control) or soil amended with frass (2 g kg −1 ) from larvae of black soldier fly (BSFF), Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), or yellow mealworm (MWF), Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Frass was applied as raw, incubated, or composted frass before seed germination. Plant growth and performance were measured of larvae of root‐feeding Delia radicum L. (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) and shoot‐feeding Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). Initially, raw BSFF and MWF reduced the growth of B. rapa and resulted in a smaller leaf area than NoFrass. However, over time, a notable trend emerged. Whereas the difference in leaf area between MWF and NoFrass disappeared, BSFF consistently resulted in a smaller leaf area than MWF and NoFrass. Raw BSFF reduced D. radicum larval survival and pupal biomass and larval survival of P. xylostella . In contrast, raw MWF increased larval survival and biomass of D. radicum and the survival of P. xylostella larvae. Interestingly, incubation of frass in the soil for 16 days before seed germination removed plant growth inhibition and increased plant leaf area, especially for MWF compared to NoFrass. In addition, composting MWF increased leaf growth. Therefore, frass may be used as a sustainable and natural alternative to conventional organic fertilisers, promoting plant growth and enhancing resistance to herbivory. Our results indicate that soil amendment with raw BSFF may negatively impact herbivore performance, whereas raw MWF may enhance herbivore performance.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
Raw BSFF frass initially reduced the growth of Brassica rapa and gave smaller leaf area than unamended soil.
- Taxon
- Brassica rapa
Brassica rapae1 - Treatment
- raw BSFFe2
- Outcome
- growthe2
- Direction
- reducede2
- Qualifier
- Initiallye2
- Comparator
- NoFrasse2
- Setting
- greenhouse experimentse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“In greenhouse experiments, Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae), was grown in unamended soil (NoFrass; control)”
e2“Initially, raw BSFF and MWF reduced the growth of B. rapa and resulted in a smaller leaf area than NoFrass”
Claim · model-written summary
Raw MWF frass initially reduced the growth of Brassica rapa and gave smaller leaf area than unamended soil.
- Taxon
- Brassica rapaBrassica rapae1
- Treatment
- MWFe2
- Outcome
- growthe2
- Direction
- reducede2
- Qualifier
- Initiallye2
- Comparator
- NoFrasse2
- Setting
- greenhouse experimentse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“In greenhouse experiments, Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae), was grown in unamended soil (NoFrass; control)”
e2“Initially, raw BSFF and MWF reduced the growth of B. rapa and resulted in a smaller leaf area than NoFrass”
Claim · model-written summary
BSFF frass consistently gave a smaller leaf area of Brassica rapa than MWF and unamended soil.
- Taxon
- Brassica rapaBrassica rapae1
- Treatment
- BSFFe3
- Outcome
- leaf areae3
- Direction
- smallere3
- Qualifier
- consistentlye3
- Comparator
- MWF and NoFrasse3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“In greenhouse experiments, Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae), was grown in unamended soil (NoFrass; control)”
e3“BSFF consistently resulted in a smaller leaf area than MWF and NoFrass”
Claim · model-written summary
Raw BSFF frass reduced larval survival of the root-feeding herbivore Delia radicum.
- Taxon
- Brassica rapaBrassica rapae1
- Treatment
- Raw BSFFe4
- Interactor
- D. radicum
Delia radicume4herbivore - Outcome
- D. radicum larval survivale4
- Direction
- reducede4
- Comparator
- NoFrasse1
- Setting
- greenhouse experimentse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“In greenhouse experiments, Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae), was grown in unamended soil (NoFrass; control)”
e4“Raw BSFF reduced D. radicum larval survival and pupal biomass and larval survival of P. xylostella”
Claim · model-written summary
Raw BSFF frass reduced pupal biomass of the root-feeding herbivore Delia radicum.
- Taxon
- Brassica rapaBrassica rapae1
- Treatment
- Raw BSFFe4
- Interactor
- D. radicumDelia radicume4herbivore
- Outcome
- pupal biomasse4
- Direction
- reducede4
- Comparator
- NoFrasse1
- Setting
- greenhouse experimentse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“In greenhouse experiments, Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae), was grown in unamended soil (NoFrass; control)”
e4“Raw BSFF reduced D. radicum larval survival and pupal biomass and larval survival of P. xylostella”
Claim · model-written summary
Raw BSFF frass reduced larval survival of the shoot-feeding herbivore Plutella xylostella.
- Taxon
- Brassica rapaBrassica rapae1
- Treatment
- Raw BSFFe4
- Interactor
- P. xylostellae4herbivore
- Outcome
- larval survival of P. xylostellae4
- Direction
- reducede4
- Comparator
- NoFrasse1
- Setting
- greenhouse experimentse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“In greenhouse experiments, Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae), was grown in unamended soil (NoFrass; control)”
e4“Raw BSFF reduced D. radicum larval survival and pupal biomass and larval survival of P. xylostella”
Claim · model-written summary
Raw MWF frass increased larval survival of the root-feeding herbivore Delia radicum.
- Taxon
- Brassica rapaBrassica rapae1
- Treatment
- raw MWFe5
- Interactor
- D. radicumDelia radicume5herbivore
- Outcome
- larval survivale5
- Direction
- increasede5
- Comparator
- NoFrasse1
- Setting
- greenhouse experimentse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“In greenhouse experiments, Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae), was grown in unamended soil (NoFrass; control)”
e5“raw MWF increased larval survival and biomass of D. radicum and the survival of P. xylostella larvae”
Claim · model-written summary
Raw MWF frass increased larval biomass of the root-feeding herbivore Delia radicum.
- Taxon
- Brassica rapaBrassica rapae1
- Treatment
- raw MWFe5
- Interactor
- D. radicumDelia radicume5herbivore
- Outcome
- biomasse5
- Direction
- increasede5
- Comparator
- NoFrasse1
- Setting
- greenhouse experimentse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“In greenhouse experiments, Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae), was grown in unamended soil (NoFrass; control)”
e5“raw MWF increased larval survival and biomass of D. radicum and the survival of P. xylostella larvae”
Claim · model-written summary
Raw MWF frass increased survival of the shoot-feeding herbivore Plutella xylostella larvae.
- Taxon
- Brassica rapaBrassica rapae1
- Treatment
- raw MWFe5
- Interactor
- P. xylostellae5herbivore
- Outcome
- the survival of P. xylostella larvaee5
- Direction
- increasede5
- Comparator
- NoFrasse1
- Setting
- greenhouse experimentse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“In greenhouse experiments, Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae), was grown in unamended soil (NoFrass; control)”
e5“raw MWF increased larval survival and biomass of D. radicum and the survival of P. xylostella larvae”
Claim · model-written summary
Incubating frass in soil for 16 days before seed germination removed the plant growth inhibition seen with raw frass.
- Taxon
- Brassica rapaBrassica rapae1
- Treatment
- incubation of frass in the soil for 16 days before seed germinatione6
- Outcome
- plant growth inhibitione6
- Direction
- removede6
- Comparator
- NoFrasse6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“In greenhouse experiments, Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae), was grown in unamended soil (NoFrass; control)”
e6“Interestingly, incubation of frass in the soil for 16 days before seed germination removed plant growth inhibition and increased plant leaf area, especially for MWF compared to NoFrass”
Claim · model-written summary
Incubated frass increased leaf area of Brassica rapa, especially for MWF compared with unamended soil.
- Taxon
- Brassica rapaBrassica rapae1
- Treatment
- incubation of frass in the soil for 16 days before seed germinatione6
- Outcome
- plant leaf areae6
- Direction
- increasede6
- Qualifier
- especially for MWFe6
- Comparator
- NoFrasse6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“In greenhouse experiments, Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae), was grown in unamended soil (NoFrass; control)”
e6“Interestingly, incubation of frass in the soil for 16 days before seed germination removed plant growth inhibition and increased plant leaf area, especially for MWF compared to NoFrass”
Claim · model-written summary
Composting MWF frass increased leaf growth of Brassica rapa.
- Taxon
- Brassica rapaBrassica rapae1
- Treatment
- composting MWFe7
- Outcome
- leaf growthe7
- Direction
- increasede7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“In greenhouse experiments, Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae), was grown in unamended soil (NoFrass; control)”
e7“composting MWF increased leaf growth”
Claim · model-written summary
Frass may be used as a sustainable and natural alternative to conventional organic fertilisers, promoting plant growth and enhancing resistance to herbivory (authors suggest).
- Taxon
- Brassica rapaBrassica rapae1
- Outcome
- a sustainable and natural alternative to conventional organic fertiliserse5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“In greenhouse experiments, Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae), was grown in unamended soil (NoFrass; control)”
e5“frass may be used as a sustainable and natural alternative to conventional organic fertilisers, promoting plant growth and enhancing resistance to herbivory”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.