Chards

Specialty Crops
Written By Marianne Shetler

Mealworm Frass:

  • Demonstrated promoted plant growth, increased chlorophyll content, stem length and width, and fresh weight.

  • Enhanced short-term nutrient recycling facilitated by earthworm activity.

Black Soldier Fly (BSF) Frass:

  • Production was higher compared to inorganic fertilizers.

  • Maintained higher values of leaf dry matter compared with NPK treatments, during periods of water stress.

  • A short post-composting period (four days) of Black Soldier Fly larvae frass compost resulted in higher growth compared to unfertilized soil and similar growth to inorganic NPK fertilizer.

  • Effective activator of systemic defenses in Swiss chard, reducing infestation by different hemipterans, lepidopterans, and dipterans.

Marianne Shetler
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