Efficiency of black soldier fly zoocompost extract as an organic fertilizer for sunflower microgreens
https://doi.org/10.30766/2072-9081.2025.26.6.1342-1354
Abstract
The selection of a nutrient medium is one of the important factors affecting the yield and determining the quality of microgreens. During the experiment there was studied the possibility of using the remains of the life activity of black soldier fly larvae zoocompost (BSFLZ) as an organic supplement for growing sunflower microgreens under chemoponic conditions. The experimental design: control – filtered water; mineral fertilizer (1.5 ml/l); 1.0 % aqueous extract of BSFLZ (10 ml/l). Plants were grown in plastic containers for 7 days in a closed growbox under intensive light conditions and a controlled microclimate. The results showed that the addition of the BSFLZ extract increased sunflower shoot height by 20–23 % and resulted in the highest microgreens yield – 51 and 27 % higher in dry weight than growing in the control and mineral fertilizers. The biochemical composition of the microgreens varied depending on the treatment. In terms of total chlorophyll and phenol content, seedlings grown with the addition of the BSFLZ extract were slightly inferior to plants grown with a mineral fertilizer solution; however, they exhibited better carotenoid accumulation and a 15 % reduction in nitrate content. As with mineral fertilizers, the addition of the BSFLZ extract increased the total accumulation of macronutrients, particularly calcium, in the microgreens. Economic analysis confirmed the superiority of using zoocompost extract: net profit on organic matter was 6.7 times higher than on mineral-based ones.
Supporting agencies: the research was carried out under the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation within the state assignment of the V. M. Gorbatov Federal Scientific Center of Food Systems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (topics No. FGUS 2024-0010 and FGUS 2025-0005).
About the Authors
J. V. Puhalsky
V. M. Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems of RAS
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Jan V. Puhalsky, researcher, the Laboratory of Structural Processing of Bioresources, All-Russian Research Institute of Food Additives
Liteiny Ave., 55, St. Petersburg, 191014
S. I. Loskutov
V. M. Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems of RAS
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Svyatoslav I. Loskutov, PhD in Agricultural Science, Head of the Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnological Innovations, All-Russian Research Institute of Food Additives
Liteiny Ave., 55, St. Petersburg, 191014
A. I. Osipov
Agrophysical Research Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Anatoly I. Osipov, DSc in Agricultural Science, professor, chief researcher
Grazhdansky Prospekt, 14, St. Petersburg, 195220
A. I. Yakubovskaya
Research Institute of Agriculture of the Crimea
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Alla I. Yakubovskaya, PhD in Biological Science, Head of the Department of Agricultural Microbiology
Kyiv St., 150, Simferopol, 295453
V. R. Turkovskaya
Agrophysical Research Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Valeria R. Turkovskaya, research engineer
Grazhdansky Prospekt, 14, St. Petersburg, 195220
I. A. Kameneva
Research Institute of Agriculture of the Crimea
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Irina A. Kameneva, PhD in Agricultural Science, Head of the Laboratory of Physiology and Ecology of Microorganisms
Kyiv St., 150, Simferopol, 295453
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For citations:
Puhalsky J.V., Loskutov S.I., Osipov A.I., Yakubovskaya A.I., Turkovskaya V.R., Kameneva I.A. Efficiency of black soldier fly zoocompost extract as an organic fertilizer for sunflower microgreens. Agricultural Science Euro-North-East. 2025;26(6):1342-1354. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.30766/2072-9081.2025.26.6.1342-1354
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